[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 6489-6490]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           MISSING CHILDREN'S AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN PROGRAMS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TIMOTHY J. WALZ

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 9, 2012

  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, child abuse is an unacceptable behavior in our 
society that must be condemned and prevented. Our children deserve to 
grow up in safe and loving environments. As a parent and teacher, I am 
always in search of ways to eliminate this problem in homes, schools 
and child care centers. I would like to commend the committee for its 
support of the Missing Children's and Exploited Children programs. This 
funding is essential to combating child abuse, which is a national 
problem.
  In order to end child abuse, it is essential we support programs that 
train child protection professionals to better recognize, react and 
respond to abuse. Each and every day, child protection professionals 
work directly with maltreated children across the country. They fight 
tirelessly to reduce cases of child abuse and to respond effectively to 
child maltreatment.

[[Page 6490]]

Unfortunately, the vast majority of these professionals leave college 
inadequately trained to handle cases of child maltreatment. And, once 
in the workforce, it is often far too difficult for them to access the 
quality training they need to do their jobs more effectively.
  In my district, I am proud to have the National Child Protection 
Center located in my district at Winona State University. The National 
Child Protection Center works to end child abuse, neglect and other 
forms of child maltreatment through education, training, awareness, 
prevention, advocacy and the pursuit of justice. The Center trains 
future and front-line child protection professionals around the nation 
so that they will be prepared to recognize and report the abuse of a 
child. This work should be applauded and supported.
  I.would like to commend the Senate Commerce Justice and Science 
committee for including language in their Committee report that would 
support efforts to train current child protection professionals, 
continue prevention programs and to develop undergraduate and graduate 
curricula on the maltreatment and exploitation of children. As we 
continue through the appropriations process, I would like to encourage 
my colleagues in the House to support this language and to include it 
in the final report.

                          ____________________