25 U.S.C. § 3201 : US Code - Section 3201: Findings and purpose

Search 25 U.S.C. § 3201 : US Code - Section 3201: Findings and purpose

(a) Findings
The Congress, after careful review of the problem of child abuse
on Indian reservations and the historical and special relationship
of the Federal Government with Indian people,
(1) finds that -
(A) incidents of abuse of children on Indian reservations are
grossly underreported;
(B) such underreporting is often a result of the lack of a
mandatory Federal reporting law;
(C) multiple incidents of sexual abuse of children on Indian
reservations have been perpetrated by persons employed or
funded by the Federal Government;
(D) Federal Government investigations of the background of
Federal employees who care for, or teach, Indian children are
often deficient;
(E) funds spent by the United States on Indian reservations
or otherwise spent for the benefit of Indians who are victims
of child abuse or family violence are inadequate to meet the
growing needs for mental health treatment and counseling for
victims of child abuse or family violence and their families;
and
(F) there is no resource that is more vital to the continued
existence and integrity of Indian tribes than their children
and the United States has a direct interest, as trustee, in
protecting Indian children who are members of, or are eligible
for membership in, an Indian tribe; and
(2) declares that two major goals of the United States are to -

(A) identify the scope of incidents of abuse of children and
family violence in Indian country and to reduce such incidents;
and
(B) provide funds for mental health treatment for Indian
victims of child abuse and family violence on Indian
reservations.
(b) Purpose
The purposes of this chapter are to -
(1) require that reports of abused Indian children are made to
the appropriate authorities in an effort to prevent further
abuse;
(2) establish a reliable data base for statistical purposes and
to authorize a study to determine the need for a central registry
for reported incidents of abuse;
(3) authorize such other actions as are necessary to ensure
effective child protection in Indian country;
(4) establish the Indian Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Grant Program to provide funds for the establishment on Indian
reservations of treatment programs for victims of child sexual
abuse;
(5) provide for technical assistance and training related to
the investigation and treatment of cases of child abuse and
neglect;
(6) establish Indian Child Resource and Family Services Centers
in each Bureau of Indian Affairs Area Office which will consist
of multi-disciplinary teams of personnel with experience and
training in the prevention, identification, investigation, and
treatment of child abuse and neglect;
(7) provide for the treatment and prevention of incidents of
family violence;
(8) establish tribally operated programs to protect Indian
children and reduce the incidents of family violence in Indian
country; and
(9) authorize other actions necessary to ensure effective child
protection on Indian reservations.