[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 24, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H3790-H3792]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE THAT CONGRESS SHOULD INCREASE PUBLIC 
                  AWARENESS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the resolution (H. Res. 299) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that Congress should increase public awareness of child 
abuse and neglect and should continue to work with the States to reduce 
the incidence of child abuse and neglect through such programs as the 
Child Welfare Services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families programs.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 299

       Whereas child abuse and neglect continue to pose a serious 
     threat to our Nation's children;
       Whereas according to the most recent annual estimates, 
     3,600,000 children were the subject of child abuse and 
     neglect investigations in 2005, an increase of 462,000 
     children from 2001;
       Whereas more than 899,000 children were found to be the 
     victims of abuse and neglect in 2005;
       Whereas as of the end of 2005, approximately 513,000 
     children were unable to live safely with their families and 
     instead were living in foster homes and institutions;
       Whereas an estimated 1,460 children died because of abuse 
     and neglect in 2005;
       Whereas more than 75 percent of the children who died 
     because of abuse and neglect in 2005 were under the age of 4;
       Whereas studies have found that abused and neglected 
     children tend to be at least 25 percent more likely than the 
     general population of children to experience problems such as 
     delinquency, teen pregnancy, low academic achievement, drug 
     use, and mental illness;
       Whereas a National Institute of Justice study indicated 
     abuse or neglect during childhood increased the likelihood of 
     arrest as a juvenile by 59 percent and adult criminal 
     behavior by 28 percent;
       Whereas studies have found that abusive parents often were 
     themselves the victims of child abuse;
       Whereas it is estimated that approximately \1/3\ of abused 
     and neglected children will eventually victimize their own 
     children;
       Whereas child abuse and neglect can have long-term economic 
     and societal costs through the increased use of the juvenile 
     and adult criminal justice systems, the increased health care 
     costs resulting from mental illness, substance abuse, and 
     domestic violence, and the loss of economic productivity due 
     to unemployment and underemployment; and
       Whereas it is appropriate to designate the month of April, 
     2007 as National Child Abuse Prevention Month: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that Congress should increase public 
     awareness of child abuse and neglect and should continue to 
     work with the States to reduce the incidence of child abuse 
     and neglect through such programs as the Child Welfare 
     Services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families programs.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. McDermott) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Not every child in America is raised in a safe and loving home. More 
often than we realize, children become the victims of abuse and neglect 
from the very people they should be able to trust the most, their 
parents.
  Today the Income Security and Family Support Committee that I chair 
is united behind this resolution to designate April as National Child 
Abuse Prevention Month. Democratic Representatives John Lewis, Pete 
Stark, Michael McNulty, Kendrick Meek and Republican Representative 
Jerry Weller, the subcommittee's ranking member, Wally Herger and Jon 
Porter are cosponsors of the resolution.
  Our goal in designating April as National Child Abuse Prevention 
Month is to increase public awareness of the serious threats that child 
maltreatment imposes on children, and to encourage Americans to break 
the cycle of violence.
  2005 is the most recent year for which data is available from the 
Department of Health and Human Services. Nine hundred thousand children 
were victims of substantiated cases of abuse and neglect. Nearly 1,500 
children, mostly under the age of 4, died as a result. Another half a 
million children could not live safely with their parents and were 
removed from the home.
  Child abuse and neglect has a devastating impact on the life of a 
child that goes beyond the immediate physical and emotional pain that 
is inflicted on them. Children who suffer from maltreatment are at 
greater risk of developmental delays and behavioral problems that could 
last a lifetime. Child maltreatment can delay or disrupt the normal 
cognitive development process which, in turn, impacts academic 
achievement.

