A total of 1,760 children in the U.S. died from abuse and neglect in 2007, including four in Hawaii, but as a national group calls for improvements Hawaii Child Welfare Services said it has made changes that have led to a drop in cases and a reduction in deaths.

"Our cases have decreased 30 percent over the last four to five years," said Amy Tsark, head of Child Welfare Services and acting administrator of the state Social Services Division.

In 2008 two children died in Hawaii due to abuse and neglect, Tsark said.

Compared with other states Hawaii deaths have always been low but improvements were made to reduce them further, including forming partnerships with other agencies and the community and obtaining funding from the federal government, Tsark said.

A new report, "We Can Do Better, Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in America," sponsored by Every Child Matters Foundation Fund, says that 10,440 children in the U.S. died due to neglect and abuse between 2001 and 2007.

The report says thousands more deaths go unreported because across the country there is no standard system for the collection of data nor a definition of what constitutes a child abuse and neglect death.

Among other findings, the report said 42 percent of the 10,440 victims were less than 1 year old, that the U.S. death rate is three times higher than Canada and 11 times higher than Italy, and that 70 percent of the deaths in 2007 involved a parent.

"It's heart-wrenching that each day in America, five children will die from abuse and neglect, but what's worse is that the real number is even larger," Michael Petit, president of Every Child Matters Education Fund, said in a news release.

"Child abuse and neglect are national problems that require national solutions. That means federal lawmakers must work with states to address what causes it, be more consistent in how data about it are shared, and increase support for the agencies that work to stop it."

National leaders in child protection, law enforcement, educators, policymakers and others are gathering in Washington, D.C., today to begin two days of discussions to identify policies and resources needed to reduce deaths from child abuse and neglect.

Loretta Huddy, head of the Family Health Services Division in the state Department of Health and who will speak at the summit, said drug use plays a major role in the problem in Hawaii, with as many as 85 percent to 90 percent of the cases involving substance use.

And while Hawaii is considered a leader in prevention of child abuse and neglect, concerns remain, Huddy said.

"Hawaii has been fortunate because we've seen a decline in the number of reported child abuse rate, but our concern is with the budget restrictions that the safety net, the services for families that need help are eroding," Huddy said. "So we really need to talk about an investment in children and families."