Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003

P.L. 108-36, amends CAPTA

Enacted 1974; also amended 1978, 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996

For summaries and text of the Act, visit:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:SN00342:|TOM:/bss/d108query.html|

Reasons Bill initiated

* CAPTA needed reauthorization.
* Concern that many children and families fail to receive adequate protection or treatment.

Objectives/Goals

* To reauthorize CAPTA.
* To reauthorize Adoption Opportunities, Abandoned Infants Assistance, and Family Violence Prevention and Services Acts.

Services Provided/Measures Taken

* Reauthorizes CAPTA through Fiscal Year 2008.
* Implements an expanded continuing interdisciplinary and longitudinal research program; provides for an opportunity for public comment on research priorities.
* Emphasizes enhanced linkages between child protective service agencies and public health, mental health, and developmental disabilities agencies.
* Mandates changes to State plan eligibility requirements, including:
- Policies and procedures to address the needs of infants born and identified as being affected by prenatal drug exposure;
- Provisions and procedures to require CPS representative at the initial contact advise an individual of complaints and allegations made against them;
- Provisions addressing the training of CPS workers regarding their legal duties in order to protect the legal rights and safety of children and families;
- Provisions to require a State to disclose confidential information to any Federal, State or local government entity with a need for such information.
* Implements programs to increase the number of older foster children placed in adoptive families, including a grants program to eliminate barriers to placing children for adoption across jurisdictional boundaries.
* Amends the Abandoned Infants Assistance grants program to prohibit grants unless the applicant agrees to give priority to infants and young children who:
- Are infected with or exposed to the human immunodeficiency virus or have a life-threatening illness; or
- Have been perinatally exposed to a dangerous drug.

Credits: National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information