Maine has the country’s worst child abuse rate according to the most recently available data. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported a 2024 child maltreatment rate in Maine of 15.4 cases per 1,000 children, the highest among all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Massachusetts and Mississippi tied for second-highest at 14.9 maltreatment cases per 1,000 children, followed by West Virginia at 14.7 and Kentucky at 14.1.
The national average for child maltreatment stood at 7.2 cases per 1,000 children, down slightly from 7.4 the previous year. Maine state leaders have attributed the state’s high rate to its use of a broader definition of child maltreatment than other states, which causes Maine to report higher rates compared with jurisdictions using narrower definitions.
Maine’s 2024 Child Welfare Annual Report cited substance use, mental health challenges, domestic violence, housing instability, and other family stressors as recurring pressures affecting both child safety and the state’s child welfare system. These interconnected family factors continue to challenge the state’s protective services infrastructure and highlight the need for comprehensive support across multiple domains affecting child welfare.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.sunjournal.com/2026/05/19/does-maine-have-the-countrys-worst-child-abuse-rate-fact-brief/