CHILD WELFARE NEWS STATE BY STATE (for August)

These are compiled from Child Information Gateway for the month of August (250 stories)

CA: Documents Detail Child-Abuse Deaths in Los Angeles County (Includes Video)

NBC 4 – August 28, 2013
Records obtained by NBC4 show 63 children died in Los Angeles County as a result of abuse and neglect since January 2012, including some with a lengthy history of allegations leading up to the death.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Documents-Detail-Child-Abuse-Deaths-in-Los-Angeles-County-221587601.html

CA: LA County facing fines for operating unlicensed foster care shelter, missing deadlines
Southern California Public Radio – August 28, 2013
Her job was to sort out who was biologically related to whom, and find the kids a place to stay – all within a window of 23 hours and 59 minutes. It’s the deadline at which, legally, the kids would need to be in a place that’s certified to care for them, like a foster home or shelter. Too often in the past eight months, L.A. County has missed this deadline, according to state regulators. And as soon as Wednesday, California’s Department of Social Services said the county could be subject to fines of $200 a day for operating an “unlicensed emergency shelter.” As of Wednesday morning, state officials had not taken action. Also: DCFS warned to place kids in foster care sooner: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=9223065&rss=rss-kabc-article-9223065
http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/08/28/38906/county-to-weigh-options-for-avoiding-state-fines-f/

FL: Interim DCF Secretary Jacobo Rallies Child Welfare Workers
News Service of Florida – August 29, 2013
After a series of highly-publicized child deaths this summer, the new leader of the Florida Department of Children and Families, Interim Secretary Esther Jacobo, rallied child welfare professionals Wednesday at their annual conference in Orlando. Jacobo, who took the temporary post last month after the abrupt resignation of former secretary David Wilkins, opened the three-day event by recognizing the controversy surrounding the department and vowing to rise to the challenge.
http://news.wjct.org/post/interim-dcf-secretary-jacobo-rallies-child-welfare-workers

MS: County purchases shelter for foster children
Sea Coast Echo – August 28, 2013
The abused and neglected children of Hancock County are about to receive a big gift from the Board of Supervisors. County officials are preparing to open an emergency shelter for foster children who are taken out of dangerous situations.
http://www.seacoastecho.com/article_7223.shtml#.Uh9MXX8naSp

TN: Maryville man seeks awareness of sexual abuse within Jehovah’s Witnesses
Daily Times – August 29, 2013
According to Jones, a major factor in cases such as his within the Jehovah’s Witnesses is the secrecy policy. Jones said that the written rule for bringing to light cases of sexual abuse states that for any accusation you must have two or more witnesses, including the victim. If both witnesses were victims of different attacks by the same person, then those testimonies would suffice as two witnesses.
http://www.thedailytimes.com/Local_News/story/Maryville-man-seeks-awareness-of-sexual-abuse-within-Jehovahs-Witnesses-id-025016

WI: Potential cost slows bill to help exploited children
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – August 28, 2013
A bill designed to help children who have been sexually exploited has stalled in large part because of the hefty price tag attached to it, the bill’s sponsor says.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/potential-cost-stalls-bill-that-would-help-exploited-children-b9985819z1-221538661.html

US: ‘On Our Minds’: The hidden scars of child trauma
Montclair Times – August 15, 2013
In the United States, five million children are exposed to traumatic events each year, according to research published by Houston, Tex.-based child trauma researcher Bruce Perry. In 2011, the latest year for which statistics were available, New Jersey had more than 70,000 reported incidents of domestic violence, a five percent decrease from 2010. Children were involved in 5 percent of offenses that year, and an additional 26 percent were present during the incidents.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/219812141_The_Montclair_Times__On_Our_Minds___The_hidden_scars_of_child_trauma.html?page=all

US: America’s Child Sex Trafficking Victim
Huffington Post – August 28, 2013
Contrary to popular belief, many of America’s child sex trafficking victims were never part of our foster care system. Many grew up in such horrific circumstances and dangerous conditions that even social workers were afraid to enter the makeshift homes or crack houses where they were forced to survive independent of America’s traditional child care systems.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-lois-lee/americas-child-sex-trafficking_b_3762809.html?utm_hp_ref=crime&ir=Crime

US: America’s Foster Care System (at 11:00 A.M. Boston time)
WBUR – August 29, 2013
We get inside America’s foster care system to see what it’s doing and not doing, for and to the children there.
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2013/08/29/foster-care

US: Intergenerational Ingenuity: Mixing Age Groups in Affordable Housing
Urban Land Institute – August 28, 2013
Seniors in affordable apartments act as surrogate grandparents for children in rent-assisted units designed for families with multiple adopted children.
http://urbanland.uli.org/Articles/2013/Aug/MachtIntergenerational

US: Study: Men More Likely to be Accused of Shaking Infants
Health Canal – August 28, 2013
Out of nearly 3,000 cases nationwide, 72.5 percent of those accused of shaken-baby syndrome crimes are men, while 27.5 percent are women, The Medill Justice Project discovered in its first published finding in more than a year of research on this largely opaque criminal justice issue.
http://www.healthcanal.com/child-health/42312-study-men-more-likely-to-be-accused-of-shaking-infants.html

INTERNATIONAL

Uganda: Babies being stolen at top Uganda hospital, sparking outrage over misconduct
Associated Press – August 23, 2013
As a court is set to hear his civil case against Mulago Hospital, officials and some activists say parents in Uganda risk losing their children in scams orchestrated by doctors and nurses who are apparently selling the babies. Some may be colluding with childless Ugandan couples while other babies are possibly being sold to foreigners. Last week a Czech man without proper adoption papers was arrested while trying to leave Uganda with a 3-month-old baby, according to Moses Binoga, a police detective and Uganda’s top anti-human trafficking official.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/babies-being-stolen-at-top-uganda-hospital-sparking-outrage-over-misconduct/2013/08/23/b788fb4e-0bfd-11e3-89fe-abb4a5067014_story.html

India: Awareness drive on illegal adoption
Times of India – August 28, 2013
Illegal adoption is on the rise in Assam and the State Child Protection Society (SCPS) is carrying out an awareness programmes in different parts of the state to check this undesirable trend. The society has also urged the government to take stern action against those engaged in the illegal adoption business. It has also appealed the couples contemplating adoption to approach only recognized agencies.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-08-28/guwahati/41537785_1_adoption-all-babies-juvenile-justice-act

Zambia: & UT: Utah lab teams up with Zambia to curb child sex abuse
Deseret News – August 27, 2013
“People strongly feel if they sleep with a minor, if they are HIV-positive, (they will heal). Traditional healers prescribe it,” he said. “There is common belief that is propagated by traditional healers (that people with AIDS) will recover if they have sex with children.” As part of the country’s continuing efforts to address the problem, three scientists from Zambia’s Ministry of Home Affairs, including Chipompo, are in Utah for a six-week crash course given by Utah’s renowned Sorenson Forensics.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865585337/Utah-lab-teams-up-with-Zambia-to-curb-child-sex-abuse.html

CA: California Offers Lessons in Expanding Foster Care
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange – August 27, 2013
Sixteen states have enacted some sort of extended foster care, and three more have plans in the works, according to Christopher Wu, of the Center for Families, Children and the Courts at California’s Administrative Office of the Courts.
http://jjie.org/california-offers-lessons-in-expanding-foster-care/

FL: Florida editorial roundup: Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune on improving state’s DCF
Associated Press – August 27, 2013
The annual Child Protection Summit, running this week in Orlando, presents an opportunity to jump-start improvements to Florida’s Department of Children and Families.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/27/3589413/florida-editorial-roundup.html

FL: Leading South Florida gay, lesbian organizations launch LGBTQ Youth Homeless Initiative
The Miami Herald – August 27, 2013
The LGBTQ Youth Homelessness Initiative, a collaboration to provide safe housing, LGBTQ-specific services and foster home placement, family reunification or transition into independence, is expected to launch in early September.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2013/08/leading-south-florida-gay-lesbian-organizations-launch-lgbtq-youth-homeless-initiative.html

ID: Idaho program to help abused children overrun by cases
Associated Press – August 27, 2013
A program advocating for abused or neglected children in southern Idaho says there are too many cases for volunteers to handle.
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130827/NEWS03/708279913/Idaho-pogram-to-help-abused-children-overrun-by-cases

MN: Yellow Medicine County Board considers ‘thorny’ issue [Policy on extended foster care drawn up by child services supervisor]
Marshall Independent – August 28, 2013
The board voted to adopt a policy on extended foster care drawn up by Child Services Supervisor Mary Potter. According to Potter, the policy is modeled on federal and state mandates, which require foster care be extended from age 18 to 21 in the case of eligible applicants.
http://www.marshallindependent.com/page/content.detail/id/541282/Yellow-Medicine-County-Board-considers–thorny–issue.html?nav=5015

NJ: Gay conversion therapy ban for kids challenged in federal court
The Star-Ledger – August 23, 2013
The law (A3371), signed by Gov. Chris Christie on Monday, prevents any licensed therapist, psychologist, social worker or counselor from using sexual orientation change efforts with a children under age 18. The bill was signed into law Monday, but conservative therapy groups filed a lawsuit Thursday to block it.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/08/nj_gay_conversion_therapy_ban_for_kids_challenged_by_therapist_groups.html#incart_river

NJ: Healthy Family TIP program helps keep parents in touch with needed resources
Press of Atlantic City – August 28, 2013
Since the beginning of the program in 1996, Cape May’s Healthy Families has served more than 600 families and performed about 2,000 home visits. Families in the program can receive home visiting support until the child is 3 years old.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/lower_capemay/healthy-family-tip-program-helps-keep-parents-in-touch-with/article_8a48e6b2-8e02-5a30-921b-8a88f32f1024.html

OK: Cherokees rally for Dusten Brown in Baby Veronica case
Tulsa World – August 27, 2013
Monday’s rally was a call to end an epic custody battle over “Baby Veronica,” pitting Brown and his tribe against her adoptive parents from South Carolina.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Cherokees_rally_for_Dusten_Brown_in_Baby_Veronica_case/20130827_11_A7_ULNSut176362?subj=1

US: Trafficking Native Children: The Seamy Underbelly of U.S. Adoption Industry
Indian Country Today Media Network – August 27, 2013
Mason is an expert on the Indian Child Welfare Act and its application in Oklahoma, which has 39 tribes and the second largest tribal population in the United States. On his client’s behalf, he filed a suit, Simmons v. Tarbox, to halt the finalization of the adoption and bring Deseray back to Oklahoma from South Carolina, where she has been living with an adoptive couple who do not have the legal authority or a court order to retain her.
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/08/27/underbelly-us-adoption-industry-trafficking-native-children-151006

