Take Action

Tell Congress to 

Support Families, Not Systems

Sign on to the Repeal CAPTA Coalition’s letter demanding policymakers reorient the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) to prioritize anti-poverty approaches that truly support the safety, stability, and well-being of children and their families.

Our Recommendations

In FY2023, federal funding under CAPTA was $214 million, including $105 million for state child welfare agency grants, $71 million for community-based grants, and $38 million for research and technical assistance.

We recommend right-sizing CAPTA appropriations by:

  1. Redirecting money from family policing agencies to communities. Money sent to state child welfare agencies must instead be sent to community-based grants that are used to provide direct financial and material support for families and communities.

  2. Increasing money for communities. Funding for community-based grants must be increased to at least $500 million.

  3. Prioritizing families historically targeted by family policing. This reallocation must include clear eligibility and implementation criteria to ensure that community-based grants are used to support communities historically targeted by the family policing system.

  4. Separating support from surveillance. Financial and material supports must be accessible to families free from involvement in the family policing system.

Organizational Endorsements

  • Positive Women's Network-USA

  • Health Not Prisons Collective

  • NYC Family Policy Project

  • Pregnancy Justice

  • Family Forward Foundation Tennessee

  • The Bronx Defenders

  • Maryland Office of the Public Defender

  • upEND Movement

  • SASHA Center

  • The House of Kadence

  • Black Women Coalition

  • Healthy and Free Tennessee

  • Children's Rights

  • The Center for Family Representation

  • Alia

  • Parents Supporting Parents NY

  • Proximity Design Studio

  • Supreme Transitions

  • Parent Support Network

  • Justice for Impacted Communities

  • Maryland Peer Advisory Council

  • Parents Against Michigan CPS

See here for individual sign-ons.

Organization Sign-Ons

We invite your organization to join the Repeal CAPTA Coalition in calling for the right-sizing of CAPTA appropriations. Use this form to add your organization’s name to our letter. If you have any questions, please contact info@RepealCAPTA.org.

Individual Sign-Ons

We invite you to join the Repeal CAPTA Coalition in calling for the right-sizing of CAPTA appropriations. Use this form to add your name to our letter. If you have any questions, please contact info@RepealCAPTA.org.