ACF cannot ensure that all child victims of abuse and neglect have court representation
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Report in brief (United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General)
- Contributor(s):
- United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General. Office of Evaluation and Inspections, issuing body.
- Publication:
- Washington, D.C. : U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, March 2021
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Child Abuse -- legislation & jurisprudence Child Protective Services -- standards Government Regulation Legal Services -- organization & administration United States United States. Department of Health and Human Services
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Why OIG Did This Review. As a condition of grant funding under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), as amended, a State must assure through a certification that it has in effect and is enforcing a State law or operating a Statewide program that includes provisions and procedures requiring that in every case of child abuse or neglect that results in a judicial proceeding, a representative (e.g., an attorney or non-attorney volunteer) be appointed to advocate for the child’s best interests. However, States’ annual reporting to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) suggests that some States may not be appointing a representative for every child victim. These factors raise concerns about whether ACF has taken sufficient action to ensure that vulnerable children receive appropriate court representation to protect their best interests. How OIG Did This Review. To assess ACF’s oversight in selected States, we surveyed and interviewed the 10 States with the largest numbers of child victims of abuse and neglect in fiscal year 2016. We also summarized ACF officials’ interview responses and agency documentation about procedures to oversee CAPTA’s requirement for court representation.
- Copyright:
- The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (35 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918383787706676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918383787706676