US: USA Swimming Faces Lingering Doubts Over Sexual Abuse
NPR – August 27, 2013
There’s concern the sport of swimming still may be dealing with a sexual abuse problem in the United States.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/08/27/216188040/usa-swimming-faces-lingering-doubts-over-sexual-abuse

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Wards of state need more help: report
AAP – August 28, 2013
Wards of the state need support until they are at least 25 years old to prevent them from ending up on the streets, new Queensland research suggests.
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/wards-of-state-need-more-help-report/story-e6frfku9-1226706005357?from=public_rss

Pakistan: Country needs regulators monitoring adoptions to avoid trafficking
Oman Tribune – August 28, 2013
Pakistan does not bar the inter-country guardianship of orphans and abandoned children, as well as their adoption in other countries, although there is no law for adoption in the country, it emerged on Monday.
http://www.omantribune.com/index.php?page=news&id=150712&heading=Pakistan
CA: Teen moms: Foster youth more likely to have children and need help
Mercury News – August 23, 2013
California has an opportunity to help the state’s foster care system adapt to meet the real needs of these parenting youth and their children by passing State Sen. Leland Yee’s SB 528, the Young Parents in Foster Care legislation. Among other things, it would provide age-appropriate reproductive health education to reduce the alarming rate of unintended pregnancies among youth in foster care.
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_23921015/teen-moms-foster-youth-more-likely-have-children

DC: At Capitol, a homecoming for a D.C. foster kid
The Washington Post – August 23, 2013
Thomas McRae Jr., 19, a D.C. native and foster child who went through 22 homes before being adopted, is interning on Capitol Hill for Sen. Ben Cardin as part of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Foster Youth Internship program.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/20-year-old-intern-from-a-tough-dc-neighborhood-excels-on-capitol-hill/2013/08/22/17bd1562-0826-11e3-9941-6711ed662e71_story.html

FL: Deaths raise questions about child welfare system (Includes audio and transcript)
KCUR / NPR News – August 22, 2013
To help us make sense of it all, we called on Miami Herald reporter Carol Marbin Miller. She’s covered child welfare issues for the paper for more than 20 years. And also with us is Linda Spears. She’s the vice president for policy and public affairs for the Child Welfare League of America.
http://www.kcur.org/post/florida-deaths-raise-questions-about-child-welfare-system

KS: Administration touts Singapore delegation’s reaction to privatization
Topeka Capital-Journal – August 22, 2013
The Kansas Department for Children and Families says officials visiting from Singapore this week were impressed with the agency’s efforts to privatize child welfare services, including foster care and adoption.
http://cjonline.com/news/2013-08-22/administration-touts-singapore-delegations-reaction-privatization

MA: Boston Housing Authority, nonprofit housing agency provide homes to 185 families
The Boston Globe – August 23, 2013
A total of 200 families were approved for the placement in permanent housing, and the remaining 15 families are expected to be accommodated as soon as apartments in the authority’s public housing program are available, the agencies said in a joint statement.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/08/22/boston-housing-authority-nonprofit-housing-agency-provide-homes-families/ikcC8tnSuIEm1pxrujfFGN/story.html

MN: Bemidji School District named in 3 sex abuse suits
Associated Press – August 23, 2013
The Bemidji School District is being sued over alleged sexual abuse of three elementary students by a former teacher.
http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Bemidji-School-District-named-in-3-sex-abuse-suits-4753691.php

MO: Blue Springs mom drafts petition to close loophole in state child abuse law
KSHB – August 22, 2013
Wolf was surprised to learn Missouri state law allowed districts the option of investigating cases of child abuse by its own staff.
http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/blue-springs-mom-drafts-petition-to-close-loophole-in-state-child-abuse-law

MO: Firsthand look at local home staged to show child abuse signs
KMOV – August 21, 2013
In advance of Friday’s ribbon cutting, UMSL and Children’s Advocacy Services allowed News 4’s Sharon Reed to tour the mock house which was staged to represent a situation of possible child abuse.
http://www.kmov.com/news/just-posted/First-Hand-look-220582621.html

PA: City agency pushes to find foster homes for teens
Philly.com – August 23, 2013
On July 1, DHS raised the monthly stipend by $300 for foster parents who take in kids 13 and older. The agency last month also terminated contracts with three homeless shelters outside the city and reduced the length of time that kids can stay in a shelter, mandating a five-day maximum, down from 30.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20130823_City_agency_pushes_to_find_foster_homes_for_teens.html

PA: DA seeks more staff for child abuse investigation
Avon Grove Sun – August 22, 2013
Because the number of child sexual abuse cases has risen dramatically over the past half-decade, Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan wants his office’s investigative staff beefed up to handle such crimes.
http://www.avongrovesun.com/article/20130822/NEWS01/130829985/da-seeks-more-staff-for-child-abuse-investigation#full_story

VA: More problems found in Richmond social services
Richmond Times-Dispatch – August 23, 2013
A months-long investigation of the Richmond Department of Social Services, the third examination in recent months, has found further problems in the agency’s care of children and a lack of even basic understanding of procedures.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/more-problems-found-in-richmond-social-services-agency/article_3b051669-7f9e-51fb-b403-0bf83487f10f.html

WA: How CPS and the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery fight child abuse at its root
The Pacific Northwest Inlander – August 22, 2013
This January, Spokane will be one of only three cities in the state of Washington to launch Family Assessment Response, a program that’s seen huge successes in Minnesota and New York. It will start in two of the county’s most impoverished neighborhoods, West Central and Hillyard.
http://www.inlander.com/spokane/blog-9254-how-cps-and-the-vane.html

WV: Audit: W.Va. fails to address child abuse quickly
Associated Press – August 23, 2013
The agency charged with protecting West Virginia’s children from abuse and neglect suffers from high staff turnover, consistently fails to do timely investigations and appears unwilling to fix its many shortcomings, according to a legislative audit. The audit is available at http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Joint/PERD/perdrep/ChildFam_8_2013.pdf
http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Audit-W-Va-fails-to-address-child-abuse-quickly-4752293.php

US: Researchers estimate actual number of child fatalities due to neglect and abuse
News-Medical.Net – August 23, 2013
During a 13-month health policy fellowship at the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), an MU nursing researcher will investigate better ways to identify child maltreatment deaths on death certificates then use this data to estimate a more accurate number of child fatalities due to abuse and neglect nationally.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130823/Researchers-estimate-actual-number-of-child-fatalities-due-to-neglect-and-abuse.aspx

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: More staffing pressures in Tasmania’s child protection system
ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) – August 23, 2013
North west cases are now being handled from the south because of the staff shortage.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-23/more-staffing-pressures-on-tasmania27s-child-protection-system/4907032?section=tas

Canada: Lack of funding, medical training contributed to foster girl’s death: report
Edmonton Journal – August 22, 2013
A provincial court judge has recommended medical training for foster parents and greater funding for First Nations foster care in response to a 13-month-old child’s death of pneumonia.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Lack+funding+medical+training+contributed+foster+girl+death+report/8820797/story.html

FL: Mentors teach foster kids how to give back
The Observer News – August 21, 2013
A unique project helps foster children and teens learn that they can give as well as receive. “We want to be sure they don’t think they’re always the ones with their hands out. That they know they’re worth something. They can give as well as receive,” said Grace Selph, one of the two women who headed up the project.
http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/front_page/4458-Mentors_teach_foster_kids_how_to_give_back.html

FL: Urban League offically terminated from running Head Start program
The Florida Times-Union – August 21, 2013
Continued child safety concerns prompted federal officials Wednesday to strip the Jacksonville Urban League of its multimillion-dollar Head Start grant.
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-08-21/story/urban-league-offically-terminated-running-head-start-program

FL: Was cost cutting the culprit behind DCF child deaths? (Includes audio)
WGCU – August 21, 2013
“There were 76 positions that were cut three years ago and the legislature approved these cuts”, said Talenfeld. “They were the folks that were responsible for monitoring our privatized system of care.”
http://news.wgcu.org/post/was-cost-cutting-culprit-behind-dcf-child-deaths

MA: Cuts to Head Start hitting home on South Shore
The Patriot Ledger – August 22, 2013
Come September, 46 youngsters from Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Milton and Hull will be forced to stay at home or be left to the care of family members or friends. Those 46 are among some 57,000 Head Start slots lost nationwide in the 5 percent, across-the-board spending cuts.
http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x175617289/Cuts-to-Head-Start-hitting-home-on-South-Shore

MT: Judge: Boy Scouts sex abuse lawsuit can go forward
Associated Press – August 21, 2013
A lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America by five women who were sexually abused by a scout leader in the 1970s will move forward after a judge rejected arguments by the organization that time had run out on their claims.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Judge-Boy-Scouts-sex-abuse-lawsuit-can-go-forward-4749432.php

NC: Giving kids a safe, permanent home a balancing act
BlueRidgeNow.com – August 22, 2013
“When a child is placed in foster care, my job is to see that the child has a safe, stable, permanent home,” says Rachel Williams, one of 13 foster care social workers at the Department of Social Services.
http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20130822/NEWS/130829961/1016/opinion02?Title=Giving-kids-a-safe-permanent-home-a-balancing-act

NJ: Christie signs bill outlawing a gay ‘cure’
New York Times – August 19, 2013
Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill Monday outlawing therapy that aims to convert gay children to heterosexuals, making New Jersey the second state to ban the controversial practice.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/20/nyregion/christie-signs-bill-banning-gay-conversion-therapy.html?ref=childrenandyouth

NM: Secrecy shrouds shutdowns of behavioral health providers
Albuquerque Journal – August 22, 2013
Nancy Jo Archer spent 39 years helping to build and run Hogares, a nonprofit agency that provides mental health services to thousands of severely emotionally disturbed children. She helped pack it up and close it down – against her will, sometimes in tears – in two weeks.
http://www.abqjournal.com/251434/news/secrecy-shrouds-shutdowns-of-behavioral-health-providers.html

RI: Lawsuit by former ward of state claiming abuse is dismissed
The Providence Journal – August 21, 2013
A federal lawsuit filed by a former ward of the state alleging abuse while he was in the care of the state Department of Children, Youth and Families has been dismissed following a settlement agreement.
http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2013/08/lawsuit-by-former-ward-of-state-claiming-abuse-is-dismissed.html

WA: All in the family
The Pacific Northwest Inlander – August 20, 2013
More children in Spokane County are being abused and neglected. but some families have managed to break the cycle.
http://www.inlander.com/spokane/article-19611-all-in-the-family.html

INTERNATIONAL

China: Police break up baby trafficking ring
China Daily – August 22, 2013
Police in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, broke up a criminal network across four provinces that has trafficked 10 boys under 12 months old since March last year, police told China Daily on Wednesday.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90882/8373325.html

