October 14, 2003
The Honorable Ralph Regula
Chairman
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
And Education
House Committee on Appropriations
2358 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Regula:
On behalf of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities’ Child Abuse Task Force, we are writing to urge funding in the FY04 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations conference agreement for research and demonstration grants authorized under Title I of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) at the higher level passed by the Senate on September 10, 2003: $28.4 million. The House bill funding level for the competitive research and demonstration grants remains at $26.3 million. The House and Senate bills are now in agreement with recommended funding levels of $22 million for the Title I basic state grant program, and $33.4 million for the newly revised Title II, “Community-Based Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Grants.” CCD is a coalition of approximately 100 national disability organizations working together to advocate for national public policy that ensures the self determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society.
While overall funding
levels for CAPTA are woefully inadequate, holding on to this slight increase of
$2.1 million for Title I recommended by the Senate will make significant
difference to the hundreds of thousands of children in serious jeopardy. Over
800,000 children are confirmed as abused or neglected each year. States report
that nearly half (44.2%) of the child victims or their families in confirmed
cases of child abuse and neglect receive no treatment or any other kind of
services following investigation of a report. Deaths from child maltreatment
remain unacceptably high: an estimated 1,100 children died of abuse or neglect
in 1999 alone; near-fatal child maltreatment leaves another 18,000 children
permanently disabled each year.
Without adequate family support, children with disabilities, are 3.76 times more
likely to be victims of neglect, 3.79 times more likely to be physically abused,
3.88 times more likely to experience emotional abuse, and 3.14 times more likely
to be sexually assaulted than children without disabilities. In addition,
child maltreatment has been shown to be a significant cause of serious
disability in children. The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect
determined that 36.6 percent of the substantiated cases of maltreatment in a
1993 study sample caused disabilities. Other studies have shown that
significant proportions of children in foster care may have serious health and
developmental problems.
CAPTA Title I currently provides the only source of federal dollars dedicated solely to improving the CPS system to ensure that serious allegations of child abuse and neglect are thoroughly investigated and that every child and family in a confirmed case of abuse or neglect receives services. Important changes to Title I of CAPTA recommended by the CCD Child Abuse Task Force and incorporated in the recent reauthorization will now allow support to develop better linkages between CPS and public health, mental health, and developmental services to assure diagnosis and treatment for abused and neglected children. In addition, revisions to Title II of CAPTA will help ensure that funding is dedicated to community-based child abuse and neglect prevention activities that can keep families out of the CPS system and avoid more costly foster care.
We are especially pleased that Title II of CAPTA is focused on innovative community-based prevention services and that a small share of its dollars fund respite care for all families at risk, including families of children with disabilities, chronic and terminal illness, and now, parents with disabilities. Respite has been shown to alleviate the serious stress these families face, stress that can lead to abuse or neglect, and to reduce the incidence of abuse and neglect in communities where it is available.
Please allow this one small increase proposed by the Senate for CAPTA’s Title I discretionary activities to stand. With this one small step, perhaps we can begin a new legacy of sound policy focused on prevention and caring. Thank you for your consideration of our request.
If you need more information about the relationship between child abuse and disabilities, or would like to know about respite and crisis care programs in your state, please contact one of us Jill Kagan, National Respite Coalition, at 703-256-9578 (jbkagan@aol.com), or Kim Musheno, Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), 301-588-8252 (kmusheno@aucd.org).
Sincerely,
Kim Musheno, Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Co-Chair, CCD Child Abuse Task Force
Jill Kagan, National Respite Coalition
Co-Chair, CCD Child Abuse Task Force
Katy Neas, Easter Seals
Member, CCD Child Abuse Task Force