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10/17/2025 - The Division of Youth Services shared its fiscal year 2025 report yesterday, presented by DYS Administrator Vivian Sablan and Child Protective Services Supervisor Mariah Barcinas at the DYS administration office in Capital Hill.
In fiscal year 2025, the division handled a total of 816 cases involving 2,210 children—2,114 from Saipan, 28 from Tinian, and 68 from Rota. Of these, 1,396 were at the primary level (1,349 from Saipan, 11 from Tinian, and 36 from Rota) and 814 were at the secondary level (765 from Saipan, 17 from Tinian, and 32 from Rota).
The 2025 report showed a significant increase in child abuse and neglect cases compared to the previous year. In FY 2024, DYS recorded 535 total cases involving 1,489 children across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.
There were a total of 2,032 allegations in 2025, with Saipan accounting for most of the cases at 1,931, followed by Tinian with 28 and Rota with 73. Emotional abuse remained the top allegation, rising from 263 cases in 2024 to 476 in 2025, followed by physical abuse, which increased from 116 to 155, and sexual abuse, from 102 to 116.
Neglect-related reports—spanning educational, emotional, medical, and physical neglect—along with domestic violence also showed notable growth, rising from 314 total cases in 2024 to 640 in 2025. Support service referrals surged as well. Saipan continued to account for the majority of reports both years, though all three islands saw increases.
Barcinas added that as of Oct. 12—just 12 days into the 2026 fiscal year—DYS had already received 17 new reports involving 61 children, including cases of domestic violence, neglect, sexual and physical abuse, grooming, and drug-related concerns in the home.
Sablan said the rise in reports may reflect greater community awareness due to DYS’s multiple outreach efforts and public events, noting that more people now feel comfortable coming forward to report suspected abuse or neglect.
“Very unfortunate that for this fiscal year 2025, our numbers have skyrocketed, and it has been doing so for the past several years,” Sablan said. “In everything that we do, we also try to squeeze in the prevention component, but unfortunately our numbers are still skyrocketing and like I’ve said in the past, we may also want to view that as having a big presence out in the community where the community is getting actually really comfortable reporting.”
With the government implementing austerity measures, Sablan said, “There’s going to be a lot more pressure financially with the families—hopefully not, but we have to plan for it because the situation now is that families are having a difficult time and sometimes just that financial burden, might just turn things for the worst.”
On what challenges they would face due to the austerity measures, Sablan said they’re requesting for an exemption. “We are a 24/7 operation because there are several programs within DYS that are on call—they respond 24/7. Aside from that, we operate a 24/7 emergency shelter… we are in the process of requesting for an exemption because it’s going to take its toll… and we don’t want it to get there. We want to make sure that we provide the best service possible and give our families the best service that they deserve.”
To make a report, contact (670) 285-2780 or (670) 285-2781. For emergencies, call 911.
Report by Leigh Gases
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