Senate Appropriations Committee Bucks White House, Restores Critical Funding to Child Advocacy Centers

Today, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) provided crucial support to children nationwide and restored $19 million for the Victims of Child Abuse Act and Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) across the country.

Like last year, the President’s budget request zeroed out funding for the Victims of Child Abuse Act, leaving the future of CACs in jeopardy. Last week, bipartisan Members of the House of Representatives also disagreed with the President and restored full funding to the program.

“Child Advocacy Centers in communities across the country can continue their mission and give children the opportunity to receive the support they need after being the victims of unthinkable abuse and neglect,” said Teresa Huizar, Executive Director of National Children’s Alliance.

“We are grateful for the support we have received by Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and will continue to make sure children who have been the victims of abuse and neglect have access to the support and resources they need. Although the Administration has refused to make this a priority, bipartisan Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives have corrected this oversight and put children first.”

Bud Cramer, former Member of Congress and founder of the National Children’s Advocacy Center said, “We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Senators Barbara Mikulski and Richard Shelby, along with their staff, for their hard work and tremendous help in restoring this funding. This would have been an uphill battle without them.”

Child abuse costs the American people more than $124 billion per year. CACs save money by making coordinated investigations more efficient and more effective. In fact, a cost-benefit analysis showed that traditional investigations cost 36% more than CAC-collaborative investigations. CACs also share the goal of stopping abuse before it even starts. Nationwide, and in just the last year, CACs provided child sexual abuse prevention education to more than 500,000 individuals – adults and children.

For more information about National Children’s Alliance, visit www.nationalchildrensalliance.org.

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National Children’s Alliance is the national association and accrediting body for the over 750 Children’s Advocacy Centers and 47 State Chapters serving each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Dedicated to helping local communities respond to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient, and put the needs of child victims of abuse first, National Children’s Alliance provides support and advocacy to its accredited membership, as well as numerous developing centers, multidisciplinary teams and child abuse professionals around the country, and the world. As the national authority on multidisciplinary approaches to supporting child victims of abuse, the purpose of National Children’s Alliance is to empower local communities to provide comprehensive, coordinated and compassionate services to victims of child abuse. Founded in 1990, National Children’s Alliance provides accreditation opportunities, financial assistance, training, technical assistance, research and education to communities, child abuse professionals and children’s advocacy centers throughout the United States in support of child abuse intervention, advocacy and prevention.