Senator Blunt Praises Committee Passage Of Victims Of Child Abuse Act

Press Release

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) today praised the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's bipartisan passage of "The Victims of Child Abuse Act" (VOCAA), a bill he co-sponsored with U.S. Senator Chris Coons (Del.), who co-chairs the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus. The bill provides funding for Children's Advocacy Centers that serve child victims of violent crimes and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable.

"There are 22 Children's Advocacy Centers funded by public-private partnerships in Missouri that serve around 7,000 of our state's most vulnerable children each year by coordinating the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse cases," Blunt said. "I'm pleased to see my colleagues support this bill so we can continue to provide a safe haven for our children and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable for their actions in Missouri and nationwide."

"We have a shared responsibility to protect our children from violence and abuse," Coons said. "Though we can't prevent every tragedy, we can make sure that children and families have the resources they need to heal and obtain justice. Children's Advocacy Centers bring all of these resources together under one roof for one mission -- to serve justice for children. Demand for these services has only grown since the Victims of Child Abuse Act was enacted more than two decades ago. Children's Advocacy Centers served close to 300,000 children last year and 1,000 communities still have no access to a center when a child is the victim of a serious crime. Reauthorization of this vital program is long overdue, and I'm grateful to my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee for joining me to move this bill forward."

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