According ot CASA officials, the number of young mothers correlates with the number of abuse and foster child cases they deal with.
Amy Paiva of CASA said age, substance abuse and the quality of the family support system are all key factors in abuse cases.
In the case of Baby Grace, the child was killed by her 19-year-old mother and boyfriend.
Paiva said the best way to stop abuse is to report it.
Know who your neighbors are and what their children are up to.
Paiva said many times people do not report child abuse out of fear of being wrong, or that the abuse may become worse.
