Pryce Receives “Champion of Women’s Health Award”from Health Care Advocacy Groups

June 16, 2008

Pryce’s Career Efforts for Foster Care Recognized by National Child Safety Organization

Pryce is Sole Recipient of “The President’s Award” from the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association

Washington , DC – Last weekend, Congresswoman Deborah Pryce’s (R-Columbus) was honored by the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (CASA) for her career-long efforts to promote and improve our nation’s foster care system. Pryce was presented the award at a ceremony in Washington on June 8 hosted by CASA, the national network of volunteers who serve 243,000 abused and neglected children nationwide. CASA’s advocates, also known as volunteer guardians ad litem in some jurisdictions, are appointed by judges and act as officers of the court.

Said Pryce upon receiving the award, “Every day in America, roughly 2,463 children become victims of abuse or neglect –approximately 900,000 children each year. To be a truly moral and civil society, it is not enough to protect the children within our care. Rather, we must remain vigilant in protecting every child living in fear and desperation in our very own communities.”

“Foster care and adoption are critical weapons in the fight against child abuse,” Pryce added. “We must continue to make the process of adoption more affordable and less bureaucratic, so that child victims of abuse placed in foster care can move quickly into stable and loving homes with permanent families. For far too many children, foster care has become a way of life – not a temporary safe haven as it was intended.”

Pryce is the author of the Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement (CAPE) Act which was signed into law in 2000. CAPE increased funding for the investigation of child abuse crimes and for the creation of child abuse prevention programs. Additionally, CAPE improved the criminal justice system’s ability to provide timely, accurate criminal-record information to agencies engaged in child protection. She was also instrumental in the success of the Hope for Children Act, also signed into law, to help cover the expenses of those who adopt children through a $10,000 tax credit.

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