Child Abuse Prevention, Adoption, and Family Services Act of 1988
P.L. 100-294
Overview
H.R. 1900
Enacted April 25, 1988
Purpose: To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act, and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act
Major Provisions of the Act
- Established the Inter-Agency Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, with responsibility for programs and activities related to child abuse and neglect
- Broadened the scope of research for the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to include investigative and judicial procedures applicable to child abuse cases and the national incidence of child abuse and neglect
- Established a national data-collection system to include standardized data on false, unfounded, or unsubstantiated cases and the number of deaths due to child abuse and neglect
- Expanded the Adoption Opportunities program to achieve the following:
- Increase the number of minority children placed in adoptive families, with an emphasis on recruitment of and placement with minority families
- Provide for postlegal adoption services for families who have adopted children with special needs
- Increase the placement of children in foster care who are legally free for adoption