Practice Areas

• Shaken Baby Syndrome
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Cerebral Palsy
• Wrongful Death
• Burns
• Car Accident
• Child Abuse
• Child Injuries
• School Injuries
• Daycare injuries
• Dog Bites
• Bike Accident
• Foster Care Abuse

Case Results

Wrongful Death

$5,700,000.00 - Wrongful Death

$1,800,000.00 - Wrongful Death

$1,000,000.00 - Wrongful Death

More

Child Abuse

Sexual Assault - Confidential Settlement

Sexual Assault - Confidential Settlement

Sexual Assault - Confidential Settlement

More

Child Injuries

$4,500,000.00 - Brain Damage

$4,200,000.00 - Brain Damage

$3,200,000.00 - Brain Damage

$3,000,000.00 - Brain Damage

$1,500,000.00 - Amputation

More

Foster Care Abuse

Wrongful Death - Confidential Settlement

More

Other

$2,000,000.00 - Amputation

$1,000,000.00 - Wrongful Death

$1,000,000.00 - Wrong Site Surgery

$1,000,000.00 - Accidental death

More

Child Safety News

Martinez woman, Kimberly Hoglund, reportedly suspected of causing car accident in Pinole, leaving teenage boy in a coma, link provided by California lawyer attorney for teenagers in car accidents... More

Animal attack at San Francisco Zoo kills Carlos Sousa, Jr, age 17, link provided by San Francisco animal attack lawyer... More

Child abuse lawyer provides link to child death review committee report... More

Dakota Harryman, 7 months, killed; grandmother's boyfriend, Glenn Peralta, charged in death... More

Wrongful death of San Jose baby from skull fracture - father, Armando Garcia, reportedly held in jail... More

Wrongful death of Robert Ratto, 19, allegedly killed by gunshot from friend, Daryl Yadao, 18... More

California child injury lawyer provides link to child seat safety class in Riverside County and San Bernadino County California... More

Erica Bernal, Mother of Jose Ariellano, shaken baby victim, waits for jury verdict in her murder trial in Norwalk Superior Court... More

California investigates allegations of child abuse involving Britney Spears and Kevin Federline custody case... More

Joshua Yeager, alleged driver in car crash in Cedar Ridge related to death of Laura Freeman, age 17, denied release... More

Child Abuse Prevention – A Three Tiered Approach

With approximately three million cases of child abuse and neglect reported every year, child mistreatment is a serious issue in the United States. There are a number of programs that exist at the state and federal level whose purpose is to reduce and prevent child mistreatment. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Welfare Information Gateway advocates a three-tier approach to combating child abuse and neglect.

Primary prevention programs (also known as “universal strategies”) are targeted at the community at large, in order to raise community awareness and prevent abuse and neglect from occurring. Secondary prevention programs (“selective strategies”) are targeted at families that have been identified as high-risk for child abuse or neglect, such as parents who are low-income, physically or mentally disabled, or young. Tertiary prevention programs (“indicated strategies”) are intended to provide support to families where abuse or neglect has already occurred, so that it does not recur.

Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm work hard to defend America’s children against abuse and neglect. Please don’t hesitate to contact The Keane Law Firm if you or somebody you know need legal representation to deal with a case of child mistreatment. Most importantly, if you or somebody you know need to report suspected child abuse or neglect, or needs to speak with a counselor, please contact Childhelp® at 1-800-422-4453.

Raise Community Awareness – The Primary or Universal Approach

There are a variety of ways that state, government, and non-profit agencies can reach the general public and make a broad-based attempt to prevent child abuse. Community awareness of abuse and neglect is the first step in preventing mistreatment. These messages are expected to reach not only potential abuser, but also members of the community and organizations that could potentially provide support to parents or children in need. Some of the ways that community awareness can be raised are:

• Funding and prioritizing state-sponsored prevention programs. Instead of focusing on simply reporting child abuse, states need to be encouraged to budget for prevention programs in order to prevent abuse before it begins.


• Training mandatory reporters. The majority of child abuse cases are reported by professionals, most of whom are considered mandatory reporters. This means they are required by law to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect, and can be held accountable if they fail to properly report any suspected case of child mistreatment. The goal of these training programs is to acquaint professionals with the signs and symptoms of child abuse, so they become better able to quickly report suspected cases of abuse or neglect.


• Producing printed material and public service announcements intended to educate the community about the signs of child maltreatment, how to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect, and provide tips on positive parenting. These materials can be distributed throughout communities, including locations such as schools, libraries, pediatrician’s offices, and community and state agency offices.


• Educating school children by providing safety awareness and assertiveness training to teach them how to be aware of the dangers of abuse, and how to respond to and report abuse attempts.


• De-stigmatizing the need for help. Communities that provide intensive support for families can erase the notion that seeking help for parenting problems is somehow indicative of a failure or weakness. Families with multiple risk factors are especially in need and should be made to feel comfortable asking for help.

Support High-Risk Families – The Secondary or Selective Approach

The importance of a child’s home and family environment cannot be overestimated. Healthy families are key components of a well-balanced society, and are important for raising healthy, happy children. Given that parents are responsible for about 79% of abuse and neglect cases, one of the ways to prevent abuse from beginning is to provide support directly to a child’s family. Support for high-risk families is especially important. High-risk families can be identified by risk factors for abuse such as:

• Low income


• Single mother


• Young parent(s)


• Physical disability of the parent(s) or child


• Mental disability of the parent(s) or child


• Parental substance abuse

Programs targeting high-risk families can provide support in a variety of ways:

• Pre-natal support for at-risk mothers to ensure a healthy pregnancy and birth of a healthy child to a mother prepared for the challenges of a newborn


• Educate parents about child development and discipline, provide tools for dealing with the various stages and challenges inherent in child rearing


• Fostering a nurturing, caring bond between a child and parent or caregiver


• Family centers that provide access to resources and referral services


• Providing toll free numbers for stressed parents


• Providing easy access to family support / therapy


• Access to substance abuse services


• Job Search Programs to help find work for parents and caregivers, so they can support their families


• Access to affordable childcare for parents or caregivers who need to work outside the home


• In-home or nurse home visitation programs, which have been shown to reduce incidence of child abuse and neglect


• Fatherhood programs to emphasize the importance of a father’s participation in raising a child


• Programs specifically tailored to families and communities with cultural, racial and linguistic differences

Support for Families Where Abuse has Occurred – The Tertiary or Indicated Approach

Families where a child has experienced some kind of abuse or neglect are especially in need of help, not only to provide support to the recovering child but also to ensure that mistreatment does not recur. In addition to the types of services and support provided for high-risk families, the following measures can also be taken:

• Provide counseling and treatment for victims of child abuse or neglect


• Provide counseling and treatment for parents or caregivers responsible for abuse or neglect


• Parent support groups and mentor programs


• Proving temporary shelter for abused or neglected children while primary caregivers are given help

A comprehensive implementation of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs are recommended to prevent child abuse and maltreatment within our communities. In the unfortunate situation that a child you know has been the victim of abuse or neglect, please contact The Keane Law Firm to discuss how we can work with you to help rebuild that child’s life.

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Keane Law Firm
530 Jackson Street
2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94133

Phone: (415) 398-2777
Fax: (415) 520-2282