Press Releases

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell is testifying before the Committee on Education and the Workforce at a hearing that is examining a number of the department’s policies and responsibilities, including efforts to help states prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect. As Chairman John Kline (R-MN) noted in his opening remarks, “It’s clear that the current system is failing some of our country’s most vulnerable children and families, and something has to change.”
 
Chairman Kline later asked Secretary Burwell if she believes the department is fulfilling its responsibilities related to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA).
 

 
We are all troubled by the shocking details of a recent Reuters investigation into the abuse and neglect of children born into families battling drug addiction.
 

In a recent letter to the department, the committee asked about the agency’s monitoring and oversight of the assurances states make when applying for CAPTA funding. While I appreciate the department’s response, it does not adequately explain why the department is providing money to all the states when many states are clearly not meeting their commitments under the law. 
 

To view a video of the exchange, click here.
 

For more information about the hearing, click here.

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