Child abuse and neglect, which traditionally have torn families further apart during tough economic times, are declining both locally and nationally, a sign authorities say they are having more success intervening in troubled homes.

Reports of suspected child abuse and neglect fell last year in the Miami Valley and substantiated cases also edged downward in most local counties, according to a Dayton Daily News examination.

When was the last time that reports of suspected child abuse and neglect in the Miami Valley fell this low? What do some children's advocates say is one cause for this decline?

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