Washington, D.C. – The Child Welfare League of America joins more than three dozen organizations in support of the RISE (Resilience Investment, Support, and Expansion) from Trauma Act (S.1770/H.R. 3180). The bipartisan and bicameral bill sponsors are Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Shelly Moore-Capito (R-WV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Representatives Danny Davis (D-IL-07) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08).
Almost half of the children in the United States have experienced at least one serious trauma, and nearly a quarter of children have had two or more traumatic experiences. Youth living in urban areas have a higher risk of experiencing trauma, and earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) called trauma a “costly public health problem.” Despite this being a widespread problem, there are very few programs that are federally funded to treat youth who have experienced trauma or had an adverse experience.
The RISE from Trauma Act would address this problem by investing in workforce, programs, and services to address the impact of trauma on young people. The RISE from Trauma Act will help negate the consequences of youth experiencing trauma and being exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), such as lowered school performance, increased rates of a substance use disorder, and increased rates of incarceration.
