E&W Blog

With schools closed, many children are isolated from those who can spot signs of neglect and abuse and left to fend for themselves in the worst of circumstances.
 
Education and Labor Committee Members are taking action.
 
This week, the House is expected to pass H.R. 485, the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (Stronger CAPTA). This bipartisan legislation, authored by members of the Education and Labor Committee, will provide much-needed resources to combat and prevent child abuse and neglect.
 
With many schools closed for nearly a year, we’ve read heartbreaking stories about the rise of child abuse during COVID:

• As hospitals see more severe child abuse injuries during coronavirus, 'the worst is yet to come';
• With kids stuck at home, ER doctors see more severe cases of child abuse; and
• With No School, Calls Drop but Child Abuse Hasn't Amid Virus.

Additionally, we’ve seen mental health issues increase among children. A recent report from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that "months with significantly higher rates of suicide-related behaviors appear to correspond to times when COVID-related stressors and community responses were heightened…”
 
In other words: lockdowns and school closures are hurting children.
 
Here’s what Education and Labor Committee Republican co-sponsors are saying about Stronger CAPTA:
 
"Schools typically play a key role in helping at-risk children escape volatile situations, but a year of school closures have cut these prevention sources off at the knees. Stronger CAPTA will enhance community engagement measures, bringing parents and community leaders together to protect these vulnerable youth." –Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
 
"Stronger CAPTA will help states address the recent and devastating rise in child abuse and neglect by improving the quality of child protective services and building networks of prevention services designed to strengthen American families." –Oversight and Reform Committee Republican Leader James Comer (R-KY)
 
"The Stronger CAPTA Act, and particularly the provision that I authored to establish a national child abuse hotline, comes to the House floor at a critical time where we can make urgently needed improvements to measures that will prevent child abuse in the months and years ahead." –Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY)
 
By passing Stronger CAPTA, Congress is protecting the most vulnerable. While it is a step towards undoing the harm done by school closures, we must continue to push for schools to reopen safely so children have access to safety resources and high-quality education.