India: Childless couples in Udaipur prefer baby girls
The Times of India – August 22, 2013
In the past, the city has been in news for cases of female infanticide. According to figures collected from various sources, of the 74 children adopted by childless couples, 40 were girls.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Childless-couples-in-Udaipur-prefer-baby-girls/articleshow/21967766.cms

India: Orphanage only home for special kids
The Times of India – August 22, 2013
“However, now both the state and central governments have started focusing on the adoption of children with special needs. Several meetings and awareness programmes have been organized by adoption agencies to create awareness about adopting children with special needs,” Archana Shanti, Programme officer of state child protection society said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Orphanage-only-home-for-special-kids/articleshow/21964695.cms

United Kingdom: Duty to report child abuse proposed in Wales
South Wales Argus – August 21, 2013
It is currently unclear who would be subject to the requirement – however provisions for adults in the bill cover the health service and the police.
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/10626637.Duty_to_report_child_abuse_proposed_in_Wales/

AR: Agency, owners assessed $1 million in adoption fraud case
Arkansas News Service – August 20, 2013
Calling their actions “horrific” and “despicable,” a judge Tuesday ordered the former owners of a now-defunct adoption agency found guilty of defrauding couples and individuals looking to adopt children to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution and penalties.
http://arkansasnews.com/sections/news/agency-owners-assessed-1-million-adoption-fraud-case.html

CA: District Response to Child Abuse Blasted
San Diego Union-Tribune – August 21, 2013
The San Diego Unified School District has formed a focus group to address lingering questions about how it deals with adult-to-student bullying, according to a recently released report.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/aug/21/tp-district-response-to-child-abuse-report-blasted/

CA: Shortage of foster parents straining Los Angeles County’s child welfare system
Southern California Public Radio – August 20, 2013
L.A. County is in an unusual predicament. Traditionally, the county’s foster care system has struggled with a shortage of homes for children who are older and with medical and mental health needs. But just this past year, system workers have noticed a shift: suddenly, there’s a shortage of beds for the system’s babies and toddlers.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/08/20/38791/foster-bed-shortage-straining-la-countys-child-wel/

FL: DCF gets a grilling from judges over 4-year-old’s care
Miami Herald – August 20, 2013
Miami-Dade County’s entire child welfare bench presided over a virtually unprecedented hearing Tuesday in which the five judges grilled lawyers and an investigator with the Department of Children & Families over “systemic” failures that have left children dead or gravely injured.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/20/3575463/dcf-gets-a-grilling-from-judges.html

FL: Names of dead children invoked at hearing to reform DCF
Miami Herald – August 20, 2013
The nearly three-hour discussion – extended twice to accommodate the number of speakers – offered a variety of suggestions, ranging from better state funding to better treatment of caseworkers and investigators. Legislators walked away with specific changes they can make to child welfare laws in the upcoming Legislative season.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/20/3575635/names-of-dead-children-invoked.html

MD: & NJ: 8 Reasons Adoption Billboard Put on NJ Turnpike by Maryland Couple
newjerseynewsroom.com – August 20, 2013
The Maryland couple, who are not revealing their real names, have taken out a billboard on the New Jersey Turnpike to advertise their availability for adoption. CBS New York reported that the advertisement came with their photo and contact information, and the message, “Loving Couple Looking To Adopt.”
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/style/8-reasons-adoption-billboard-put-on-nj-turnpike-by-maryland-couple

NC: How Troubled Teen Found a ‘Forever Family’ After 29 Foster Homes
People Magazine – August 20, 2013
“It just felt like somebody had to save him,” says Maddalon. “I said, ‘We’re the right people.’ Even if 29 families thought the same thing, we’re naive and optimistic. We believe in happy endings.”
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20727073,00.html

OK: Rally urges lawmakers to help keep Native American families together
United Press International – August 20, 2013
Sarah Adams-Cornell, one of the organizers of the rally, said the child, known as “Baby Veronica,” has become a symbol of the loss of Native American culture from babies being adopted by non-Native American couples.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/08/20/Rally-urges-lawmakers-to-help-keep-Native-American-families-together/UPI-10341377019198/

TN: Crying mom with 4 kids stands out to DCS chief making home visits (Includes Video)
The Tennessean – August 21, 2013
Since Henry took over the troubled Department of Children’s Services six months ago, he has implemented a new requirement that all staff (including himself) spend a day with a caseworker to “see what life is like when you’re not sitting in the ivory tower.” It is among the new policies intended to usher in a culture change within the agency.
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130821/NEWS0201/308210077/2275/RSS05

TX: Beginning of school year often reveals child abuse, neglect
Colorado County Citizen – August 20, 2013
“Because children are subject to less adult supervision over the summer, it’s not uncommon for reports of suspected abuse and neglect to spike at the start of the school year,” said Lindsey Guerin, CASA for Kids executive director.
http://www.coloradocountycitizen.com/opinion/article_d677b69e-09d2-11e3-a6a3-0019bb2963f4.html

TX: Nearly two dozen foster homes to be inspected in wake of murder investigation (Includes video)
KWTX – August 20, 2013
Almost two dozen area foster homes will be randomly inspected this week by CPS caseworkers after a Rockdale foster mom was recently indicted on a capital murder charge after a 2-year-old in her care died of severe injuries.
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Nearly-Two-Dozen-Foster-Homes-to-be-inspected-in-Wake-of-Murder-Investigation–220456751.html

US: Honoring grandparents who raise their grandkids
THonline.com – August 20, 2013
All told, an estimated 7.8 million children younger than 18 live in households headed by grandparents or other relatives, including those whose parents are absent due to death, substance abuse, military deployment or other reasons.
http://www.thonline.com/biztimes/articles/article_2574e3fe-08e1-11e3-90ef-001a4bcf6878.html

US: Soliciting Sex With Children Will Now Be a Federal Offense
Care2 – August 20, 2013
Last month, the FBI announced that it had rescued more than 100 sexually exploited children in Operation Cross Country, a nationwide sweep of sex traffickers. Some 150 people, most “pimps” who profit from sexually exploiting children, were arrested. A bill introduced last week in Congress, the End Sex Trafficking Act of 2013, goes a step further, calling for those “patrons” who seek sex with children to also be federally prosecuted.
http://www.care2.com/causes/soliciting-sex-with-children-will-now-be-a-federal-offense.html

US: USA Swimming’s battle against underage abuse continues with review
Associated Press – August 20, 2013
USA Swimming will bring in an outside organization to evaluate its safe sport program, which was launched three years ago after numerous reports of coaches having inappropriate relationships with underage athletes.
http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20130820/usa-swimmings-battle-against-underage-abuse-continues-with-review

CA: Aged-out East Bay foster youth find a place to call home
Contra Costa Times – August 18, 2013
Having never lived on his own, he jumped at the chance to apply for a studio apartment at a new housing center for aged-out foster youth that opened in May in East Oakland. The transitional housing, known as Rising Oaks, is run through the Fred Finch Youth Center, which helps abused, neglected and abandoned children.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_23884260/oakland-aged-out-foster-youth-find-place-call

FL: Unlike Florida, Several States Have Unsealed Birth Certificates
Associated Press – August 16, 2013
Since a handful of states have unsealed birth certificates (Florida’s records are sealed and require a court order to open, but the Florida Adoption Reunion Registry exists has been set up, www.adoptflorida.com), thousands of adoptees have claimed them and learned about their beginnings.
http://www.theledger.com/article/20130816/NEWS/130819429

IN: State takes serious step for children
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette – August 18, 2013
“This unprecedented cross-agency collaboration is vital,” Rush said in a news release. “All three branches of government are coming together to realize overall systems improvements for Indiana’s youth.”
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130818/EDIT07/308189978/-1/EDIT01

KS: Update: Human Trafficking In Kansas
Topeka Capital-Journal – August 20, 2013
H.R. 1732, the Strengthening The Child Welfare Response To Trafficking Act of 2013 would educate welfare agencies on the probabilities that foster care kids are at a higher risk for getting involved in sex trafficking networks, while laying the foundation for a means of bringing exposed children into the system and addressing their immediate needs.
http://cjonline.com/blog-post/keri/2013-08-20/update-human-trafficking-kansas

NY: Proposed legislation would strengthen child abuse laws
Fox23News – August 19, 2013
District attorneys are calling for legislation called the Child Protection Act to be passed into law. Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan, who helped craft the legislation, says it would add six new felony crimes to state statutes. Hogan explains it would give police and prosecutors additional options in charging those accused of child abuse. Under current law, a prosecutor has to prove depraved indifference.
http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story/Proposed-legislation-would-strengthen-child-abuse/ICoEsDTMzUSYxYgFbbXayQ.cspx?rss=39

OK: Expert Says Cherokee Courts May Have Final Say In ‘Baby Veronica’ Case
Newson6 – August 19, 2013
An Indian law expert says, although there are a lot of complicating factors in the custody battle, the tribal court will more than likely trump South Carolina and Oklahoma state courts.
http://www.newson6.com/story/23176837/expert-says-cherokee-courts-may-have-final-say-in-baby-veronica-case

OK: Supporters of Baby Veronica’s birth father converge on Capitol in Oklahoma City
The Oklahoman – August 19, 2013
Supporters of Baby Veronica and her biological father said they fear the girl will lose her connection to her Cherokee heritage if a South Carolina couple are allowed to regain custody of the now 3-year-old girl. Also: Rally in OKC for little Veronica: http://www.kswo.com/story/23178026/rally-in-okc-for-little-veronica
http://newsok.com/supporters-of-baby-veronicas-birth-father-converge-on-capitol-in-oklahoma-city/article/3873590?custom_click=rss

PA: Adoptive parents’ preferences leave teens, minorities lingering in foster care
York Dispatch – August 19, 2013
Overall trends in who’s being adopted stayed about the same when the two years are compared, and York County’s trends mirror the state’s, said Carrie Keiser, director of the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network.
http://www.yorkdispatch.com/breaking/ci_23892072/adoptive-parents-preferences-leave-teens-minorities-lingering-foster

PA: More young victims find a sympathetic ear at KC’s Child Protection Center
York Dispatch – August 19, 2013
Despite a growing caseload, York County has decreased the number of children in foster care over the past six years, focusing on rehabilitating broken families and placing at-risk children with kin instead of strangers.
http://www.yorkdispatch.com/breaking/ci_23892078/shifting-focus-york-county-reduces-need-foster-care

TX: Toddler’s death raises questions about foster parent screening
Christian Science Monitor – August 19, 2013
Investigation into the death of a two-year-old girl in Texas reveals that the child’s foster parents have a criminal background. How thorough are Texas’s foster parent screenings?
http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/2013/0819/Toddler-s-death-raises-questions-about-foster-parent-screening

