Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008
STOP CHILD ABUSE IN RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS FOR TEENS ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - June 24, 2008)
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Mr. MATHESON, Madam Chairman, during my 8 years representing Utah's Second District, I have always worked to protect children. The press reports of abuse, neglect, and tragic deaths in some residential therapy programs for youth are very concerning to me. Over the years, many treatment centers have been established across the Nation, including in my home State of Utah. As a result, Utah has worked hard to license and regulate residential treatment programs over the past several years and my State meets many of the standards set forth in the legislation before us. It is my understanding that some States have not developed stringent requirements and that leads to a patchwork of regulations where kids can fall through the cracks.
I'd like to thank Chairman Miller for working with me to include language in the manager's amendment requesting that HHS study
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the outcomes of individuals in these types of programs through a longitudinal study. I feel this data is extremely useful to better understand the outcomes of individuals in these programs and the progress made towards the goals of the treatment programs to fully rehabilitate troubled youth and teens. I want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the committee for their leadership and efforts to establish a more standardized process for overseeing residential treatment centers for children. I believe a uniform set of standards makes sense, especially when it comes to meeting the needs of the most troubled children and their families. Those centers that service families well should not fear uniform standards because they will naturally comply. However, those who say the standards are burdensome fail to recognize that we all must perform at the highest possible standard to ensure the safety of all children. These measures seek to support good actors and encourage those who are not to become so.
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