At Canopy Center, our mission is to support children and youth who have experienced trauma by providing opportunities for safety, advocacy and healing. We are urging Wisconsin lawmakers to strengthen protections for children through Act 78 by closing reporting gaps in the law and ensuring child sexual abuse is never overlooked.
Why Act 78 Matters
When something terrible happens to a child, we need to ask two questions: Did anyone see the warning signs? And what could have been done differently to keep that child safe? That is what Act 78 is supposed to do. It requires the Department of Children and Families and county agencies to report child deaths, serious injuries, egregious abuse or neglect, and suspected suicides of children in out-of-home care, so lawmakers and communities can learn and take action to prevent future harm.
But here’s the problem: the law doesn’t clearly define what counts as “egregious.” As a result, some of the most horrific cases - including those involving child sexual abuse - never get disclosed to the public or to legislators. This is important as child sexual abuse is the third most common type of substantiated maltreatment in Wisconsin (Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, 2021–2022).
For example, a child under the age of five was sexually abused so badly that they required reconstructive surgery. The case was not reported under Act 78.
If the public never hears about these cases, we can’t ask the tough questions: Were the right protections in place? Could something have been done differently? How many children is this really happening to?
What Happens Next
On September 30, the Assembly Committee on Children and Families and the Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families will hold a joint informational hearing at the State Capitol. This hearing is an opportunity to review serious incidents of child abuse under Act 78 and reflect on how we can do better to protect children.
How You Can Help
We’re asking community members to stand with us by urging committee members to:
- Establish clear, specific guidelines for what must be reported.
- Explicitly include cases of child sexual abuse, ensuring they are never overlooked.
The committee members can be found in the links above.
Canopy Center stands ready to work alongside lawmakers, child advocates, and our community to ensure every child grows up safe and supported. Because at the end of the day, if we aren’t even counting or disclosing some of the worst child abuse cases, then those children stay invisible. And when children are invisible, they aren’t protected.
