News From…
Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California
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Legislation Authorizes $20 Million in Grants to Protect Drug Endangered |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 24, 2007 |
CONTACT: Jamie McInerney (202) 225-6131 |
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WASHINGTON, DC – Today legislation introduced by Congressman Dennis Cardoza, H.R. 1199 – The Drug Endangered Children Act, was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 389 to 4. The Drug Endangered Children Act authorizes the Department of Justice to award $20 million per year in grants designed to improve coordination among law enforcement, prosecutors, children protection services, social service agencies, and health care providers to help transition drug endangered children into safe residential environments. “Sadly, I have seen the destructive effects of drug abuse, particularly methamphetamine use, on children in my district,” said Cardoza. “The effects are particularly troubling on the foster care system. In my home county of Merced, California between 67% and 75% of foster care cases are meth related. This bill will help the children abandoned, neglected, or abused by parents addicted to meth and other illicit drugs.”
The Department of Health and Human Services recently reported that 1.6 million children across the country are impacted by parental drug use, and according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), children are found at 20 percent of all meth lab seizures. Another study, by the National Association of Counties, shows that 40% of child welfare officials nationwide report an increase in child welfare cases caused by meth.
The Drug Endangered Children grant program will build on the successful federal, state, and local partnerships of the COPS program and the Edward Byrne Memorial Grant program. By funding coordination across jurisdictions and among different types of government agencies, the Drug Endangered Children program will foster cooperative efforts to address the needs of children affected by drug abuse. These grants would leverage the federal government’s investment by offering an incentive for local government to invest their own money in confronting this important problem.
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