[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 100 (Thursday, July 27, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1366]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         THE CHILD PROTECTION/ALCOHOL AND DRUG PARTNERSHIP ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2000

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, the National Center on Addiction and 
Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University released a report last 
year which found that alcohol and drug abuse cause or exacerbate 7 out 
of every 10 cases of child abuse or neglect. Regrettably, child welfare 
workers and judges are not always sufficiently trained in how to detect 
and cope with substance abuse problems. And of even greater concern, 
when accurate assessments are made, there is often a lack of available 
treatment. In fact, the Department of Health and Human Services reports 
that 63 percent of all mothers with drug problems do not receive any 
substance abuse treatment within a year.
  To combat this threat to child safety and family stability, I am 
introducing the Child Protection/Alcohol and Drug Partnership Act, 
which would improve the prevention, screening, and treatment of 
substance abuse for parents with children in the child welfare system. 
The bill would provide $1.9 billion over the next five years to States 
that develop cooperative arrangements between their substance abuse and 
child abuse agencies to provide services to the parents of at-risk 
children. Bipartisan companion legislation has been introduced by 
Senators Snowe, Rockefeller, DeWine, and Dodd.
  Under the bill, the funding would be disbursed to States based on the 
number of children in the State. To receive their allotment under the 
program, States would be required to spend a match starting at 15% in 
2001, rising to 25% in 2005. In addition, they would be required to 
provide a detailed analysis of their current efforts to address 
substance abuse issues for families in the child welfare system and 
specify the additional steps they intend to pursue with the new funding 
(supplanting of existing funds would be prohibited). Funding could be 
used for a variety of specific activities, including: providing 
preventive and early intervention services for children of parents with 
alcohol and drug problems; expanding the availability of substance 
abuse treatment, including residential treatment, for parents involved 
with the child welfare system; and improving the screening and 
assessment of substance abuse problems for families in the child 
welfare system.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in sponsoring this proposal, which is 
strongly supported by the Children's Defense Fund, the Child Welfare 
League of America, the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug 
Abuse Directors, and the American Public Human Services Association.

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