Education and Labor Committee Unanimously Approves Bipartisan Bill to Prevent and Treat Child Abuse and Neglect
WASHINGTON – Today, the Committee on Education and Labor unanimously approved H.R. 2480, legislation to strengthen federal efforts to prevent and treat child abuse. The Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (Stronger CAPTA) is a bold, bipartisan response to combat the rising rates of child maltreatment experienced as the opioid crisis has devastated families and communities across the country.
“As the opioid epidemic and other pressures have devastated communities and families across the country, we have seen a worrisome increase in the prevalence of child maltreatment,” said Chairman Bobby Scott at today’s markup. “Congress has charged this Committee with the legislative responsibility to assist in eradicating this crisis. The bipartisan legislation before us today updates CAPTA to fulfill this important responsibility.”
Stronger CAPTA improves federal efforts to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect by:
- Elevating the importance of federal investment in prevention by authorizing substantial federal support to help states build delivery systems of prevention services;
- Providing greater support to help child protective services (CPS) agencies across the country by investing in the professional development and retention of CPS staff;
- Improving the quality of federal and state data – a critical component in the fight against child abuse and neglect – and allowing states to easily, quickly, and securely share data about families who have come into contact with CPS; and
- Directing federal support toward helping families grow stronger and stay together by expanding prevention services and adding further protections to ensure that families stay intact when doing so is in the child’s best interest.
To read the fact sheet on H.R. 2480, click here.
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