On Monday, May 20, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2480 – Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) by voice vote and now it heads to the Senate. It proposes robust funding increases for states and local communities to implement strategies and programs that prevents child abuse is critical to strengthen families and protecting children. The passing of the reauthorization of CAPTA in a bipartisan manner prioritizes the need for investment in systems and programs that work.
“These funds are used for a variety of services that support and invest in community-based prevention efforts and establish plans for safe care,” stated Congresswoman Trahan (D-MA). “With the rise of the opioid epidemic, it is more important than ever to protect children who may be living in dangerous situations. I urge the Senate to move swiftly to hold a vote on this important legislation.”
The National Child Abuse Coalition, in support of CAPTA reauthorization, is calling for a strong public health approach to child maltreatment prevention, as recommended by the Commission to End Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities to increase funding by one billion dollars. In addition to the overwhelming support in the House over 250 national and state organizations from all 50 states have endorsed CAPTA requesting that Congress appropriates $500 million for Title I and $500 million for Title II. Robust funding is critical for CAPTA to help state and local systems effectively empower families and communities to be safe and healthy for children to grow and thrive. CWLA is a founding member of the National Child Abuse Coalition.
