Judiciary Committee to take up bill to save centers for victims of child abuse

WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee will take up bipartisan legislation Thursday to reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA), which provides funding for Children’s Advocacy Centers that serve child abuse victims and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable. The VOCAA Reauthorization Act of 2013 was introduced by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), co-chairs of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, and Senators Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) in December.

Though the success of these federal-state and public-private partnerships has earned them broad bipartisan support, Congressional authorization for Children’s Advocacy Centers lapsed in 2005, and the President’s last three proposed budgets have either zeroed out or significantly cut federal funding. In addition to reauthorizing the program, the VOCAA Reauthorization Act of 2013 would strengthen accountability provisions and improve oversight of the program.

“There is no crime more horrific than the physical or sexual abuse of child,” Senator Coons said. “Child abuse shatters families and turns children’s lives upside down. Children’s Advocacy Centers provide a safe haven for victims and their families in the aftermath of tragedy, helping them to heal and bring justice to perpetrators. These facilities are also a critical asset to law enforcement, who rely on the centers’ trained specialists to retrieve testimony from victims without harming their recovery. Anyone who has visited these unique centers and witnessed their transformative work can testify to their immense value for our communities. Reauthorization of this vital program is long overdue, and I hope my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee will join me in moving it forward this week.”

"The Victims of Child Abuse Act funding received by the Children’s Advocacy Center of Delaware is critically important in our efforts to ensure that our CACs and our multidisciplinary team partners are able to provide the very best response possible when presented with allegations of child abuse,” said Randall E. Williams, Executive Director of the Children's Advocacy Center of Delaware, Inc. “Our child victims deserve to receive the very best services available, and VOCAA funding has allowed our CACs and multidisciplinary team partners to receive the training, technical assistance, and support necessary to employ nationally recognized ‘best practices’ and ensure child victims are not further traumatized by the very systems designed to protect them."

"Nothing is more important than protecting children," said Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden. "Children’s Advocacy Centers are on the front lines in the fight against predators. This funding will make our children safer."

Children’s Advocacy Centers employ a multi-disciplinary team of trained professionals to conduct forensic interviews of children who have been victims of abuse. These interviews are designed to be admissible in court, preventing children from being re-traumatized by having to tell their stories multiple times. In 2012 alone, more than 286,000 children were served at over 800 Children’s Advocacy Centers across the United States, with over 197,000 cases reporting sexual abuse. Their use in child abuse cases saved, on average, more than $1,000 per case in court, child protection, and investigative fees.

The VOCAA Reauthorization Act of 2013 would increase authorization levels for Children’s Advocacy Centers for the first time since the VOCAA was enacted in 1990. Acknowledging current fiscal constraints, this moderate increase, from $20 million to $22.5 million, is still below an amount that would keep pace with inflation and population growth. The reauthorization would also strengthen the programs through enhanced accountability provisions, non-profit requirements and limitations on conference expenditures. 

Senator Coons has been an outspoken advocate for Delaware’s three Children’s Advocacy Centers. He visited the Wilmington Children’s Advocacy Center in October 2012 and the Dover Children’s Advocacy Center in April 2013. After the President’s proposed budget for FY15 cut support for Children’s Advocacy Centers by $8 million, Senator Coons led a successful effort to restore funding for the program in the Appropriations Committee’s annual funding bill for the Justice Department. The National Children’s Alliance honored Senator Coons at their annual conference last week for his efforts to sustain Children’s Advocacy Centers in Delaware and around the nation.

The following organizations have endorsed the VOCAA Reauthorization Act of 2013: National Association of Police Organizations, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Major County Sheriffs’ Association, National Criminal Justice Training Center, Major Cities Chiefs’ Association, National Children’s Alliance, National Children’s Advocacy Center, National Center for Victims of Crime, Sergeants Benevolent Association of the New York City Police Department, and the National Child Protection Training Center.