Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Reauthorization of 1987

(Measure indefinitely postponed in Senate, H.R. 1900 passed in lieu)

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Reauthorization of 1987 - Title I: National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect - Amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (the Act) to authorize appropriations for FY 1988 through 1991.

Requires that the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect be headed by a Director with experience in child abuse and neglect, and be appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Directs the Secretary to require that professional staff of the Center have experience relating to child abuse and neglect.

Requires that the Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect include not less than 15 members or any greater number necessary to represent a majority from the general public who are individuals knowledgeable in child abuse prevention, treatment, or research including the fields of social services, law (including the judiciary), and medicine or who are representatives of adolescents, parent self-help organizations, and voluntary organizations.

Makes the Advisory Board responsible for advising and consulting with the Director on proposed research studies and long-range planning for the Center.

Directs the Secretary, through the Center and as part of research activities, to establish a national data collection and analysis program with respect to State child abuse and neglect reports. Requires the program to include: (1) standardized data on false, unfounded, or unsubstantiated reports; and (2) information on the number of deaths due to child abuse and neglect. Requires the Director to submit an annual summary and analysis of the data collected to the appropriate congressional committees.

Directs the Secretary to ensure that a majority share of assistance for discretionary research and demonstration grants under the Act be available for activities related to the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

Permits up to five-year (currently three-year) grants for model training materials.

Requires the Secretary to ensure that a portion of assistance is available for national resource centers addressing issues of child abuse and neglect.

Provides, under specified conditions, for extensions of waivers of requirements for grants to States for demonstration or service programs and projects.

Requires the Director to conduct a study of: (1) how individual legal representation of children in cases of child abuse or neglect has been provided in each State; and (2) the effectiveness of legal representation of children in cases of abuse or neglect through the use of guardian-ad-litem and court appointed special advocates. Requires the Director, within two years after the date of enactment of this Act, to report on such study, with recommendations, to the appropriate congressional committees.

Eliminates provisions for discretionary grants or contracts with public agencies or nonprofit private organizations for centers for child abuse prevention and treatment. Establishes a mandatory grant for such purposes. Requires the Secretary to provide, directly or through grants or contracts with public or private nonprofit organizations, for the establishment and maintenance of resource centers: (1) serving defined geographic areas; (2) staffed by multidisciplinary teams of personnel trained in the prevention, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect; and (3) providing advice and consultation to individuals, agencies, and organizations which request such services. Limits the amount of funds which may be used for such purposes.

Requires the Director to conduct a study of: (1) the incidence of child abuse among children with handicaps and the relationship between child abuse and children's handicapping conditions; and (2) the incidence of children who have developed handicapping conditions as a result of child abuse or neglect. Requires the Director, within two years after the date of enactment of this Act, to report on such study, with recommendations, to the appropriate congressional committees.

Provides for grants and contracts for interagency demonstration training programs, including programs for treating and preventing abuse of children with handicaps.

Provides for grants and contracts for innovative programs and projects relating to alcohol- and drug-related child abuse, home health visitor programs, and a national parent self-help program.

Directs the Secretary to establish demonstration priorities for making grants or contracts for model training materials.

Establishes a National Commission on Child and Youth Deaths. Directs the Commission to study and evaluate comprehensively Federal, State, and local public and private resources which affect child and youth deaths. Directs the Commission to make recommendations with respect to: (1) a national policy designed to reduce and prevent child and youth deaths, including more accurate reporting systems and appropriate roles for the Federal Government, States, and local governments and the private sector; (2) changes needed within Federal laws and programs to achieve an effective Federal role in preventing such deaths; and (3) changes needed to improve national data collection with respect to deaths. Directs the Commission, within 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, to report to the President and the appropriate congressional committees on information gathered, evaluations, and recommendations. Authorizes appropriations. Terminates the Commission 90 days after the date on which it transmits its report.

Requires the Director to conduct a study of the incidence of child abuse in alcoholic families and the relationship between child abuse and familial alcoholism. Requires the Director to report, with recommendations, on such study to the appropriate congressional committees within two years after enactment of this Act.

Title II: Adoption Opportunities - Amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide, directly or by grants or contracts, for programs aimed at increasing the number of minority children placed in adoptive families, with a special emphasis on recruitment of and placement with minority families.

Directs the Secretary to provide, directly or by grants or contracts, for post-legal adoption services for families who have adopted special needs children.

Authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements to provide bonus payments to States for increasing the number of permanent placements of children who are legally free for adoption. Sets forth provisions for funding such payments.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1991. Authorizes appropriations for such period for the minority placement and post-legal adoption services programs.

Title III: Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, Reauthorization - Amends the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act to remove a three-year limit on grants for shelters.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1991.