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A CENTURY OF SERVICE RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES | 41

Cruelty to Children In 1875, the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, above, was incorporated, becoming the world’s first child protective agency. At the time, impoverished, homeless or orphaned children were often placed into indentured service where they experienced abuse and neglect. Today, Riverside County joins with counties and agencies across the country in the prevention of child abuse and neglect, safeguarding the rights of children and protecting them from harm.