                              {time}  1245

  Children who are the victims of abuse and neglect tend to have lower 
math scores and English grades, and they repeat grades more frequently 
than other children. We know that poor academic skills can lead to a 
child's dropping out of school, continuing a cycle of negative 
consequences that can last a lifetime.
  A history of child abuse and neglect can also disrupt the development 
of skills that children use to interact with others, such as problem-
solving and communication. These skills are critical in stopping the 
development of other serious behavior problems even among seriously 
troubled youth. Moreover, victims of child abuse and neglect tend to 
have greater levels of depression compared to other children. These 
children are also more likely to suffer from mental illness, experience 
problems with drugs, and are more likely to become teen-age parents.
  Not every child who has suffered from abuse and neglect will 
experience poor outcomes. Many maltreated children will persevere 
against the odds and find the ability to cope and even to thrive. They 
could develop and maintain the personal characteristics that will make 
them more resilient than others. Of course, this resilience can depend 
on a child's finding a safe and loving home to live in and access to 
support systems, educational resources, and health care.
  These amazing kids deserve to be recognized and celebrated for their 
remarkable ability to persevere over the most difficult of 
circumstances and for setting an example for other children.
  In recognition of the fact that too many of our Nation's children 
will become the victims of violence at the hands of their parents and 
many others are at risk of such abuse, Congress has expressed the 
commitment over the last several decades to stop child abuse and 
neglect. In 1935 Congress established the Child Welfare Services 
program to provide Federal funding for a variety of services for States 
to use to protect children who are at risk of abuse and neglect and who 
assist those who have been victimized.
  In 1993, Congress took another step to protect children when it 
created the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program. This program is 
the largest source of Federal funding designed to

[[Page H3791]]

