I 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5847 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 22, 2010 Mr. Walz (for himself and Mr. Boozman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to establish grant programs for the development and implementation of model undergraduate and graduate curricula on child abuse and neglect at institutions of higher education throughout the United States and to assist States in developing forensic interview training programs, to establish regional training centers and other resources for State and local child protection professionals, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the National Child Protection Training Act.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)Studies indicate that the majority of child protection professionals, including child protection workers, child protection attorneys, medical and mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, forensic interviewers, and other professionals who work directly with maltreated children, are inadequately prepared through undergraduate and graduate programs to recognize and respond to cases of child maltreatment. (2)Studies indicate that individuals mandated to report child maltreatment often fail to recognize instances of maltreatment, and that such failure to recognize maltreatment is attributable, in part, to inadequate training in undergraduate and graduate programs. (3)Child protection professionals often find it difficult to access quality training on investigating, or otherwise responding to, cases of child maltreatment, and many programs, such as forensic interview training programs, that require intensive training and small class sizes could reach more professionals if such programs were developed at the State, rather than the national, level. (4)Child protection professionals should be trained not only to respond to cases of child maltreatment after such maltreatment has occurred, but also to take a leadership role in implementing evidence-based community prevention programs. (5)The National Child Protection Training Center has taken a leadership role in implementing model undergraduate and graduate curricula on child abuse and neglect, in assisting States in developing forensic interview training programs, and in providing ongoing training, technical assistance, and publications to child protection professionals. Specifically, the National Child Protection Training Center has— (A)assisted the States of Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia in developing and sustaining forensic interview training programs; (B)developed and implemented model undergraduate and graduate curricula on child maltreatment in 13 universities and colleges in 8 States and the District of Columbia, and has worked with dozens of additional universities to implement model curricula; and (C)provided training, technical assistance, and other services to more than 40,000 child protection professionals throughout the United States.

3.

Establishment of regional training centers and grant programs

(a)

In general

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act is amended by inserting after section 109 (42 U.S.C. 5106e) the following:

109A.

Regional training centers and grant programs

(a)

Regional training centers

The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the Secretary) shall enter into an agreement with the National Child Protection Training Center to establish and sustain within the Center regional training centers in the midwestern, northeastern, southern, and western regions of the United States, which shall be called Regional Training Centers (referred to in this section as the Centers). The Centers shall— (1)provide child protection professionals (including child protection workers, child protection attorneys, medical and mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, forensic interviewers, and other professionals who work directly with maltreated children) in the field with low-cost, high-quality training, technical assistance, and publications; (2)provide child protection professionals ongoing training and assistance in developing evidence-based community prevention programs; (3)develop model undergraduate and graduate curricula on child maltreatment and, after approval by the Secretary, disseminate the curricula to community colleges, colleges, universities, law schools, medical schools, and other institutions of higher education; and (4)assist States in developing and maintaining forensic interview training programs. (b)

Grant programs

The Secretary, in accordance with agreements entered into with the National Child Protection Training Center, shall establish the following grant programs: (1)

Forensic interview training programs

The National Child Protection Training Center, in accordance with an agreement between such center and the Secretary under this paragraph, shall award grants to State and local governments and other nonprofit entities to— (A)assist State and local child protection professionals described in subsection (a) in developing statewide forensic interview training programs; or (B)expand forensic interview training programs to provide for additional, advanced forensic interview training courses. (2)

Model curricula

The National Child Protection Training Center, in accordance with an agreement between such center and the Secretary under this paragraph, shall award grants to State and local governments and other nonprofit entities to— (A)defray the expenses of institutions of higher education in implementing model undergraduate or graduate curricula on child abuse and neglect; or (B)assist institutions of higher education in expanding model undergraduate or graduate curricula on child abuse and neglect. (c)

Authorization of appropriations

(1)

Regional centers

To carry out subsection (a), there is authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2014. (2)

Grant programs

To carry out subsection (b), there is authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2014, of which— (A)$1,000,000 per fiscal year shall be allocated to the program under paragraph (1) of such subsection; and (B)$1,000,000 per fiscal year shall be allocated to the program under paragraph (2) of such subsection.

. (b)

Clerical amendments

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.) is amended— (1)in section 1(b), by inserting after the item relating to section 109 the following new item: 109A. Regional training centers and grant programs. ; and (2)in section 112— (A)in subsection (a)— (i)in paragraph (1), by inserting (except section 109A) after this title; and (ii)in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting (except for activities under section 109A) after this title; and (B)in subsection (b), by inserting (except for funds appropriated under section 109A) after this title.