US: Boy Scouts of America sue two insurance companies for refusing to pay settlement in sex abuse case
Dallas News – August 18, 2013
According to a federal suit filed in Dallas on Thursday, two insurance companies are refusing to cover the costs accrued in a 2010 case involving two men were sexually assaulted by Dykes for a number of years in the early 1990s.
http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2013/07/boy-scouts-of-america-sue-two-insurance-companies-for-refusing-to-pay-settlement-in-sex-abuse-case.html/

US: Indian Child Welfare Act: More Than 800 Native American Children Were Adopted In 2012. How Many Could Be Affected?
International Business Times – August 19, 2013
More than 800 Native American children (the legal definition of Native American is complicated) were adopted in the year ending Sept 30, 2012. And many of them could potentially end up in similar custody battles.
http://www.ibtimes.com/indian-child-welfare-act-more-800-native-american-children-were-adopted-2012-how-many-could-be

INTERNATIONAL

India: Illegal adoption graph rising in Mumbai, says NGO
DNA India – August 18, 2013
Agencies are certain that birth rates haven’t dipped and people haven’t suddenly stopped abandoning children. They suspect that private hospitals and nursing homes are carrying out secret adoptions illegally.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/1875884/report-illegal-adoption-graph-rising-in-mumbai-says-ngo

United Kingdom: Adoptions in England and Wales rose 9.8% in 2012, says ONS
BBC News – August 20, 2013
This represents the largest annual rise in the 15-year period during which equivalent figures have been collated.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23768680

Fiji: Increased child welfare cases, a concern in Fiji: Luveni
Fiji Broadcasting Company – August 19, 2013
The Social Welfare Ministry’s Child Services has recorded 123 child welfare cases in the first four months of this year.
http://www.fbc.com.fj/fiji/13001/increased-child-welfare-cases,-a-concern-in-fiji-luveni

AK: Valley revives sexual abuse response team
Frontiersman – August 17, 2013
When you look through court records in sexual assault cases, there’s usually one sentence in the description of what happened that Valley cases share: “The victim was sent to Anchorage for a forensic exam.” That’s about to change.
http://www.frontiersman.com/news/valley-revives-sexual-abuse-response-team/article_cc1b7fb4-07ca-11e3-be5b-001a4bcf887a.html

CA: South Bay LGBT Community Targeted for Foster Child Adoptions
San Jose Inside – August 16, 2013
A South Bay adoption agency and nonprofit advocacy group plan to reach out to same-sex couples at San Jose Pride this weekend to encourage more of them to adopt.
http://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/entries/8_16_13_lgbt_pride_foster_child_adoptions/

GA: Child placement, adoption agency fostering Christian caretakers
Gainesville Times – August 17, 2013
According to FaithBridge, more than 120 children in Hall County need foster parents. FaithBridge is a Christ-centered adoption and child placement agency based in Alpharetta. “The problem we’re solving is there are not enough families in Georgia counties to serve the needs of children who need a foster home on any given day,” said Bill Hancock, co-founder and CEO of FaithBridge.
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/199/article/87442/

ID: What happens to families when mom goes to jail?
Idaho Press Tribune – June 18, 2013
Those with a greater tendency to make poor decisions run a greater risk of ending up behind bars. When it’s a woman with a family, the picture gets complicated quickly, Caldwell-based licensed clinical social worker Shannon Sorini said. A child can become confused, angry and – if mom is locked up for more than 18 months – permanently placed with a new family.
http://www.idahopress.com/members/what-happens-to-families-when-mom-goes-to-jail/article_9fbc807a-07c6-11e3-aa1b-001a4bcf887a.html

MO: More young victims find a sympathetic ear at KC’s Child Protection Center
Kansas City Star – August 18, 2013
The first six months of 2013 saw a 78 percent increase over the same period a year earlier in referrals from law enforcement for physical child abuse interviews and a 59 percent increase in referrals to interview children who have witnessed child abuse, according to agency statistics.
http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/18/4419768/more-young-victims-find-a-sympathetic.html

NY: Appalled by child abuse, prosecutors seek to crack down with new laws
Glens Falls Post-Star – August 18, 2013
In the past few years, Hogan and other district attorneys across the state have stepped up their efforts, developing the Child Protection Act, which would add six new crimes to state statutes, including “aggravated endangering the welfare of a child.”
http://poststar.com/news/local/appalled-by-child-abuse-prosecutors-seek-to-crack-down-with/article_12b268c4-083f-11e3-84c7-0019bb2963f4.html

OH: Families sue over abuse charges
Zanesville Times Recorder – August 17, 2013
The lawsuit, filed this week in the U.S. District Court, names Jessica Harrod, of Hebron, and officials from the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office, the Muskingum and Licking county commissioners’ offices, the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office and the Muskingum and Licking county departments of children services. It centers on a child-abuse case in which several defendants were arrested but charges were later dropped.
http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/article/20130816/NEWS01/308160025/Families-sue-over-abuse-charges

OK: DHS names welfare deputy director
Norman Transcript – August 19, 2013
Steve Burton has been named Region 2 child welfare deputy director for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS). Burton will oversee child welfare in the following counties: Harmon, Jackson, Greer, Kiowa, Tillman, Comanche, Caddo, Cotton, Grady, Stephens, Jefferson, Carter, Garvin, McClain, Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Murray, Lincoln, Love, Johnston and Marshall.
http://normantranscript.com/headlines/x86505526/DHS-names-welfare-deputy-director

OK: State Foster Care privatized; TFI searching for foster homes
Miami News Record – August 17, 2013
Foster-care contracts were awarded to Angels Foster Family Network, Inc., of Oklahoma City, DCCA/Tall Grass Family Services of Lawrence, Kan., St. Francis Community Services of Tulsa, and TFI Family Connections, LLC of Emporia, Kan. The contract awards came after a second round of bids, the first in April canceled by DHS Director Ed Lake because of concerns over the prescriptive nature of the contracts, how service areas were defined, and the process not allowing provider input.
http://www.miamiok.com/news/article_882c37b7-72bb-58a1-9817-87176b03089d.html

OK: To Oklahoma’s American Indian tribes, Veronica is a battle cry for cultures
Post & Courier – August 17, 2013
In the century since Indian children were removed because of government policies, tribes have made strides to restore their traditions. At the center of the resurgence: children who value their roots, no matter how little Indian blood might run through their veins. Also: Mediation papers filed in Cherokee custody battle: http://muskogeephoenix.com/local/x789506982/Mediation-papers-filed-in-Cherokee-custody-battle
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130817/PC16/130819408/1177/to-oklahoma-x2019-s-american-indian-tribes-veronica-is-a-battle-cry-for-cultures

PA: Lawyer says first Penn State abuse claim settled
Associated Press – August 18, 2013
A young man who testified he was fondled by former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has reached a settlement that gives him some peace of mind while putting the university in a better position to recover the money through a third party, the man’s attorney says. The settlement is the first among dozens of claims made against the school amid the Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/bigten/2013/08/17/penn-state-jerry-sandusky-joe-paterno-nittany-lions-abuse-case-victim-settlement/2668183/

SC: Sex abuse takes toll in Upstate
The State – August 10, 2013
Since cases involving allegations of sexual abuse of children are more likely to go to trial, it taxes available legal resources, Wilkins said. The trauma of childhood sexual abuse also is straining resources of children’s advocacy centers, officials say, and it has prompted calls for a statewide effort to bolster South Carolina’s child-protection system.
http://www.thestate.com/2013/08/10/2912149_increase-in-child-sexual-abuse.html

TN: Chattanooga child died as DCS investigation clouded by computer system flaws
The Tennessean – August 19, 2013
A Chattanooga couple accused of child abuse and murder return to court today in a case that sheds new light on how computer problems within the Department of Children’s Services have affected the ability of caseworkers to protect children.
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130819/NEWS0201/308190027/Chattanooga-child-died-DCS-investigation-clouded-by-computer-system-flaws?nclick_check=1

TX: Foster girl’s death raises questions
Associated Press – August 18, 2013
The death of a toddler who Central Texas police say died at the hands of her foster mother has raised questions about the screening and training given to foster parents by one of the state’s largest child-placement agencies.
http://www.fortmilltimes.com/2013/08/18/2896783/texas-foster-girls-death-raises.html

VA: Organization to prevent child abuse risks losing funding
Progress – Index – August 18, 2013
Quinn approached the council Tuesday to ask that a memorandum of agreement be made between the two agencies protecting Healthy Families from such losses. The city told Quinn that she could only hire contracted, and not full-time employees, due to cost. As a result, Quinn had to turn down a $50,000 federal grant that required Healthy Families to hire a full-time home visitor to serve local families. This year, the organization is $14,000 in the red but would have had an excess of $36,000 with the grant.
http://progress-index.com/news/organization-to-prevent-child-abuse-risks-losing-funding-1.1537879

US: Head Start eliminated services to 57,000 children in U.S. as a result of sequester
Washington Post – August 19, 2013
Head Start programs across the country eliminated services for 57,000 children in the coming school year to balance budgets diminished by the federal sequester, cutting 1.3 million days from Head Start center calendars and laying off or reducing pay for more than 18,000 employees, according to federal government data scheduled for release Monday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/head-start-eliminated-services-to-57000-children-in-us-as-a-result-of-sequester/2013/08/18/e1181810-06d9-11e3-9259-e2aafe5a5f84_story.html

US: Tribes Continue To Establish Sex Offender Registration And Notification Systems To Protect Communities
PR Newswire – August 16, 2013
July 27 marked seven years since Congress established the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, a comprehensive national system for the registration and community notification of sex offenders. The Act is named in memory of Adam Walsh, a 6-year-old boy, who was abducted from a mall in Hollywood, Fla. July 27, 1981. To date, 16 states, 3 territories and 52 federally recognized tribes have substantially implemented SORNA.
http://lifestyle.kstc45.com/story/23156265/tribes-continue-to-establish-sex-offender-registration-and-notification-systems-to-protect-communities

US: What happened to rescued teen victims of sex-trafficking? At least one is jailed for prostitution
ABA Journal – August 16, 2013
Ron Hosko, the assistant director of the FBI’s criminal investigations division, told the New York Times in July that the teens who worked as prostitutes wouldn’t be charged. But his assertion didn’t prove true when a 17-year-old Pennsylvania teen was charged with prostitution and placed in a Bucks County juvenile detention facility, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/what_happened_to_rescued_teen_victims_of_sex-trafficking_at_least_one_is_ja/

INTERNATIONAL

United Kingdom: Thousands of police officers to get special training in child protection following series of cases
Daily Mail – August 18, 2013
Home Secretary Teresa May has ordered that special training in how to spot the signs of child abuse be given to all 4,000-plus officers in the new National Crime Agency (NCA), nicknamed Britain’s FBI.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2396639/Teresa-May-Thousands-police-officers-special-training-child-protection.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490#

