Sponsors (2)
Creates an Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team grant program and authorizes $10M per year for FY2026–2029 to carry it out.
The bill creates modest federal grants to expand trauma‑informed services and cross‑agency coordination for children exposed to adverse experiences, but funding is limited, benefits will be uneven, and placement in a justice office may steer programs toward criminal‑justice approaches rather than purely public‑health models.
Children and youth exposed to adverse childhood experiences would gain access to coordinated, trauma-informed response teams funded by federal grants, improving early intervention and support.
Local social service agencies and social workers would receive grant funding to build screening, intervention, and referral capacity, helping communities identify and treat affected families.
State and local governments could use the grants to improve cross‑agency coordination among justice, health, and child‑welfare systems, streamlining responses for at‑risk children.
Many communities may still lack support because the program is modestly funded ($10M/year; $40M total over four years), so benefits will be uneven and not reach nationwide need.
Administering the grants through the Office of Justice Programs risks prioritizing criminal‑justice approaches over public‑health or purely trauma‑informed models, which could shape service design and delivery.
Taxpayers face increased federal spending of about $40 million over four years to fund the grant program.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Official title: Amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish the Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team grant program, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 22, 2025 by Jeanne Shaheen · Last progress May 22, 2025
Creates a new grant program called the Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team Grant Program within the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act and authorizes $10 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2029 to carry out the program. The change is an authorization of appropriations inserted into the statute to fund the new program over multiple years.