Contrast the tragedy of Charleeni's death with another case of alleged child abuse that recently came to my attention.

Last month, a 4-year-old boy was found wandering his street at night. The mother explained that she'd put her child to bed, then left the house to visit friends on the block. She thought the boy was sound asleep, when he'd actually awakened and walked out the front door.

Both the mother and the maternal grandfather said they knew the neighbor who'd found the child and reported the incident.

Were they furious at their neighbor for reporting them? Were they insulted that someone they knew suspected them of child abuse?

Absolutely not.

They were gratified.

"Too many children fall through the cracks," the grandfather said. "We have to look out for each other."

The judge and social workers agreed that the young mother needed support and education, but that her children were safe and well.

In my 30 years of work with children, I'd never heard such a refreshing response. This family recognized what others often forget: The child-protection system is in place to help, not harm. If we are to be a community that prevents child abuse and neglect, we must embrace both the responsibility of reporting and the opportunity to respond well.

Charleeni was 10 years old when she died, and had been known to Philadelphia child-welfare and medical authorities for at least three years. Charleeni declined to tell investigators about her horrible experiences, and her parents reportedly presented inconsistent stories and failed to return for medical follow-ups.

While the physically or sexually abusive parent generally wants neither scrutiny nor intervention, the abused child often wants to tell but can't find the way, or the heart. We must continue to improve our investigative approach, sharing information more efficiently. We need state-of-the-art forensic interviewing of all child victims, in a safe place where children can disclose out of the presence of their caregivers.

More money isn't necessarily the answer, as much as wise spending. Pennsylvania spends more than most states on child welfare services. But our investment in prevention of abuse and neglect remains low and the programming spotty.

The Pennsylvania Children's Trust Fund, which supports proven abuse-prevention practices for at-risk populations, had to suspend grantmaking this year for lack of funds. Advocates failed again to win legislative support in Harrisburg for increased investment in primary prevention in early childhood.

We're not likely to ever know all the facts in Charleeni's encounter with the child-welfare system due to confidentiality restrictions. A state children's ombudsman, recommended in 2002 by a task force of the General Assembly, would investigate citizen complaints and tell the community that the system's problems will be studied openly and resolved satisfactorily. Yet the initiative has met opposition from those who want to keep that door closed.

IN 1909, Theodore Roosevelt held the first White House summit on children. Though 100 years have passed, we still have far to go to ensure the health, safety and well-being of our kids. The rate of child abuse and neglect deaths in the U.S. is much higher than in other rich democracies, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom.

Child fatalities are the canary in the coal mine of the community's approach to child safety and well-being. A report just out from the Every Child Matters Education Fund shows that more than 10,000 children in the U.S. died from family abuse and neglect from 2001 to 2007. Forty-six Pennsylvania children died from abuse in 2007, the most in at least five years.

We can, and must, change the story of Charleeni - and every other child at risk.

Frank P. Cervone is executive director of the Support Center for Child Advocates. He can be reached at fcervone@advokid.org.