In 1997, the Adoption and Safe Families Act was passed to specifically address the health and well-being of foster children. He set strict deadlines for returning children to their parents or revoked parental rights so the children could be adopted. In cases of chronic sexual and physical abuse, the ASFA has authorized states to forgo efforts to reunify the family and move directly to termination of parental rights (Myers, 2006, p. 102). In summary, the many advances in child welfare suggest a growing recognition of the special protections that children need and need. “From the colonial period until the 19th century, childhood was not considered a special stage of human development. For the most part, children were considered more or less alike, essentially miniature adults who were inherently aggressive and sinful, and therefore prone to all manner of vices, including idleness. They therefore required close supervision and severe treatment in order for them to grow up and lead industrious, righteous, and godly lives” (Trattner, 1999, p. 110). Indeed, it was only when the theories of John Locke, Henry Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson emerged that these views changed, based on the notion that people are intrinsically pure and good (at least at birth). Charles Darwin's ideas introduced notions of nature and nurture, and Sigmund Freud's work further explored the diverse psychology of children (Trattner, 2006, pp. 110-112). The steady, if slow, progress of the child welfare movement has brought great benefits to our society, but despite the progress resulting from the antiquated views cited above, there is broad consensus that protecting children will always be a job in progress, which…. .. half of the document ...... statistics suggest a problem of epidemic proportions: every 10 seconds a report of child abuse is made, five children die every day due to abuse, 80% of them have less four years old, and 76 percent of infant deaths are caused by abuse by a parent or guardian (USDHHS, 2009). Furthermore, as one might expect, poverty, illness, substance abuse, and other stressors within the home generally increase the likelihood of abuse (Goldman et al., 2003). Furthermore, the lack of social involvement can lead to the absence of a support system which deprives the parent of valuable coping mechanisms to manage stress. Other factors include family types that may increase vulnerability to abuse, including single-parent families or families experiencing spousal abuse, both of which reflect higher rates of child abuse than families without these problems (Goldman et al.., 2003).