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Urge your Senators to sign-on in support of increased CAPTA funding in FY23 Appropriations

Efforts are underway to reauthorize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) in a bipartisan manner. Right now, there is a bipartisan Dear Colleague letter - a letter used by members of Congress to encourage other members to support legislation or appropriations - being circulated by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) in support of increased funding for CAPTA. This letter calls for substantially increased resources to support a reformed CAPTA.

Fifty-six members of the House of Representatives signed onto their Dear Colleague letter supporting an increase in CAPTA funding. Now is the time to garner support from Senators as we raise awareness and advocate for increased funding to support a new vision for a child and family well-being system that strengthens families and effectively prevents child abuse and neglect. We hope you will join us in reaching out to your Senators and encourage them to sign onto this Dear Colleague letter. 

CAPTA background: Enacted in 1974, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) includes important provisions to promote the full continuum of services aimed at keeping vulnerable children, their parents and families out of the foster care system. Unfortunately, the program has been chronically under-resourced. Substantial resources are necessary for states to implement the systems, protections, and community-based services that safeguard children and bolster at-risk families in every state, effectively preventing and treating child abuse and neglect.

In June 2021, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) approved the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2021 (S.1927), increasing authorization levels for both Title I and Title II of CAPTA to $270 million each – for a total of $540 million. This bill also makes important reforms to strengthen CAPTA’s emphasis on prevention and family strengthening services.

Urge your Senators to sign-on in support of increased CAPTA funding in FY23 Appropriations

Efforts are underway to reauthorize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) in a bipartisan manner. Right now, there is a bipartisan Dear Colleague letter - a letter used by members of Congress to encourage other members to support legislation or appropriations - being circulated by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) in support of increased funding for CAPTA. This letter calls for substantially increased resources to support a reformed CAPTA.

Fifty-six members of the House of Representatives signed onto their Dear Colleague letter supporting an increase in CAPTA funding. Now is the time to garner support from Senators as we raise awareness and advocate for increased funding to support a new vision for a child and family well-being system that strengthens families and effectively prevents child abuse and neglect. We hope you will join us in reaching out to your Senators and encourage them to sign onto this Dear Colleague letter. 

CAPTA background: Enacted in 1974, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) includes important provisions to promote the full continuum of services aimed at keeping vulnerable children, their parents and families out of the foster care system. Unfortunately, the program has been chronically under-resourced. Substantial resources are necessary for states to implement the systems, protections, and community-based services that safeguard children and bolster at-risk families in every state, effectively preventing and treating child abuse and neglect.

In June 2021, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) approved the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2021 (S.1927), increasing authorization levels for both Title I and Title II of CAPTA to $270 million each – for a total of $540 million. This bill also makes important reforms to strengthen CAPTA’s emphasis on prevention and family strengthening services.