On Wednesday, February 11, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) passed H.R. 911, the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2009. H.R. 911 is virtually identical to H.R. 6358, the legislation which was introduced last year and passed by a wide margin in Congress last session. The The purpose of the legislation is to establish certain standards and enforcement provisions relating to residential treatment programs for adolescents.
The Family Foundation School remains supportive of these efforts by the Government to bring appropriate oversight to our industry to ensure the welfare and protection of adolescents. We are very glad to see that the House Education and Labor Committee continues to recognize that this legislation needs to apply not only to private institutions, but to state run facilities as well.
The efforts of NATSAP, the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, throughout this process need to be commended. The bill now approaching the full House is greatly improved from initial drafts. This legislation will ensure the protection of more adolescents, but certain refinements can still be made before it becomes law.
Humor and healthy mindedness
