We shower expectant mothers with all the blankets, diapers and bibs they need to welcome their babies into the world.

But for some families, that is not enough. Many need special support to understand their children’s health and safety needs and to develop basic parenting skills. Without this support, thousands of Maine’s children face a heightened risk of abuse and neglect that can endanger their lives.

That’s a key message from the Maine Children’s Alliance, which reports that more than 4,000 children in Maine were substantiated victims of child abuse and neglect in 2012.

This is an increase of more than 500 victims since last year’s report. And it reverses the trend of the previous two years, in which there were declining numbers of child victims of abuse and neglect.

It’s top of mind for the lawenforcement community during April, which has been designated as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, because so many of us have seen the impact of this abuse firsthand.

And we also know from our experiences in the field, and from research, that the number of reported abuse and neglect cases is just a fraction of the actual incidents, since this particular crime is historically under-reported.

We also are too well aware that abuse victims are more likely than nonvictims to become abusers themselves, or involved in other crime. One research study shows that an estimated one-third of adults with a history of abuse may maltreat their own children. Another study shows that a small percentage of abused and neglected children, about 4 percent, will commit violent crimes later in life.

So, of the 4,000 victims of abuse and neglect last year, law enforcement can project that 160 of these Maine children will grow up to become violent criminals.

Research has also shown that approximately half of the youth arrested for delinquency had been abused or neglected earlier in their lives. That’s a concern for our future public safety.

Fortunately, families in Maine are getting the help they need through a program that will ultimately benefit citizens throughout our state.

Through Maine Families Home Visiting, caring professionals help parents build skills and confidence for managing the stresses of parenting a young child. They provide tools for understanding child behavior and addressing behavior challenges.

These interventions can go a long way in ensuring children’s health and safety.

In 2012, the Maine Families home visiting program served 2,091 families and 2,200 children over the course of 16,325 home visits. Among families who had been involved with Child Protective Services at the time of enrollment, 73 percent had no further substantiated allegations for child abuse or neglect during their participation with Maine Families.

Maine Families’ other outcomes are impressive. Last year, 92 percent of the children were up to date on immunizations, 99.7 percent had a primary care provider, 97.6 percent had health insurance and 88 percent were up to date on their well-child checkups.

Home visitors also help families prevent potential injuries and trips to the emergency room by conducting a home safety assessment and then assisting families to fix any identified problems. In addition, home visitors identified about 100 children with developmental delays and referred these children to early support services, to address these delays before the children become school age.

It the long run, home visiting saves far more than it costs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that “the total lifetime economic burden resulting from new cases of fatal and nonfatal child maltreatment in the United States in 2008 is approximately $124 billion.”

Cutting those cases means a lot for our communities. It saves money and law enforcement time.

But most importantly, it means far fewer children affected by abuse and neglect now and in the future.

Not all children who are abused will turn to crime or abuse their own children. But giving them the best odds of success is important — and that’s what Maine Families does.

The governor and state legislators need to support these programs and expand them, because Maine’s youngest citizens should be in the forefront of their minds — not only during April, but all year.

TODD BRACKETT is Lincoln County sheriff. MIKE FIELD is police chief in the city of Bath.