Australia: NSW social workers to strike
Australian Associated Press – August 19, 2013
NSW social workers are set to walk off the job in protest at on-going staff shortages. Case workers at the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) will strike for one hour from midday (AEST) on Tuesday to highlight the high vacancy rates, lack of resources and “frustrating red tape” that is hampering effective child protection, the Public Services Association (PSA) said in a statement on Monday.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/nsw-social-workers-to-strike-20130819-2s736.html

CA: Miscommunication targeted to improve child abuse investigations
NBC Southern California – August 15, 2013
“We’re trying to look at some ways where we can improve communications with the DCFS so we make sure we have some of the information they have. There are legal restrictions on that that may require some legislation,” Ford said. In the meantime, they are making more immediate changes.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Gabriel-Fernandez-Palmdale-Boy-Child-Abuse-DCFS-219872261.html

FL: Former child protective investigator releases book about state’s child welfare system
Florida Courier – August 15, 2013
Kevin L. Ramos chronicles the life of rookie child protective investigator (CPI) Jeremiah Abundo and his experiences working in Miami Dade in the new book, “The Department.”
http://flcourier.com/2013/08/15/former-child-protective-investigator-releases-book-about-states-child-welfare-system/

FL: State eyes cost of keeping children safe
The News Service of Florida – August 15, 2013
Lawmakers are poised to rewrite the state law that created community-based care organizations, which deliver local child-welfare services. And the crucial role of child-protective investigations is being re-examined, while at least some of the six sheriffs who oversee child-protective investigations in their counties are planning to tell lawmakers they can’t do it much longer without more money.
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=540257

IN: Prospective parents jump through endless hoops to adopt Haitian kids
RTV6 – August 15, 2013
The family thought not using an adoption agency would save them money. But they discovered it instead left them vulnerable to Haiti’s government.
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/prospective-parents-jump-through-endless-hoops-to-adopt-haitian-kids

MA: Activists press to help more adoptees connect with birth parents
Cohasset Mariner – August 15, 2013
Adoption activists seeking increased access to information from birth parents plan to meet with the public in East Cambridge Thursday evening.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/cohasset/newsnow/x1465131593/State-House-News-Activists-press-to-help-more-adoptees-connect-with-birth-parents

MI: Eight is not enough: Rose Township family looks to add 14th adopted child
MLive.com – August 16, 2013
The state has no known record for the largest number of children adopted by a family, but does do an extensive assessment of a family’s ability to meet the needs of children when a family goes through more than four adoptions or has more than six kids living under one roof, said Dan Akerly, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Human Services.
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/08/fenton_family_1.html

MI: Foster kids get a shot at college: Fundraiser’s proceeds will go toward MET’s college tuition program
Lansing State Journal – August 15, 2013
Michigan Education Trust officials hope to raise $100,000 by the end of the year for its Charitable Tuition Program-Fostering Futures, created in 2008. The money will be split among nine Michigan universities, including Michigan State University. The universities will use the grant money to help former foster children with some of their expenses.
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20130815/NEWS01/308150035/Foster-kids-get-shot-college

OH: Mentor program helps teens aging out of foster care
FOX19 – August 15, 2013
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) has teamed up Ohio Job and Family Services to help foster children who have aged out of the system make a more successful transition into adulthood.
http://www.fox19.com/story/23151526/big-brothers-big-sisters-helping-foster-kids-with-mentor-program

OH: The Facebook family: Couple adopt adorable baby girl Madison using the social network to cut through the red tape
Mail Online – August 15, 2013
Adoption attorney Tommy Taneff says he has represented 75 couples find children with the help of social media.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2394903/Couple-adopt-baby-using-Facebook-rise-number-families-finding-children-social-network.html

OK: Baby Veronica’s biological family arrive in court this morning
Tulsa World – August 16, 2013
Dusten Brown, her biological father, along with his wife and the child’s grandparents were seen entering the courthouse for the hearing at about 8:40 a.m. Veronica was not with them, and it’s unclear if she will be at the hearing.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Baby_Veronica_adoptive_parents_file_motion_to_bring/20130816_800_0_TAHLEQ83585?subj=800

PA: Collaborative effort offers training in reporting child abuse, Clery compliance
Penn State News – August 15, 2013
Preventing child abuse and improving safety on campus is a shared responsibility that requires continued vigilance in our community, and Penn State is among the first institutions in the nation to require annual training to help individuals spot the signs and report suspected abuse.
http://news.psu.edu/story/284392/2013/08/15/collaborative-effort-offers-training-reporting-child-abuse-clery-compliance

US: From foster care into the sex trade
Salon – August 15, 2013
Lawmakers are trying to make sure teenage sex trafficking victims get social services instead of criminal records.
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/15/far_too_many_kids_move_from_foster_care_into_the_sex_trade_partner/

US: Obama Urged to Make Washington’s Birth Month: Kinship Care Month
Public News Service – August 16, 2013
New Yorkers have the opportunity today to join Americans across the nation in petitioning the White House to declare February, George Washington’s birth Month, as Kinship Care Month.
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/34015-1

US: Riding Choppers and Harleys to protect kids in need (Includes audio)
NPR Morning Edition – August 16, 2013
Bikers Against Child Abuse, a nonprofit with chapters across the U.S. and in some parts of Europe, accepts referrals from parents, guardians, police, social workers and other agencies. Whenever those kids don’t feel safe, they can call Happy, Taz and their other biker friends, who come straight to the child’s house.
http://www.npr.org/2013/08/16/212317709/riding-choppers-and-harleys-to-protect-kids-in-need

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Social workers push to extend support for youths in foster care (Includes video)
ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) – August 15, 2013
State and territory governments are under pressure from youth workers and social welfare agencies to lift the age of supported care for foster children to 21.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-15/calls-to-extend-foster-support-for-youths-to-21yrs/4890652

Canada: Mennonite community, CFS officials discuss seized children
CBC News – August 15, 2013
Leaders with a rural Manitoba Mennonite community met with child-welfare officials on Thursday as they work on reuniting dozens of children with their parents.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/08/15/mb-mennonite-kids-cfs-winnipeg.html

India: Centre drafts guidelines for experts on how to treat victims of child abuse
Mail Online India – August 15, 2013
Though the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was enforced in November last year, there have been no guidelines on how professionals such as NGOs, police and doctors should deal with the victims. On the insistence of states, the Centre is now drafting model guidelines which are expected to be ready by next month.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2394859/Centre-drafts-guidelines-experts-treat-victims-child-abuse.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

CA: Bill to allow sex abuse victims more time to sue fails to advance
Los Angeles Times – August 14, 2013
A bill that would give some sex abuse victims more time to file lawsuits, which has drawn fierce opposition from the Catholic Church, failed to get enough support Wednesday to make it out of a key legislative committee.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0815-church-bill-20130815,0,7359468.story

FL: State Senator holding public meeting on DCF deaths
CBSMiami – August 14, 2013
Interim Department of Children and Families Secretary Esther Jacobo will be among the attendees of a tri-county meeting next week to talk about the multiple recent deaths of children under DCF care.
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/08/14/state-senator-holding-public-meeting-on-dcf-deaths/

IL: Expert: Child sex abuse an ‘epidemic’
Rockford Register Star – August 13, 2013
Last week’s arrest of a Belvidere North High School teacher charged with multiple counts of criminal sexual assault shined light on a crime often referred to as “the silent epidemic.”
http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1592820063/Expert-Child-sex-abuse-an-epidemic

NH: After Manchester YWCA tragedy, child visitation centers eye security
New Hampshire Union Leader – August 13, 2013
Recommended procedures for supervised visitation centers in New Hampshire call for non-custodial parents to be put through metal detectors, a procedure that could have prevented Sunday’s tragic murder-suicide at the YWCA in downtown Manchester.
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20130814/NEWS07/130819689

OH: Grant will boost Children Services staff
Mansfield News Journal – August 15, 2013
A $28,500 grant will allow Richland County Children Services to hire a part-time recruiter for the agency’s placement department.
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20130814/NEWS01/308140022/Grant-will-boost-Children-Services-staff?nclick_check=1

OH: Response team formed to calm teens in crisis in Licking, Knox counties
The Columbus Dispatch – August 14, 2013
They call it MUTT – Mobile Urgent Treatment Team – but it could be called a lifesaver for youths in crisis and their families in Licking and Knox counties.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/08/14/response-team-formed-to-calm-teens-in-crisis.html

OK: Second Indian infant whisked to South Carolina for quickie adoption
Indian Country Today Media Network – August 13, 2013
As Dusten Brown posted bail in a Sequoyah County, Oklahoma courtroom yesterday afternoon on a federal warrant for his arrest for “custodial interference” in Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, Indian Country Today Media Network has learned that yet another Indian child from Oklahoma has been illegally placed for adoption in South Carolina.
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/08/13/sold-oklahoma-second-indian-infant-adopted-south-carolina-150856

OK: Doorway to victimization: Sex traffickers use fear, but the vulnerable are getting help
Urban Tulsa Weekly – August 14, 2013
Wilma Lively, the executive director for a Tulsa-area shelter, described some of the characteristics of the human trafficking victims the shelter has helped. So far, almost all of the women have been American, with one foreign national helped. Fifty-three percent spent some part of their childhood in the custody of child welfare authorities.
http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A62973

OK: Increase in number of Oklahoma children in DHS custody frustrates reform efforts
The Oklahoman – August 15, 2013
The number of children in state custody has soared from about 8,000 four years ago to 10,428 today – frustrating Oklahoma Department of Human Services officials in their efforts to meet performance targets agreed upon as part of a settlement agreement to a federal class-action lawsuit.
http://newsok.com/increase-in-number-of-oklahoma-children-in-dhs-custody-frustrates-reform-efforts/article/3872135

OK: Negotiations have begun between Baby Veronica’s biological father and adoptive parents, attorney says
Tulsa World – August 14, 2013
Negotiations between Baby Veronica’s biological father and her adoptive parents have begun, defense attorney Clark Brewster confirmed Wednesday evening. Related, “Adoption facilitator working with Capobiancos”: http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Adoption-facilitator-working-with-Capobiancos/2x3VYK42WEuLt16ECS8iTw.cspx
http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Baby_Veronicas_adoptive_parents_come_to_Oklahoma/20130814_800_0_AsGovM453163?subj=298

OK: New Oklahoma Department of Human Services citizens’ advisory panels to meet
The Oklahoman – August 14, 2013
Three out-of-state experts selected to oversee DHS child welfare reforms as part of a settlement to a federal class action lawsuit are expected to be among those who will address new panel members.
http://newsok.com/new-oklahoma-department-of-human-services-citizens-advisory-panels-to-meet/article/3871787

