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Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
as Amended by the
Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003
SECTION III: THE ABANDONED INFANTS ASSISTANCE ACT (AIAA)
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
[This section was amended by sec. 301 of P.L. 108-36.]
Congress finds that—
- studies indicate that a number of factors contribute to the inability
of some parents to provide adequate care for their infants and young
children and a lack of suitable shelter homes for such infants and young
children have led to the abandonment of such infants and young children in
hospitals for extended periods;
- an unacceptable number of these infants and young children will be
medically cleared for discharge, yet remain in hospitals as boarder babies;
- hospital-based child care for these infants and young children is
extremely costly and deprives them of an adequate nurturing environment;
- appropriate training is needed for personnel working with infants
and young children with life-threatening conditions and other special needs,
including those who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus
(commonly known as ‘HIV’), those who have acquired immune deficiency
syndrome (commonly known as ‘AIDS’), and those who have been exposed
to dangerous drugs;
- infants and young children who are abandoned in hospitals are
particularly difficult to place in foster homes, and are being abandoned in
hospitals in increasing numbers by mothers dying of acquired immune
deficiency syndrome, by parents abusing drugs, or by parents incapable of
providing adequate care;
- there is a need for comprehensive support services for such infants
and young children and their families and services to prevent the
abandonment of such infants and young children, including foster care
services, case management services, family support services, respite and
crisis intervention services, counseling services, and group residential home
services;
- there is a need to support the families of such infants and young
children through the provision of services that will prevent the
abandonment of the infants and children; and
- private, Federal, State, and local resources should be coordinated to
establish and maintain services described in paragraph (7) and to ensure the
optimal use of all such resources.
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