Bipartisan efforts to strengthen the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and other related bills were introduced in 2021 as representatives from both parties seek to end the epidemic of child abuse and neglect in the U.S. Here are the bills introduced in 2021 to protect children: H.R. 485: Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Introduced by Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3] Passed House (03/16/2021) H.R. 485 reauthorizes through FY2027 and revises the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 to expand services for preventing and treating child abuse. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish uniform national standards for tracking and reporting child fatalities and near fatalities resulting from maltreatment, and develop an electronic interstate data exchange system that allows states to share information from their child abuse and neglect registries with other states. The bill also addresses child abuse and neglect related to families impacted by substance use disorders, racial bias in the child protective services system, and child sexual abuse. The bill also ...

Child abuse and neglect is a pervasive public health problem that continues to affect millions of children across the country. In 2021, H.R 485: The Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act was introduced to prevent this crisis from worsening. H.R 485: The Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Following significant declines in the rate of child abuse and neglect across the 1990s and 2000s, the rate of child maltreatment has ticked up in recent years as the opioid and COVID-19 epidemics have devastated families and communities across the country. The number of children receiving an investigation or response from child protective services agencies and the number of children who have died as a result of child abuse and neglect has risen steadily over the past decade. The Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act is a bipartisan proposal that will help states address the recent rise in child abuse and neglect by providing strategic funding to build networks of prevention services designed to strengthen families and to improve the quality of child protective services. Who Introduced H.R. 485? H.R. 485 was introduced in ...

Throughout the United States, certain individuals are required to report suspected abuse of children and adults depending on their profession. The consequences of failing to report can vary depending on where you work, making it important to thoroughly understand mandated reporting requirements in your area.  If you're a professional in Arkansas, make sure you have a thorough understanding of the state’s mandated reporting laws and how they impact your profession. When Was Mandated Reporting of Abuse First Required in Arkansas? The requirement for states to designate certain individuals as mandated reporters of child abuse dates back to the passage of the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) in 1974. CAPTA requires states to select certain individuals as mandated reporters of suspected incidences of child abuse or neglect.  In Arkansas, the professions that are required to report child abuse are outlined in A.C.A. § 12-18-402, dating back to 2009 with several updates in years since. Similarly, the push to require certain individuals to report elder abuse has long been a subject of national importance. By 1981, 83% of states indicated that they supported ...