child abuse prevention and treatment act
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. Family law. A federal statute that provides limited funding to states for preventing, identifying, and treating child abuse and neglect. • Enacted in 1974, the Act was amended in 1996 to reinforce an emphasis on child safety. The Act established the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect in the Department of Health and Human Services. Its function is to study child abuse, conduct research into its causes, and make grants to agencies for the study, prevention, and treatment of child abuse. 42 USCA §§ 5101–5157. — Abbr. CAPTA. See CHILD-ABUSE AND -NEGLECT REPORTING STATUTE.