OR: Mom drives DMV to change policy on adopted kids
NWCN.com – August 14, 2013
A Newberg mom and avid blogger’s determination has made getting a driving permit easier for every adopted child in Oregon.
http://www.nwcn.com/news/219700291.html

PR: Can gay couples adopt in Puerto Rico? Commonwealth considering law to allow same-sex couple to adopt children
Latin Times – August 14, 2013
The bills are in their preliminary stages, with the Commonwealth currently in public hearings about the proposals. It is expected that legislators will debate on the proposals soon.
http://www.latintimes.com/articles/7409/20130814/gay-couples-adoption-puerto-rico-same-sex.htm#.UgzZcG2KtNu

TX: Foster care redesign looms in West Texas
Odessa American – August 15, 2013
The state’s redesign of the foster care system that outsources some services to private contractors will launch here in West Texas in the coming weeks.
http://www.oaoa.com/news/state/article_9c64e2d8-0545-11e3-bc3a-001a4bcf6878.html

WV: Center for drug-exposed infants faces hurdle
Associated Press – August 13, 2013
Donations come every day, and more than 250 “cuddlers” have volunteered to comfort newborn babies enduring the torment of drug withdrawal when a unique treatment center opens this fall in southern West Virginia.
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201308130007

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Fewer than 15% of at-risk young in south-west receive visit
The Sydney Morning Herald – August 15, 2013
Fewer than one in six children at risk of significant harm in Sydney’s south-west are being visited or assessed by a community services caseworker, according to internal government figures.
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/fewer-than-15-of-atrisk-young-in-southwest-receive-visit-20130814-2rww3.html

Canada: Family violence program keeps aboriginal children at home, out of care
CBC News – August 14, 2013
A program on Alberta’s reserves which aims to help those hurt by family violence is showing strong results, advocates say. Walking the Path Together gives one-on-one help to children whose mothers have visited women’s shelters on First Nations reserves.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2013/08/14/edmonton-walking-the-path-together.html

Canada: New Brunswick advertising children up for adoption
CBC News – August 15, 2013
The New Brunswick Department of Social Development has started advertising children who are up for adoption. Earlier this week, the department issued an ad in the provincial newspaper looking for a home for two teenaged siblings who both have “delays in a number of cognitive skills.”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2013/08/15/nb-adoption-ad-teen-siblings.html

Philippines: PH to host global consultation on child adoption
The Philippine Star – August 13, 2013
The international event will focus on the theme “Post Adoption Services: The Way Forward.” The meeting will bring together representatives of central authorities of Andorra, Australia, New Zealand and Canada and the partner foreign adoption agencies from the United States, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and United Kingdom, etc.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/13/13/ph-host-global-consultation-child-adoption

CA: LA County child welfare agency hiring 150 social workers
Los Angeles Times – August 13, 2013
L.A. County child welfare workers’ caseload will be lightened by the new hires. But Board of Supervisors asks what took so long.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-child-welfare-hiring-20130814,0,4876137.story

FL: 3353 Children Find Permanent Homes In Florida
WCTV – August 13, 2013
Younger children are often adopted more quickly than teenagers. This past year, 421 or about 12 percent of the children adopted in Florida, were 13 or older.
http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/3353-Children-Find-Permanent-Homes-In-Florida-219436331.html?ref=331

KS: Number of Kansas children in foster care continues to grow
KHI News Service – August 13, 2013
Over the last two years, near-record numbers of children have entered the state’s foster care system. At the same time, fewer children have exited and the number of adoptions involving children in state custody has fallen to a six-year low.
http://www.khi.org/news/2013/aug/12/number-kansas-children-foster-care-continues-grow/

KY: State child-welfare officials failed to divulge report on baby who died
The Courier-Journal – August 13, 2013
State child-welfare officials said Tuesday they would release records from a previously undisclosed investigation that had found medical neglect in the case of a Louisville infant who subsequently died.
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130813/NEWS01/308130116/1001/rsslink

OH: Transracial adoption event helps families become multi-cultural
Cleveland Plain Dealer – August 11, 2013
Kevin Hofmann knows about moving back and forth between cultures, and he is spending the weekend here helping families composed of white parents who adopted black children prepare for the challenges of building a multicultural home.
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/08/transracial.html

OK: Baby Veronica’s adoptive parents arrive in Tulsa
Tulsa World – August 13, 2013
Governor Fallin urged the biological father and the adoptive parents “to reconcile and to come to an agreement that best serves their child.” “To be clear, the legal system cannot deliver a happy ending in this case,” Fallin said in a prepared statement. “Only Mr. Brown and the Capobianco family can do that.” Also: Biological father fails to return girl to adoptive parents: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/08/13/Biological-father-fails-to-return-girl-to-adoptive-parents/UPI-78851376395098/#ixzz2bwaGe2o3
http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Fallin_Baby_Veronicas_dad_has_a_right_to_fight_extradition/20130813_800_0_OKLAHO273223

SD: First Lady Linda Daugaard Continues Promoting Foster Care Initiative
DRG News – August 13, 2013
South Dakota’s First Lady continues promoting a campaign to recruit more foster families in the state and spoke in Pierre on the topic before a meeting of the Pierre Rotary Club Monday.
http://www.drgnews.com/2013/08/13/first-lady-linda-daugaard-continues-promoting-foster-care-initiative/

TX: S.A. couple: Social worker unfairly targeted us after baby delivery
Kens5 – August 13, 2013
Aragon said just hours after going through a Cesarean Section delivery, she was approached by a hospital employee, who questioned her about her medical history. The same worker returned the following day, and informed the couple Child Protective Services had been notified and had opened an investigation to determine if they were fit to take Zooey home.
http://www.kens5.com/news/SA-couple-social-worker-unfairly-targeted-us-hours-after-baby-delivery-219474541.html

US: A Families-First Approach to Foster Care
Governing – August 13, 2013
States and localities are struggling with how to classify kinship placements and whether “kin” ought to be reimbursed like any other foster care placement.
http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/col-families-first-approach-foster-care.html

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Date set for child abuse public hearing
AAP – August 14, 2013
“The Royal Commission has been asked to look at where systems have failed children in the past and identify what institutions and government should do to better protect children in the future,” Ms Dines said on Wednesday.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/date-set-for-child-abuse-public-hearing/story-fni0xqi4-1226697135425

Canada: Unique study on adoptive parenting sheds light on lack of post-adoption support
Health Canal – August 13, 2013
The study’s findings confirm the major challenges facing adoptive parents, including the lack of post-adoption support and the complex task of discovering and understanding a child’s special needs.
http://www.healthcanal.com/child-health/41807-unique-study-on-adoptive-parenting-sheds-light-on-lack-of-post-adoption-support.html

Jamaica: Foster parents worry after CDA head departure
Go Jamaica – August 13, 2013
Foster parents in Kingston and St Andrew are expressing concern that ongoing reforms to the foster care programme could be halted with the departure of Carla Francis-Edie as the head of the Child Development Agency (CDA).
http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=47171

New Zealand: Hard line over child abuse (Includes Video)
Fairfax NZ News – August 13, 2013
Minister for Social Development Paula Bennett has announced changes to look after children who are hurt and abused.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/national/9032722/Hard-line-over-child-abuse

INTERNATIONAL

AL: A few changes in the mandatory reporting law affect teachers, school personnel
Gadsten Times – August 09, 2013
There have been changes to the mandatory reporting law, according to Patricia Falcon, executive director of The Barrie Center for Children, a children’s advocacy center for Etowah County, and teachers are among those most affected.
http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/GT/20130809/NEWS/130809797/1137/news100

AZ: Child-welfare system strains continue
Associated Press – August 10, 2013
Arizona’s child-welfare system continues to be strained by increases in reports of abuse and neglect and in placements of children in foster care even as the state makes progress in areas such as reuniting children with families.
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/arizona_news/child-welfare-system-strains-continue/article_caff90f6-01e5-11e3-bee2-0019bb2963f4.html

GA: Parents’ deportation lands some children in foster homes
Gainesville Times – August 11, 2013
What happens to young children in this country, legally or illegally, when a parent is deported can be overlooked in the debate about immigration reform.
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/87222/

IL: Agency helps foster kids remember lives
Associated Press – August 11, 2013
For foster kids – especially those moved from house to house – and adopted kids, entire chapters can disappear from their life stories. Lutheran Social Services of Illinois is on a mission to save those memories. The nonprofit agency created lifebooks – a place for children to collect photographs, stories, and detailed information about who they are and where they come from.
http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/SPOTLIGHT-Agency-helps-foster-kids-remember-lives-4723953.php

NM: Future of Taos foster care program uncertain after Medicaid freeze
The Taos News – August 09, 2013
The future of treatment foster care services at several of the state’s largest behavioral health service providers is uncertain as the Attorney General’s Office investigates 15 such organizations.
http://www.taosnews.com/news/article_c49d2e4c-0070-11e3-b8d4-001a4bcf887a.html

NM: Trying to keep families together
Albuquerque Journal – August 11, 2013
Sandoval County District Court is trying a new program intended to help keep families together as they work through domestic violence issues, addictions and other problems, Court Programs Liaison Dominica Montaño said.
http://www.rrobserver.com/news/local/article_67386a36-014d-11e3-82f1-0019bb2963f4.html

NV: Clark County Family Services faces challenge in housing ‘crossover’ youth
Las Vegas Review Journal – August 11, 2013
In child welfare circles, children and teens who overlap both [Family Services & Juvenile Justice Services] departments are referred to as “crossover.” Those who fall into both categories can have histories of behavioral problems that present difficulties for those tasked with housing them and keeping them safe.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/crime-courts/clark-county-family-services-faces-challenge-housing-crossover-youth

RI: Children’s Rights group says troubled R.I. teen released from state care to squelch his claims in lawsuit
Providence Journal – August 11, 2013
Children’s Rights, a New York-based advocacy group, says in court documents that Rhode Island child-welfare officials released a troubled boy from state care in July, shortly after he turned 18, thereby disqualifying him from participating in the group’s lawsuit against the state.
http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20130811-childrens-rights-group-says-troubled-r.i.-teen-released-from-state-care-to-squelch-his-claims-in-lawsuit.ece

SC: & OK: Authorities issue warrant in American Indian adoption case
Associated Press – August 11, 2013
The father of a Cherokee Indian girl at the center of an adoption dispute that has reached the U.S. Supreme Court faces arrest because he hasn’t turned over his 3-year-old daughter to the South Carolina adoptive parents as ordered by a family court this week. Also: Baby Veronica’s family says arrest of her father won’t stop their fight: http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Baby_Veronicas_family_says_arrest_of_her_father_wont/20130811_11_a12_ulnsho116787
http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/SC-authorities-issue-warrant-in-American-Indian-adoption-case.html

