Reducing Child Abuse and Neglect
All children need a safe home so that they can grow into healthy and responsible adults. Children in families who are struggling with violence or addiction are more likely to be abused or neglected. By addressing those issues that put families into crisis (substance abuse, domestic violence and mental health), we can tackle child safety on the front end and keeping families together, when possible.
2009 State Legislative Achievements
- Passed legislation allowing Child Welfare offices to provide domestic violence specialists on-site so the abused parent and children can access safety from the abuser and alleviate the need for foster care.
- Stopped cuts to Family Support Teams, System of Care, Family Support and Connections, and IV-E Federal Waiver programs that help kids stay out of foster care or return home safely and quickly.
2007 State Legislative Achievements
- Secured $10 million so that parents of foster kids could receive the substance abuse and mental health treatment they need so their kids can return home safely.
- Kept more foster kids safe by reducing the workload of caseworkers with $3.4 million in new funding.
- Helped secure $4.8 million to keep foster children with their families when possible, where they’re proven to have better outcomes.
- Helped reduce the amount of times foster kids move from home to home.
