Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
as Amended by the
Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003
2. SUMMARY
Legislative Authority:
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, as amended
U.S. Code Citation:
42 U.S.C. 5101 et seq; 42 U.S.C. 5116 et seq.
ACF Regulations:
45 CFR 1340
Summary of Legislative History:
The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA, P.L. 93-247) was originally enacted in 1974 and was later amended by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-266). The law was completely rewritten in the Child Abuse Prevention, Adoption and Family Services Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-294, 4/25/88). It was further amended by the Child Abuse Prevention Challenge Grants Reauthorization Act of 1989 (P.L. 101-126, 10/25/89) and the Drug Free School Amendments of 1989 (P.L. 101-226, 12/12/89).
The Community-Based Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Grants program was originally authorized by sections 402 through 409 of the Continuing Appropriations Act for FY 1985 (P.L. 98-473, 10/12/84). The Child Abuse Prevention Challenge Grants Reauthorization Act of 1989 (P.L. 101-126) transferred this program to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, as amended.
A new title III, Certain Preventive Services Regarding Children of Homeless Families or Families at Risk of Homelessness, was added to the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Treatment Act by the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act Amendments of 1990 (P.L. 101-645, 11/29/90).
The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act was amended and reauthorized by the Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Adoption, and Family Services Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-295, 5/28/92) and amended by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act Amendments of 1992 (P.L. 102-586, 11/4/92).
CAPTA was amended by the Older American Act Technical Amendments of 1993 (P.L. 103-171, 12/2/93) and the Human Services Amendments of 1994 (P.L. 103-252, 5/19/94).
CAPTA was further amended by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Amendments of 1996 (P.L. 104-235, 10/3/96), which amended title I, replaced the title II Community-Based Family Resource Centers program with a new Community-Based Family Resource and Support Program and repealed title III, Certain Preventive Services Regarding Children of Homeless Families or Families at Risk of Homelessness. In 2003, CAPTA was reauthorized and amended by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003.
