"One case of child abuse is one too many," said Senator Collins. "Children deserve attentive and comprehensive guardianship, not only from their parents but from the greater community. This Act will help states, including Maine, obtain the staff and the tools they need to protect them."
Senator Collins is an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Keeping Children and Families Safe Act which renews funding for the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) through 2008. It increases the CAPTA budget to $200 million next year, more than double current spending levels. The funding allows states to improve their child protective systems, research and create programs for the prevention of child abuse, and provide community-based family support services.
"It is imperative that we continue funding services for child protection, because the child who needs protection cannot afford for us not to," said Senator Collins.
This bill also calls on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to research the nature, practice, and scope of cases in which parents voluntarily relinquish their custody rights, in order for their mentally ill children to receive the health care they need. Senator Collins, who chairs the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, will be holding hearings to further examine this issue.