[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 68 (Thursday, May 17, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CHILD PROTECTION/ALCOHOL AND DRUG PARTNERSHIP ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 17, 2001

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I reintroducing legislation today to improve 
the prevention, screening, and treatment of substance abuse for parents 
with children in the child welfare system. 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 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 and Rockefeller.
  Under the bill, 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 
percent in 2002, rising to 25 percent in 2006. 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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