[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 118 (Friday, August 19, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4603, DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND 
 STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1995, 
            AND FISCAL YEAR 1994 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS

                                 ______


                               speech of

                   HON. ROBERT. E. (BUD) CRAMER, JR.

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, August 18, 1994

  Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report 
to accompany H.R. 4603, the Commerce, Justice, and State, the 
Judiciary, and related agencies appropriations bill for fiscal year 
1995.
  First, I would like to commend Chairman Alan Mollohan for his 
leadership in moving through the Appropriations Committee and bringing 
to the House floor this important bill that will provide the necessary 
capital to address the problems of child abuse, to fund needed anti-
crime initiatives, to assist small and emerging businesses, and to 
support efforts in developing and implementing strategies to enable 
U.S. industry to fully realize the commercial benefits of new 
technology.
  Additionally, I would like to commend the staff for their 
professionalism and attention to details.
  Mr. Speaker, the Appropriations Committee has been charged with an 
almost insurmountable task: funding significant programs on the one 
hand and acting in accordance with budgetary limitations requirements 
on the other hand. Chairman Mollohan and the other members of the 
Subcommittee have performed admirably.
  I am very supportive of one particular section of this bill. The bill 
includes funding for the Children's Advocacy Center Program that was 
authorized in the 1992 Amendments to the Victims of Child Abuse Act. 
The administration included the Children's Advocacy Center Program in 
its 1995 budget request.
  Why is this program important? It is important for several reasons. 
Based on 1990 revised data, States received and referred for 
investigation approximately 1.7 million cases of child abuse out of an 
estimated report of 2.6 million children who are the alleged subjects 
of child abuse and neglect. In 1991, the number of cases referred for 
investigation rose to nearly 1.8 million reports. The number reported 
in 1991 represents an increase of approximately 2.4 percent from 1990 
data.
  In 1992, approximately 918,263 substantiated and indicated victims of 
child maltreatment cases were reported from 49 states. Of these, 
approximately 14 percent (129,982) were sexually abused. The Carnegie 
Corp. of New York reported, in its publication Starting Points, that 
one in three victims of physical abuse is a baby less than a year old 
and that in 1990, more 1-year olds were maltreated than in any previous 
year for which data are available. Additionally, Starting Points 
reported ``almost 90 percent of children who died of abuse and neglect 
in 1990 were under the age of 5; and 53 percent were less than a year 
old.'' Further, based upon its annual telephone survey of States, the 
National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse reported that at least 
three children a day die from physical abuse inflicted by a parent or 
caretaker.
  The Children's Advocacy Center Program addresses this problem. The 
mission of this program is to provide technical assistance, training 
and networking opportunities to help communities establish and maintain 
child abuse prevention, intervention, prosecution and investigation 
programs which provide quality services for helping victims of child 
abuse, particularly child sexual abuse. The purpose of Children's 
Advocacy Centers is to help abused children by providing a safe and 
comfortable environment designed to meet their needs for support and 
protection.
  The cornerstone of this program is the use of multi-disciplinary 
teams. A multi-disciplinary team consists of representatives from law 
enforcement, child protective services, prosecution, victim advocates, 
medicine and mental health who meet on a regular basis to review cases 
and issue joint recommendations in the best interest of each child. The 
multi-disciplinary team concept that is incorporated in the Children's 
Advocacy Program works to coordinate the activity of all involved 
public and private agencies to intervene in the lives of abused 
children in a meaningful way and to ensure that the judicial system 
does not revictimize them through repeated interviews and examinations.
  Preventing the inadvertent revictimization of an abused child by the 
judicial and social service systems in their efforts to protect the 
child is a major goal of this program. As a consequence of a 
coordinated response, child victims are spared the pain and confusion 
of multiple interviews by prosecutors, protective service workers and 
social workers.
  This program may not be a panacea for the increasing problem of child 
abuse. However, it is more than a first step toward addressing the 
problem. This program has served and will continue to serve as a model 
for communities that are working to focus attention and efforts on the 
best interests of the child and non-offending family members.
  Funding this program speaks volumes to the House of Representatives' 
commitment to support a necessary pro-family and anti-crime initiative. 
Without question, this program improves the lives of communities, 
children and non-offending family members. Communities from Hawaii to 
Vermont and cities as diverse as Miami and Salt Lake City have 
established multi-disciplinary teams and mobilized professionals to 
respond to child sexual abuse. In every instance, when the model 
outlined in the 1992 amendments to the Victims of Child Abuse Act has 
been incorporated into a community's unique program, that community has 
seen positive results.
  Mr. Speaker, the Children's Advocacy Center Program is an effective 
response to child abuse. I comment Chairman Mollohan for his leadership 
efforts. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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