This bill amends federal child abuse prevention laws to create alternative pathways that help families access community-based support services instead of automatically entering the child protection system. It expands the Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect to include domestic violence experts, and directs federal agencies to establish helplines, websites, and referral systems that connect families experiencing poverty, parental stress, or other risk factors to voluntary preventive services like family strengthening programs. The legislation also encourages states, tribes, and local agencies to develop systems that safely reduce unnecessary child protective services investigations while prioritizing those involving serious harm. To fund these efforts, the bill significantly increases federal appropriations from $120 million to $500 million annually for general child abuse prevention programs (Title I) and from $80 million to $1 billion annually for family resource and support programs (Title II) for fiscal years 2024 through 2029.
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