August 7,
2003
Ask
Your U.S. Senator to Restore CAPTA Funds!
THE ISSUE AT HAND
The House-passed Labor, Health
and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill provides
$143,000 above the FY03 level for Child Abuse Prevention
and Treatment Act (CAPTA) Basic State Grants and $203,000
above the CAPTA Title II Community-Based Prevention Grants.
However, the Senate version of the bill does not include
these increases. The Senate Appropriations Committee has
cut FY03 funds for CAPTA below the levels already approved
in the House bill, and below the current FY03 funding level.
In addition, both the House and
Senate bills eliminate $7.544 million in funds earmarked
for special projects in CAPTA research and demonstration
grants. That leaves the research and demonstration program’s
competitive grant money level funded. In past years, Congress
has carried over the amount of earmarked funds from the previous
year and folded the funds into the competitive grant money
for the new fiscal year, thereby increasing support for CAPTA
research and demonstration projects.
When Congress returns from
recess in September, Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) will
offer an amendment to the Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations
bill to restore—and possibly increase—CAPTA funding for
FY04.
NASW,
in partnership with other members of the National Child Abuse
Prevention Coalition, was successful in advocating for a
number of changes in this year’s reauthorization of CAPTA,
renamed the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act. However
these improvements, including an increased emphasis on staff
training and service coordination, will not be realized without
sufficient funding.
ACTION NEEDED
Please
contact your Senators via e-mail or telephone and ask that
they vote in support of the Dodd amendment to restore CAPTA
funding. You can reach your Senator by dialing the
Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. To e-mail your Senator
a letter, please refer to NASW’s Congress Web: https://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/grassroots/congressweb.asp
SAMPLE
SCRIPT
As a constituent,
social worker, and member of the National Association of
Social Workers, I’m calling to request that when the Senate
considers the Labor/HHS bill in September, that Senator __________
support the amendment which Senator Dodd plans to offer regarding
an increase in funds for CAPTA. Our abused and neglected
children deserve additional support. Thank you.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
- CAPTA
state grants go to improve and strengthen child protective
services.
- CAPTA
Title II community-based grants provide scarce resources
for prevention of child abuse and neglect.
- CAPTA
research and demonstration discretionary grants help advance
knowledge through research and program innovations.
For more
information, please contact Ann Bradford, NASW government
relations, at abradford@naswdc.org or (202) 336-8237. |
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