(a) In general

The Administrator shall make grants to national organizations to provide technical assistance and training to—

(1) prosecutors and other attorneys and allied professionals instrumental to the criminal prosecution of child abuse cases in State or Federal courts, for the purpose of improving the quality of criminal prosecution of such cases; and

(2) child abuse professionals instrumental to the protection of children, intervention in child abuse cases, and treatment of victims of child abuse, for the purpose of—

(A) improving the quality of such protection, intervention, and treatment; and

(B) promoting the effective delivery of the evidence-informed Children’s Advocacy Center Model and the multidisciplinary response to child abuse, including best practices in programmatic evaluation and financial oversight of Federal funding.

(b) Grantee organizations

(1) Prosecutors

An organization to which a grant is made for specific training and technical assistance for prosecutors under subsection (a)(1) shall be one that has—

(A) a significant connection to prosecutors who handle child abuse cases in State courts, such as a membership organization or support service providers; and

(B) demonstrated experience in providing training and technical assistance for prosecutors.

(2) Child abuse professionals

An organization to which a grant is made for specific training and technical assistance for child abuse professionals under subsection (a)(2) shall be one that has—

(A) a diverse portfolio of training and technical resources for the diverse professionals responding to child abuse, including a digital library to promote evidence-informed practice; and

(B) demonstrated experience in providing training and technical assistance for child abuse professionals, especially law enforcement officers, child protective service workers, prosecutors, forensic interviewers, medical professionals, victim advocates, and mental health professionals.

(c) Grant criteria

Terms Used In 34 USC 20305

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7

(1) The Administrator shall establish the criteria to be used for evaluating applications for grants under this section, consistent with sections 11183 and 11186 of this title.

(2) The grant criteria established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall require, in the case of a grant made under subsection (a)(1), that a program provide training and technical assistance that includes information regarding improved child interview techniques, thorough investigative methods, interagency coordination and effective presentation of evidence in court, including the use of alternative courtroom procedures described in this title.1