§20301. Findings

The Congress finds that-

(1) over 3,400,000 reports of suspected child abuse and neglect are made each year;

(2) the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases is extremely complex, involving numerous agencies and dozens of personnel;

(3) a key to a child victim healing from abuse is access to supportive and healthy families and communities;

(4) traditionally, community agencies and professionals have different roles in the prevention, investigation, and intervention process;

(5) in such cases, too often the system does not pay sufficient attention to the needs and welfare of the child victim, aggravating the trauma that the child victim has already experienced;

(6) there is a national need to enhance coordination among community agencies and professionals involved in the intervention system;

(7) multidisciplinary child abuse investigation and prosecution programs have been developed that increase the reporting of child abuse cases, reduce the trauma to the child victim, improve positive outcomes for the child, and increase the successful prosecution of child abuse offenders;

(8) such programs have proven effective, and with targeted Federal assistance, have expanded dramatically throughout the United States; and

(9) State chapters of children's advocacy center networks are needed to-

(A) assist local communities in coordinating their multidisciplinary child abuse investigation, prosecution, and intervention services; and

(B) provide oversight of, and training and technical assistance in, the effective delivery of evidence-informed programming, and operations of centers.

( Pub. L. 101–647, title II, §211, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4792 ; Pub. L. 102–586, §6(a), Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5029 ; Pub. L. 115–424, §2(a), Jan. 7, 2019, 132 Stat. 5465 ; Pub. L. 117–354, §3(1), Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6274 .)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 13001 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

2023-Par. (1). Pub. L. 117–354, §3(1)(A), substituted "3,400,000" for "3,300,000" and struck out ", and drug abuse is associated with a significant portion of these" after "year".

Pars. (3) to (9). Pub. L. 117–354, §3(1)(B), (C), added par. (3) and redesignated former pars. (3) to (8) as (4) to (9), respectively.

Par. (9)(B). Pub. L. 117–354, §3(1)(D), inserted ", and operations of centers" after "programming".

2019-Par. (1). Pub. L. 115–424, §2(a)(1), substituted "3,300,000" for "2,000,000".

Par. (6). Pub. L. 115–424, §2(a)(2), inserted "improve positive outcomes for the child," before "and increase" and substituted semicolon for "; and" at end.

Par. (7). Pub. L. 115–424, §2(a)(3), substituted "have expanded dramatically throughout the United States; and" for "could be duplicated in many jurisdictions throughout the country."

Par. (8). Pub. L. 115–424, §2(a)(4), added par. (8).

1992-Pars. (3) to (7). Pub. L. 102–586 added pars. (3) and (5) and redesignated former pars. (3), (4), and (5) as (4), (6), and (7), respectively.