Yesterday, the Subcommittee of Healthy Families and Communities held a hearing in support of the re-authorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) grant.  National experts who have implemented provisions of the CAPTA - the Basic State grants, the Community Based Prevention grants and the Research and Demonstration grants - attended and spoke.  CAPTA provides state, local, and tribal public child welfare agencies with a foundation for quality child protective services, enhancements of the formal and informal preventive, community based services, the opportunity for systemic and practice improvements, and expansion of our understanding and knowledge that will guide our state statutes, policies, practices and customs. This is the essence of CAPTA and the promise of our nation's ability to keep children safe and families together. 
 
Each of the national experts spoke to the House Committee about the need for ongoing federal support for the communities that are significantly impacted by the growing child abuse and neglect statistics.  In fiscal year 2007, an estimated 3.2 million referrals, involving the alleged maltreatment of approximately 5.8 million children, were made to Child Protective Services (CPS) agencies [US HHS, 2009]. An estimated 1.86 million children received an investigation or assessment. In 2007, an estimated 792,000 children were determined to be victims of abuse or neglect. Of the 792,000 victims, 38 percent of the victims (300,960 children) received no post investigation services.
 
Consistent in the testimony from the invited guests were recommendations to:

• Increase funding levels for CAPTA - placing additional resources on the front-end of the system and not after placement.
  
• Revisit Title IV-E requirements that force states to remove children to be able to claim funding
  
• Support a "differential response system" for child abuse and neglect complaints that removes the investigative and punitive nature and looks to strengthen and empower families to find solutions. 
  
• Include in the SACIWS requirements up front services that can be track and monitor interventions.