Rogers: House OKs Child Safety Program Extension

Original Source U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, MI-08, issued the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives voted Monday evening to adopt a six-month extension of the Child Safety Pilot Program, which allows youth-serving organizations to obtain criminal history background checks on their volunteers. The pilot program is set to expire July 31, and the extension will allow critical checks to go on while work on a permanent background check system continues. “Like all fathers, I want my children to always be safe and protected from predators and criminals. Affordable, comprehensive background checks of volunteers are essential for the safety of our children and the peace of mind of parents, families, educators, and local law enforcement. The pre-existing Child Safety Pilot program stopped criminals with very serious convictions — including sexual abuse of minors, assault and murder — from working with vulnerable children. Extending the pilot will allow organizations to continue to protect children while Congress works on a permanent, nationally-accessible solution.” EDITOR’S NOTE: In an effort to create a long-term solution, Rogers, R-MI, and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-CA, introduced the Child Protection Improvements Act to establish a permanent background check system for youth-serving organizations. This legislation would make background checks for volunteers working with children reliable, affordable, and comprehensive. Senators Joseph Biden (D-DE), Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Orin Hatch (R-UT) introduced the companion bill in the Senate. The measure has been endorsed by American Camp Association, Afterschool Alliance, America’s Promise Alliance, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Communities In Schools, Inc., First Focus, MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, National Collaboration for Youth, YMCA of the USA.