Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) who is a member on the Senate Committee on Appropriations, obtained a crucial 22% increase in funding for Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) across the nation, including 21 in Alabama in the Fiscal year 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
CACs are responsible for overseeing their investigation and treatment and prosecuting of cases of abuse to children working in conjunction with children’s protection and advocates, the health authority along with law enforcement. The first CAC was founded at Huntsville in the 1980s, by the then-Madison County District Attorney Robert. “Bud” Cramer who would later be the representative of Alabama within the U.S. House of Representatives between 1991 and the year 2009.
As per the National Children’s Alliance over 600,000 children suffer abuse throughout the United States each year. The most current full national report shows that a total of 1,750 children were killed by neglect and abuse in the year 2020.
“Child Advocacy centers do one of the most crucial jobs in a community, safeguarding children from harm, abuse and neglect. I fought to ensure this crucial budget increase was included in the committee’s CJS bill, because we must to ensure that we provide CACs with the full range of resources and tools necessary to ensure that our future generations are secure,” said Senator Britt. “America will fulfill its goals when every child in our country can achieve their full potential.”
The increase in appropriations legislation would increase the amount of funding available for CAC programmes from $41 million up to $50 million. It would also provide direction to that the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to make sure that not less than 90% of grants are awarded specifically for the purpose of establishing as well as maintaining CACs. It is expected that the FY24 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Actnow is sent through the whole Senate to be considered by the Senate.