SC: Air Force Base helps new dads cope with kids
Associated Press – August 11, 2013
Air Force officials and several dads in uniform at Shaw Air Force Base are trying to help other fathers with a class that teaches them about the mysteries of mixing babies, spouses and life in a uniform. It’s dubbed “Dads 101” at the South Carolina base.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/11/3555994/sc-air-force-base-helps-new-dads.html#storylink=cpy

SD: Indian Foster Care 1: Investigative Storytelling Gone Awry
National Public Radio Ombudsman – August 09, 2013
My finding is that the series was deeply flawed and should not have been aired as it was. Also: S. Dakota Indian Foster Care 2: Abuse In Taking Children From Families?: http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2013/08/09/186943868/s-dakota-indian-foster-care-2-abuse-in-taking-children-from-families?ft=1&f= Also: S. Dakota Indian Foster Care 3: Filthy Lucre: http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2013/08/09/186943952/s-dakota-indian-foster-care-3-filthy-lucre Also: Indian Foster Care 4: The Mystery Of A Missing $100 Million: http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2013/08/09/209282064/s-dakota-indian-foster-care-4-the-mystery-of-a-missing-100-million Also: S. Dakota Indian Foster Care 5: Who Is To Blame For Native Children In White Homes?: http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2013/08/09/209528755/s-dakota-indian-foster-care-5-who-is-to-blame-for-native-children-in-white-homes Also: S. Dakota Indian Foster Care 6: Where It All Went Wrong – The Framing: http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2013/08/09/203038778/s-dakota-india Full Report: http://www.scribd.com/doc/159252168/Full-NPR-Ombudsman-Report-South-Dakota-Foster-Care-Investigative-Storytelling-Gone-Awry
http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2013/08/09/186943929/s-dakota-indian-foster-care-1-investigative-storytelling-gone-awry

US: DoD responds to child abuse crisis
Navy Times – August 12, 2013
“The Department is in the process of establishing a Prevention and Coordinated Community Response to Child Abuse, Neglect and Domestic Abuse Working Group,” said DoD spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christensen.
http://tinyurl.com/mpmkx69

US: Married Same-Sex Couples With Kids See IRS Tabs Rising
Bloomberg News – August 12, 2013
The increase probably would result from phasing out income tax credits for families, depending on the distribution of income between two working spouses, now that same-sex couples will be required to file joint returns with the Internal Revenue Service, according to a Congressional Research Service report.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-12/married-same-sex-couples-with-kids-see-irs-tabs-rising.html

INTERNATIONAL

Pakistan: Adoption taboo in Pakistan
The Star Online – August 11, 2013
In Pakistani society, where tribe, caste, creed and family belonging are of paramount importance, many, if not most, pause at the idea of loving a child that is not one’s own progeny.
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Regional/2013/08/11/Adoption-taboo-in-Pakistan.aspx

Pakistan: Child protection services to resume
International Herald Tribune – August 12, 2013
The Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) is likely to resume operations in 10 days after a suspension of nearly one year following tensions between CPWB staff and the district officer.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/588912/child-protection-services-to-resume/

Russia: Born in Russia, raised in America, adoptees visit their homeland
Washington Post – August 11, 2013
The two youngsters and their mothers traveled to Russia in July as part of a group of 15 families who wanted their adopted children to see and feel the country where they were born, a place they had been told about all their lives but didn’t really know and couldn’t quite imagine.
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_23839855/born-russia-raised-america-adoptees-visit-their-homeland

Russia: US releases list of 60,000 Russian adoptees
Voice of Russia – August 12, 2013
“There are 61,625 children on the list,” Mr. Astakhov stated, adding the list featured only officially adopted minors, while the number of children who were brought over to the US without an immigration visa was not estimated.
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_08_12/US-releases-list-of-60-000-Russian-adoptees-1935/

AZ: Future of Taos foster care program uncertain after Medicaid freeze
The Taos News – August 09, 2013
The future of treatment foster care services at several of the state’s largest behavioral health service providers is uncertain as the Attorney General’s Office investigates 15 such organizations.
http://www.taosnews.com/news/article_c49d2e4c-0070-11e3-b8d4-001a4bcf887a.html

AZ: How extra CPS funds will be spent
The Republic – August 08, 2013
Debra Peterson, chief financial officer for the Department of Economic Security, explains how the money, including a $10.5 million contingency fund, will be spent.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20130808cps-budget-q.html

AZ: Arizona’s foster-care crisis deepens
The Republic – August 08, 2013
Arizona is caring for a record number of foster children as child-welfare workers juggle an ever-growing number of abuse and neglect reports, according to a new state report.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20130808arizona-cps-foster-care-crisis-deepens.html

CA: Analyst urges California to change reimbursement to foster homes
Businessweek – August 08, 2013
California should improve foster care by reimbursing group homes based on the quality of care and individual child needs rather than the number and educational levels of employees, the state legislative analyst said.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-08-08/analyst-urges-california-to-change-reimbursement-to-foster-homes

CT: Suit alleges more abuse at Haitian boys school
The Boston Globe – August 09, 2013
Fairfield University and others that supported a charity designed to help feed and educate boys in Haiti are facing another lawsuit by a man alleging he was sexually abused by a founder of the school.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/08/08/fairfield-university-others-face-another-sex-abuse-lawsuit/jtoqpm0P2DPuBYyYiBSYWJ/story.html

FL: DCF to use new performance measures in foster care
Associated Press – August 08, 2013
Florida child welfare officials are creating new performance measures to evaluate its 17 private contractors that oversee foster care around the state.
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/story/23086032/dcf-to-use-new-performance-measures-in-foster-care

FL: How a plan to help sexually exploited girls went awry
Miami Herald – August 08, 2013
“I’m not sure an intervention where we lock them down for a period of time is an answer,” said DCF interim secretary Esther Jacobo, “but a short-period evaluation time might be something we all want to look at.” Without further measures, safe houses may be a good option only for girls who are low flight risks, she said.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/08/3551415/how-a-plan-to-help-sexually-exploited.html

MA: Salem family praises services for adopted kids
The Enterprise – August 08, 2013
Adoption Journeys is an agency with a mission to make that process a little smoother and more supportive for adoptive families, and that mission has already made a difference in the lives of a Salem family.
http://www.enterprisenews.com/answerbook/pembroke/x1676645716/Salem-family-praises-services-for-adopted-kids

NH: Agency aims to inspire kids now in or formerly in state care to seek out college, jobs
Associated Press – August 08, 2013
New Hampshire’s Division of Children, Youth and Families is holding its annual conference to inspire teens who are or used to be in state care to seek out college and job opportunities.
http://www.tribtown.com/view/story/d8632910458645feb295bc9378caf748/NH–Teen-Conference

OH: Deadline looms over judge’s case backlog
Cincinnati.com – August 08, 2013
Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Tracie Hunter has until today to issue decisions on 13 cases pending before her – or Hamilton County Public Defender Ray Faller will ask a higher court to make her do it.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130809/NEWS0107/308090040

OK: Two families, two views: Biological dad says Oklahoma should ‘stand up and defend her’
Tulsa World – August 09, 2013
A South Carolina court is demanding that Brown bring her to Charleston “immediately,” giving custody back to the adoptive parents, Matt and Melanie Capobianco, who raised her for the first two years of her life. Brown will be back from Iowa before an Aug. 23 deadline to contest those demands in an Oklahoma court.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Two_families_two_views_Biological_dad_says_Oklahoma/20130809_11_A1_CUTLIN468350

OR: State lawmakers are pressed to factor ‘racial impact’ into bills
The Washington Times – August 08, 2013
Oregon recently became the third state in the nation to require racial impact statements, upon request by at least one member of each party, to accompany any proposed changes in criminal laws or sentencing codes, despite criticism from some quarters that the statements wrongly imply that the criminal justice system is to blame for overrepresentation of minorities in prisons and child welfare systems.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/8/state-lawmakers-are-pressed-to-factor-in-racial-im/

SC: Veronica’s adoptive parents frustrated after winning legal fights, not seeing results
The Post and Courier – August 08, 2013
The adoptive parents don’t want it to end with sheriff’s deputies prying Veronica away from her relatives. But they’re ready to book a flight at short notice if South Carolina authorities mount such an endeavor.
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130808/PC16/130809464/1006/this-cant-go-on-forever-sc-adoptive-couple-faces-delays-frustration

WA: “Foster care in the state of Washington” series part 2
KLEW – August 08, 2013
In segment two of our three part series, 17-year-old Melissa Hernandez takes us through her life as a foster child.
http://www.klewtv.com/news/local/was-218850251.html

US: Sex traffickers exploiting children along border; Latina legislators vow to improve detection
NBC Latino – August 08, 2013
Last month, Rep. Roybal-Allard reintroduced the Child Trafficking Victims Protection Act to protect vulnerable children at the border. The reintroduced CTVPA bill proposes that trained child welfare professionals be placed at Border Patrol stations to identify victims and ensure they are provided basic humanitarian assistance, including food, clothing and blankets.
http://nbclatino.com/2013/08/08/sex-traffickers-exploiting-children-along-border-latina-legislators-vow-to-improve-detection/

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Calls for probe into claims Catholic insurance branch destroyed documents
ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) – August 09, 2013
Dr Grant told Lateline that Catholic Church Insurance (CCI) dictated how victims of abuse should be treated under the Towards Healing protocol. He said he was disturbed by how much influence CCI had in formulating the church’s policy.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-09/calls-for-probe-claims-catholic-insurance-destroyed-documents/4875248

Australia: Unaccompanied minors as young as 5 being detained in Australia
ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) – August 09, 2013
The Immigration Minister Tony Burke says he has moved more than 100 unaccompanied minors who were being detained in Tasmania into community detention. Two-hundred and seventy-five children are still being held at the centre near Hobart and elsewhere in the network, children as young as five are being detained.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-09/unaccompanied-minors-as-young-as-5-being-detained/4875456?section=tas

CA: County supervisors look to reform child services through pay increase
City News Service – August 07, 2013
Even with new hires, better training and clearer policies, some structural obstacles remain, including a pay scale that gives social workers an incentive to move into management, whether qualified or not, according to some members of the Board of Supervisors.
http://diamondbar-walnut.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/county-supervisors-look-to-reform-child-services-through-pay

FL: Hillsborough Sheriff agrees to pay back overtime wages to 18 former investigators
Tampa Bay Times – August 07, 2013
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has agreed to pay $136,032 in overtime wages to 18 child-protection investigators who took the agency to court after it refused to abide by the findings of a federal labor investigation.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/civil/sheriff-agrees-to-unpaid-overtime-wages-for-18-child-protection/2135336

NY: Horace Mann sues insurers to cover abuse liability
New York Times – August 06, 2013
Horace Mann, the elite Bronx private school rocked last year by allegations of sexual abuse, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against three insurers in an effort to recoup over $1 million in legal fees, damages and settlements paid to two victims.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/07/nyregion/horace-mann-sues-insurers-to-cover-abuse-liability.html?ref=childabuseandneglect&_r=0

