# Plain Language Summary: Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Amendment

This bill gives the federal government's health department the power to award grants (money) to organizations and programs that help reduce child abuse and neglect when a parent or caregiver is struggling with substance use disorder—meaning they're addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Right now, when a parent battles addiction, their children are at higher risk of being neglected or abused. This bill recognizes that connection and creates a funding mechanism to support programs that address both problems together. Instead of just treating the addiction or just handling the abuse separately, these grants would fund programs that work on both issues at the same time. For example, a program might help a parent get treatment for opioid addiction while also providing support services to keep their children safe and connected to the family when possible.

The practical impact is that communities could use these federal grants to create or expand services like treatment programs that allow parents to bring their kids, counseling that addresses both addiction and parenting, or support networks that monitor child safety while parents are in recovery. This approach recognizes that many cases of child abuse and neglect are connected to parental substance abuse, and that helping parents get clean can prevent harm to children. For families struggling with addiction, it means more resources might become available in their area to help them stay together while addressing the root problem.

To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for purposes of reducing child abuse and neglect due to the substance use disorder of a parent or caregiver.

Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-10]

 <p>This bill permits the Children's Bureau of the Administration for Children &amp; Families to provide grants for programs that reduce child abuse and neglect resulting from the substance use disorder of a parent or caregiver.</p>