Manchin, Capito, Kaine Introduce Legislation to Care for Children Impacted by Opioid Abuse

Press Release

Yesterday, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced the Handle with Care Act to recognize and build on the successful Handle with Care program in West Virginia. The program connects children who interact with law enforcement in domestic violence situations, drug raids, overdoses, and more, to school resources that are designed to provide the child with trauma-informed care.

"The impact of the opioid epidemic is felt across West Virginia but the impact on our innocent children is perhaps the most devastating of all. Our schools should serve as a refuge for every child and I am proud of the Handle with Care program developed in West Virginia to ensure our children experiencing trauma at home are treated with love and understanding at school. The Handle with Care Act will expand on the success of the West Virginia program so that schools across the country can implement this important program," Senator Manchin said.

"Many of West Virginia's youth look to their teachers and schools for guidance and protection -- especially after experiencing a traumatic event. We've seen this particularly as a result of the growing opioid epidemic," Senator Capito said. "The Handle With Care program has been instrumental in helping young West Virginians cope with the negative effects they may be experiencing after a traumatic event. By preparing our teachers and schools, they will be able to better provide the necessary and appropriate support for students who need it the most."

"All too often, traumatic events have a devastating ripple effect across children's lives. Given the right resources, schools can play a critical support role for kids impacted by trauma and provide them with a safe haven. I'm proud to partner with Senators Manchin and Capito to help ensure students affected by the opioid crisis and other trauma get the resources they need to thrive," Senator Kaine said.

The Handle with Care program is as simple as law enforcement sending a "Handle with Care" alert to the child's school. While the school does not receive any information other than the child's name and the alert, it enables the school to exercise the trauma-informed training provided in coordination with the Handle with Care program. The goal of the program is to promote safe schools, and communities, while ensuring that every child is able to thrive in school even when they face trauma at home.

The Handle with Care Act would authorize $10 million in federal funding to establish 5-year demonstration grants for states to address the impact of substance use related and other trauma on children and youth in public schools by strengthening or building Handle with Care programs. These programs would:

Develop and share evidence-based or evidence-informed training for trauma informed care and provide that training in schools connected to the program.

Connect students who experience trauma at home to those resources in schools via the "Handle with Care" alert from law enforcement.

Require programs to report on the success of the Handle with Care programs in improving student outcomes.

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