WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA). The VOCAA provides funding for Children’s Advocacy Centers that serve child victims and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable.
“Fighting the cycle of child abuse begins with creating safer communities for children and families,” Senator Capito said. “Children’s Advocacy Centers in West Virginia and throughout the country play an essential role in creating and maintaining these safe communities by offering support, protection, and guidance to children affected by abuse. I was proud to support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same so we can continue providing the resources necessary for these centers to be successful and make a real difference in the lives of so many West Virginians and Americans.”
Children’s Advocacy Centers employ a multi-disciplinary team of trained professionals to conduct forensic interviews of children who have been victims of abuse. These interviews are designed to be admissible in court while also preventing children from being re-traumatized by having to tell their accounts multiple times. Use of Children’s Advocacy Centers leads to faster criminal charging decisions in sexual abuse cases, increased felony prosecutions of child sexual abuse, and lower average per-case costs.
The bill has garnered widespread support from the nation’s top advocacy groups including: the National Children’s Alliance, the National Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), the National Association of Police Organizations, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National District Attorneys Association.
The bill is also backed by the Major County Sheriffs’ Association, the North East Regional Children’s Advocacy Center, the Midwest Regional Children’s Advocacy Center, the Western Regional Children’s Advocacy Center, and the Sergeants Benevolent Association.
In addition to Senator Capito, original senate co-sponsors include U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). Original U.S. House of Representatives co-sponsors include U.S. Representatives Ted Poe (R-Texas), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Bruce Poliquin (R-Maine), Anthony Brown (D-Md.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Luke Messer (R-Ind.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Ann Kuster (D-N.H.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), Theodore Deutch (D-Fla.), and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.).
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