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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR King

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/17/07

HB 878

SHORT TITLE Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention

SB

ANALYST Lucero

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$500.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to SB233

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

Public Defender Department (PDD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 878 appropriates five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) from the general fund to

Children, Youth and Families Department for expenditure in fiscal years 2008 to prevent child

abuse and neglect.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of five hundred thousand ($500,000) contained in this bill is a recurring

expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of

fiscal year 2008 shall revert to the general fund.

This appropriation is not part of CYFD’s request and is not included in the Executive

recommendation for CYFD.

House Bill 878 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The bill provides no information about the specific programs or targets that the appropriation

seeks to broaden.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The bill may assist CYFD in addressing the General Appropriations Act performance measure

concerning the “percent of children determined to be maltreated within six months of a prior

determination."

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

If passed, the bill will have a minimal administrative impact on children, youth and families

department that the bill does not address.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

The bill provides $500.0 to prevent child abuse and neglect. It is unclear which prevention

programs are being supported. There are numerous prevention programs. It is unclear whether

the appropriation could be used to support the general operating budget of CYFD’s protective

services division

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

Recognition of the need to reduce the risks faced by vulnerable children can be found in current

public and private efforts aimed at strengthening families and building capacities and resilience.

The Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood initiatives from the Administration for

Children and Families are both designed to protect children through approaches that encourage

the enrichment of relationships between parents, and between parents and their children. In one-

parent households, new initiatives are focusing on increasing access and visitation, developing

the nurturing capabilities of non-custodial parents, and improving the relationship between

custodial and non-custodial parents. Other important initiatives are focusing on reducing teen

pregnancy and out-of-wedlock births, addressing substance use and abuse among parents,

improving opportunities for adoption, increasing child support compliance, ensuring safe and

adequate child care, promoting safe and stable families, and providing work opportunities for ex-

offenders who are parents. Yet, despite the potential long-term benefits of preventing child

abuse and neglect, only a small percentage of all resources specifically earmarked for child

maltreatment in the United States are actually devoted to prevention.

(Emerging Practices in the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Author(s): Thomas, Leicht,

Hughes, Madigan, Dowell Year Published: 2003)

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

Status Quo.

DL/csd