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CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
DISCRETIONARY GRANTS
The American Psychological Association urges funding for the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) Discretionary Grant program at $30 million for FY2000.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Child maltreatment is a serious public health problem. Between 1988 and 1997, the number of children reported as victims of abuse or neglect rose 41%. An estimated 1,054,000 children were substantiated victims of child maltreatment in 1997, a 5% increase over 1996. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimated in 1995 that five children die every day from abuse or neglect.
Responding to child abuse demands a national response. CAPTA Discretionary Grants embody the federal leadership role in supporting activities Congress has mandated for: Innovative program development, research, training, technical assistance, data collection to address national issues in child protection, the National Resource Center on Child Maltreatment, and the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information.
HOW CAPTA DISCRETIONARY GRANTS ARE USED
CAPTA Discretionary Grants fund scientific research on child abuse. This research addresses such critical topics as the treatment needs of maltreated children with disabilities; the effectiveness of risk assessment approaches to improve child protective service practices; the relationship between child maltreatment and spouse abuse; and the consequences of child maltreatment on the delayed development of children.
CAPTA Discretionary Grants support training activities. Those receiving training include members of child fatality review teams; judges to improve the judicial process in child sexual abuse cases; and welfare recipients as paraprofessionals in support roles with child protective services.
CAPTA Discretionary Grants support innovative programs. Examples include programs that use volunteers in child maltreatment prevention and treatment programs; prevent child neglect; combat child maltreatment in rural area; and provide crisis nurseries for children at risk of abuse or neglect.
CAPTA Discretionary Grants fund the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS). NCANDS is the only federal data collection effort to determine the scope of the problem of child abuse and neglect. This information serves to strengthen our understanding of the consequences and the causes of child maltreatment, to track the extent and nature of abuse and neglect, and to develop effective approaches for treating and preventing the abuse and neglect of children.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Funding for CAPTA Discretionary Grants should be increased to $30 million for FY2000.
The continued need for funding for research and innovative programs must be emphasized.
May 1999
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