The Sun Journal ran an article March 10, “Parenting program faces state budget ax,” and I am writing in response.

The program should not be cut because it helps parents learn how to parent without being violent toward their children.

My classmates and I interviewed Norway Chief of Police David Verrier about child abuse. He said that it didn’t seem that there was a lot of child abuse around the Oxford Hills area, but there are some reports. He said it is a problem, but not a huge one, with about five cases in the area per year.

That might not seem like a lot, but that means there are children from five different families who are being abused in the Oxford Hills area, and that is five too many.

According to the article, during the past 15 years, the parenting program has helped more than 1,500 families just in Franklin County, and 167 in Oxford County per year. That shows that the program is helping and has helped a lot of families in Maine.

Gov. Paul LePage and the Legislature should not cut that program.

James Bailey, student

Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School