stop child abuse and neglect before it starts and to support vulnerable 
families who are at risk of falling into crisis.
  Last fall we reauthorized promoting Safe and Stable Families on a 
bipartisan basis, and we made a number of key improvements. For 
instance, new funding will allow us to respond to the growing 
methamphetamine problem that threatens the safety of many of our 
children in communities across America. We provided States with 
additional resources to attract, train, and retain caseworkers. We 
required States to have caseworkers visit children in foster care once 
a month to make sure they are getting the proper care. And we increased 
funding that is available to the Native American community as well.
  These are only modest steps that will strengthen our ability to 
prevent the incidence of child abuse and support vulnerable families. 
Certainly more can be done, but these programs express the commitment 
of Congress to protect abused and neglected children.
  In recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month, I urge my colleagues 
to join me in increasing public awareness of the threat to innocent 
children and to promote public policies designed to prevent child abuse 
and safeguard our most vulnerable children.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of the 
bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I rise in support of House Resolution 299. This resolution reflects 
bipartisan support for increasing public awareness of child abuse and 
neglect, which is a necessary first step to better protect children.
  Yesterday, the House passed a resolution honoring foster parents, who 
play a major role in ensuring hundreds of thousands of children are 
protected from abuse and neglect each year. Today's resolution before 
us highlights the too large number of children who are abused and 
neglected each year and the many negative consequences of that abuse 
for children, families, and our Nation. The numbers are bracing. Almost 
900,000 children in the United States were victims of abuse and neglect 
in 2005, the most recent figures.
  Several government programs overseen by the subcommittee on which 
Chairman McDermott and I serve assist foster and adoptive families with 
children's needs or help reunify children with their own parents when 
that is safe and appropriate. But the very first step to ensure 
children are out of harm's way involves alert relatives, neighbors, 
friends, teachers, community organizations, and so many others in every 
neighborhood across this country. These are people who care, people who 
want to help, and people who take the time to step in to help make sure 
our children are safe and sound.
  Consider some of those working hard right now to help children in the 
congressional district I represent in Illinois. Earlier this year I sat 
down with my local community support agencies to listen to their 
successes and their many challenges in helping to prevent child abuse 
and neglect. These agencies offer a wide variety of services to 
families, from Head Start, food programs, and affordable housing to 
social services and foster care when needed to ensure children are 
safe.
  In the district I represent, Will County Catholic Charities protects 
over 300 children in foster care. The Guardian Angel Home and 
Groundwork in Joliet, Illinois, help abused women and children affected 
by domestic violence by providing services such as temporary housing, 
counseling, and legal assistance. Many others provide similar services 
in other parts of the district I represent, as well as in every 
congressional district in America.
  We should never take these people and their agencies that deliver 
such good services for granted. Just last week, Catholic Charities in 
Chicago announced they are shutting down their foster care program 
after 90 years of service. Their absence will leave a void others will 
have to fill to ensure that more than 900 Illinois children they now 
care for are protected from harm. This will be a major challenge. 
Catholic Charities and the Guardian Angel Home are just two of the many 
organizations across the Nation that help children and families lead 
safe and productive lives. Many caseworkers and others who serve 
families directly have committed their lives to this critical service. 
They deserve our continued support.
  Congress recently made improvements to key programs designed to 
protect children, including by providing additional resources for 
direct services and also caseworkers. Last year in the Child and Family 
Services Improvement Act, Congress increased accountability by 
requiring States to conduct more frequent caseworker visits to children 
in foster care. We also targeted over $145 million over the next 5 
years for preventing and treating parental substance abuse, which is a 
key cause of child abuse and neglect. This legislation was fully paid 
for and was totally bipartisan. And for that I want to congratulate 
former Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger of California, who worked 
with our current chairman, Jim McDermott of Washington State, to 
accomplish this goal.
  I expect to introduce legislation shortly that would provide 
caseworkers with more resources to better serve children. Currently, 
when private organizations provide training to their caseworkers, they 
are eligible for fewer Federal funds to support those costs than are 
paid for to support the training of government-employed caseworkers. 
Same training, same job, but different payments, simply because one 
worker is employed by a private agency and another by a government 
agency. That is arbitrary and unfair, and we should fix it. I hope the 
same spirit of bipartisanship evident here today and that which created 
our work last year will help us get this legislation passed this year, 
in 2007.
  There certainly is much more work to do. Many experts have long been 
concerned that current programs focus too many resources on helping 
families after children have been abused and neglected. That is simply 
too late, especially when the right resources might help prevent abuse 
or neglect from occurring.
  As this resolution expresses, Congress should continue to work with 
the States to reduce child abuse and neglect. Thoughtful efforts are 
under way in States like Florida and elsewhere to test ways to better 
prevent abuse and neglect from happening instead of addressing it after 
the fact. We are eager to see these results and stand ready to 
incorporate any positive measures in reforms yet to come. In the 
meantime, this resolution focuses public attention on child abuse and 
on the resources available today to prevent child abuse.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and to work together 
in a bipartisan way with the Ways and Means Committee to develop 
further measures to protect children from abuse and neglect.
  Mr. STARK. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of 
increasing public awareness of child abuse and neglect. Nearly 900,000 
children were found to be victims of abuse and neglect in 2005. This is 
unacceptable. Congress must take bold action to protect our Nation's 
children.
  Abused and neglected children face a trauma that does not end when 
the abuse stops. They must also contend with numerous future problems 
stemming from their abuse and neglect, including mental illness, poor 
academic achievement, and criminal behavior. In addition, abuse and 
neglect often starts or continues a cycle of abuse where a third of 
victimized children go on to become abusers themselves.
  Congress has taken steps to prevent and ameliorate child abuse and 
neglect through programs such as the Promoting Safe and Stable Families 
program, Child Welfare Services, and the Community Based Child Abuse 
Prevention program. These are all good programs, but Congress and the 
President have consistently under funded them. For example, in fiscal 
year 2006, the Community Based Child Abuse Prevention program was under 
funded by $38 million. Congress must fully fund these programs at their 
authorized levels. The fraudulent war in Iraq and tax cuts for the rich 
has placed us in a difficult fiscal situation. Even so, we must fund 
the services that protect our most vulnerable children.

[[Page H3792]]

  By increasing public awareness of child abuse and neglect, we also 
have an opportunity to implement new policies that address the health 
and safety of our children. There are 8 million uninsured children in 
this country. Continuing to deny health care to all children is simply 
another form of child neglect. We should work to provide health 
coverage to every child.
  I hope that the resolution before us will help to galvanize this body 
to push for policies that protect and nurture children. The thousands 
of abused children and the millions of uninsured children deserve our 
attention and commitment.
  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 299.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will 
be postponed.

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