The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and
the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act

Catholic Charities USA, Baltimore MD - On December 10th the U.S. Senate approved the “Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) of 2010” (S. 3817). The proposal reauthorizes CAPTA through fiscal year 2015 and makes changes to:

* The national clearinghouse for information relating to child abuse;
* The child abuse prevention and treatment advisory board;
* Research and assistance activities;
* Data reporting; and
* The distribution of grants to states, Indian trbes or tribal organizations, and public or private agencies and organizations, including community-based grants.

The legislation also authorizes funding for The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act.  These funds will provide for formula grants to states and tribes, the national domestic violence hotline, and other programs to increase awareness of family violence.

Earlier in the week the House approved the measure with some minor changes from a version that cleared the Senate earlier. The changes included new data reporting and efforts to enhance the sharing of information across jurisdictions. These actions required the bill to be returned to the Senate for final passage.

The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature.

More information on the legislation, including a cost estimate, is available here.

If you have questions, please contact Desmond Brown, Senior Director of Government Affairs at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it