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The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services recently released the child abuse report and outcome data for 2022. Prevent Child Abuse Iowa has a few key takeaways to share with Iowans about how to build better childhoods. There were 34,512 child abuse or neglect assessments in the calendar year 2022. Seventy percent of child abuse assessments resulted in a finding of “not confirmed.” Five percent of child abuse assessments resulted in a finding of “confirmed” abuse. Of the total number of abused or neglected children, forty-six percent were five years of age or younger, twenty-six percent were between 6-10 years, and the remaining twenty-eight percent were older than 11 years. Allegations of abuse and neglect are evaluated by a central intake unit in Des Moines. Accepted intakes are assessed in person by county-based HHS child protection workers. Most allegations are not confirmed. When abuse is founded, a separate group of HHS case managers supervise ongoing services for children and their families. Those services are performed by non-governmental social service organizations under performance-based contracts. For more information on Prevent Child Abuse Iowa you can visit the link with this news story at KCIIradio.com.