OK: Baby Veronica’s biological family says their offer of shared custody was rejected
Tulsa World – August 07, 2013
Robin Brown, the 3-year-old girl’s stepmother, said the offer would have let Veronica spend summers and holidays in Charleston, where she lived with Matt and Melanie Capobianco for the first two years of her life.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Baby_Veronicas_biological_family_says_their_offer_of/20130807_298_0_Before464670?subj=298

PA: Casey backs bill to protect welfare children from sex trafficking
The Patriot-News – August 07, 2013
The bill, the Child Sex Trafficking Data and Response Act of 2013, would ensure reliable data is available regarding children in the child welfare system, one of the populations most vulnerable to becoming victims of child sex trafficking.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/08/casey_backs_bill_to_protect_we.html

PA: More foster care, not less, in Washington-Greene counties, differs from state-wide trend
Observer-Reporter – August 07, 2013
The number of children in foster care may be dropping in most Pennsylvania counties, but not in Washington and Greene, according to statistics compiled by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.
http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20130807/NEWS01/130809498/-1/news#.UgOIn22KtNs

SC: Baby Veronica’s delayed return worries adoptive parents
WCSC – August 07, 2013
The nerve-racking wait, a missed visitation and the possibility of law enforcement getting involved. Wednesday night,Veronica’s adoptive parents opened up for the first time since they were awarded custody of the 3-year-old last week.
http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/23078929/baby-veronicas-delayed-return-worries-adoptive-parents

TN: Commissioner says state DCS needing more case workers
Cleveland Daily Banner – August 07, 2013
Tennessee Department of Children’s Services Commissioner James Henry visited Bradley County on Tuesday. The newly appointed commissioner had lunch with area leaders and visited the Bradley County Juvenile Court.
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/23305638/article-Commissioner-says-state-DCS-needing–more-case-workers?instance=latest_articles

WA: “Foster care in the state of Washington” series part 1 (Video)
KLEW – August 07, 2013
In the first of our three part series on “Foster Care in the State of Washington” we take a closer look at what the Northwest Children’s Home does for the youth they take in.
http://www.klewtv.com/news/local/NICH-helps-people-get-through-challenging-times-in-youths-lives-218679971.html

WI: Children freed from sex trade have nowhere to go
Today’s TMJ4 – August 07, 2013
Department of Children and Families Secretary Eloise Anderson says Wisconsin doesn’t have the foster family system to deal with the children freed from sex trafficking.
http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/Wis-children-freed-from-sex-trade-have-nowhere-to-go-218683131.html

US: Adoptive parents fight 2nd-class caregiver status
WOMENSENEWS – August 08, 2013
Some employers give adoptive parents a raw deal. But fortunately there are signs of improvement among companies on Working Mother’s top-100 employer list.
http://womensenews.org/story/momagenda/130807/adoptive-parents-fight-2nd-class-caregiver-status#.UgOSZ22KtNs

INTERNATIONAL

Japan: Hospital first to offer ‘special adoptions’
The Japan Times – August 08, 2013
The special adoption service is intended for children under age 6 whose biological parents are unable to raise them. The adopting parents taking this route would seek to have a family court sever the legal relationship between the child and the biological parents.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/08/national/hospital-first-to-offer-special-adoptions/#.UgOIXm2KtNs

Singapore: Providing support for struggling parents and their babies
Yahoo! News Singapore – August 07, 2013
Sanctuary House was established in 2005 as a casual volunteer group run by a small group of people who decided to do something for the babies who are abandoned in Singapore.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/providing-hope-and-support-when-there-is-none-025057492.html

Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka steps up fight against scourge of child abuse
BBC News – August 07, 2013
One of Sri Lanka’s top legal officials is calling for moves to strengthen the country’s judicial system to deal with an increasing number of child abuse cases.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23515096

United Kingdom: “Definite role” for specialist judges in child abuse trials
Voice of Russia – UK Edition – August 07, 2013
Child victims of sexual abuse are to receive greater protection in criminal trials in England and Wales. Specialist judges will be hand-picked to try cases where it is necessary to cross examine the victim for long period of time – and when more than one defendant is involved.
http://ruvr.co.uk/2013_08_07/Definite-role-specialist-judges-child-abuse-trials/

United Kingdom: Funding boost in search for adopters
BBC News – August 08, 2013
Adoption charities in England are to be given an extra £16m to help tackle a backlog of children in care waiting for an adoptive family.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-23608040

FL: Cabinet approves permit to remove remains from Dozier School for Boys
The Florida Times-Union – August 06, 2013
Nearly 10 months after researchers discovered additional grave sites at a now-shuttered boys reform school, researchers have been granted access to exhume any remains found at the 1,400-acre Marianna site.
http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2013-08-06/story/cabinet-approves-permit-remove-remains-dozier-school-boys#ixzz2bHwJlyOh

FL: Faine House provides safety and security to teens who have aged out of foster care
WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO – August 06, 2013
The Faine House is for kids, 18 and older, who were never adopted and were never reunited with their families.
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/story/23063342/faine-house-opens-its-doors

FL: Volusia hopes to curb child abuse, neglect
Daytona Beach News-Journal – August 06, 2013
The event was the kickoff of a three-year project that will involve training and educating agencies in Volusia County on how to prevent child abuse and neglect and reduce trauma and psychological effects in children, their families and caregivers.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130806/NEWS/130809629?Title=Volusia-hopes-to-curb-child-abuse-neglect

GA: Event to examine child abuse and neglect remedies
The Daily Tribune News – August 07, 2013
“Two-thirds of the children who suffer abuse and neglect do not come to the attention of our protection system. We’re a long way from protecting all of our children,” Barclay said.
http://www.daily-tribune.com/view/full_story/23300180/article-Event-to-examine-child-abuse-and-neglect–remedies?instance=homesecondleft

IL: Child abuse and neglect deaths on the rise in state
The Southern – August 07, 2013
Illinois child abuse and neglect deaths in 2013 are occurring faster than at any time in 18 years, with more fatalities in Southern Illinois than in heavily populated northern communities.
http://thesouthern.com/news/local/ff8715a4-ff1c-11e2-bab4-0019bb2963f4.html

KS: Volunteer program aims to point foster care alumni toward success
The Kansas City Star – August 06, 2013
The program is called Fostering Futures, and ideally, CASA volunteers would be trained to work with the youths and identify supportive adults in their lives, Rice said.
http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/06/4393943/volunteer-program-aims-to-point.html

OK: Baby Veronica’s family pins hopes on tribal, state courts
Tulsa World – August 07, 2013
With Veronica’s father, Dusten Brown, in Iowa for National Guard training, the South Carolina judge asked military commanders to help enforce the court order. But the Oklahoma National Guard will not get involved, officials said Tuesday.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Baby_Veronicas_family_pins_hopes_on_tribal_state_courts/20130807_11_A1_CUTLIN936028

PA: Abuse of Foster Kids Reduced in Pa.
NBC 10 Philadelphia – August 06, 2013
A six-year effort by the state court system and child welfare agencies, known as the Permanency Practice Initiative, has reduced by a third the number of abused or neglected Pennsylvania children in foster care or similar settings, a process that officials say has improved the lives of some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Number-of-Abused-Foster-Kids-Reduced-in-Pa–218571751.html

PA: Facing a New Life After Aging Out of the Foster Care System (Audio)
90.5 WESA – August 06, 2013
Due to new legislation, Calahane says youth in foster care can now receive subsidies until they are 21 years of age, giving them more time to transition into independent life.
http://wesa.fm/post/aging-out-foster-care-system

TN: Tennessee Drug-Dependent Newborns This Year Totals 350
Grundy County Herald – August 06, 2013
The Tennessee Department of Health this month recorded a troubling milestone: For the 350th time this year, a baby was born in Tennessee dependent on powerful drugs taken during pregnancy. That baby has to endure the painful and often prolonged and very expensive process of withdrawal from addictive drugs.
http://www.grundycountyherald.com/?p=4607

TX: Fort Worth hospital: Crying babies shouldn’t trigger child abuse
WFAA 8 ABC – August 06, 2013
Called the Period of Purple Crying, the program aims to let parents understand the dangers of becoming overly frustrated when infants cry. “Crying is the number-one trigger for child abuse,” said Dr. Jamye Coffman, head of the hospital’s CARE response team, which deals with abuse cases.
http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Cook-Childrens-looks-to-cut-abuse-cases-218619461.html

WV: State foster-care program improving, ex-chief says
Charleston Gazette – August 06, 2013
An outgoing interim chief for the Bureau for Children and Families says the state’s federal foster-care program is improving and blames the implementation of new procedures for Child Protective Services for its poor performance in the past.
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201308060120

US: For Women, Child Abuse Linked to Adult Thyroid Conditions
HealthDay News – August 06, 2013
For women, childhood abuse correlates with significantly higher odds of thyroid conditions in adulthood, according to a study published online July 29 in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma.
http://www.doctorslounge.com/index.php/news/pb/39998

US: Some moms more likely to be abusive during recession due to gene: Study
CBS News – August 06, 2013
Moms who had a variation in a gene called “DRD2 Taq1A genotype” were shown in a new study to be more likely to react negatively to economic changes in their environment compared to moms who didn’t possess the variant.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57597100/some-moms-more-likely-to-be-abusive-during-recession-due-to-gene-study/

US: What to do with the ‘Flo’s’ of Child Protection
Governing – August 06, 2013
Between the nature of the work, and the twisted gunked-up pipes we force them to work in, we created a workforce that would rather be left to do what they were called to do and the rest of us can all “Kiss their Grits.”
http://www.governing.com/blogs/public-great/gov-philosophy-of-child-protection.html

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Child abuse victims’ register ‘growing by the day’
ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) – August 06, 2013
Several hundred people have signed up to a register for child abuse victims set up by a Warrnambool-based law firm. A royal commission into how institutions have handled child sex abuse cases was announced by the Government last year.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-07/child-abuse-victims-register-growing-by-the-day/4869812

Canada: New moms living in large cities most at risk for postpartum depression: study
The Canadian Press – August 06, 2013
The study, published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, is based on a 2006 national survey of almost 6,500 new mothers. It found that almost 10 per cent of the women living in cities with a population of at least 500,000 reported experiencing postpartum depression.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/moms+living+large+cities+most+risk+postpartum+depression+study/8753846/story.html

Israel: Reporting of sexual child abuse in Bet Shemesh doubles in 2013
Jerusalem Post – August 06, 2013
The uptick in reports does not indicate an increase in actual incidences of child abuse, Morris told the Post. Instead, he asserted, it a sign that Magen’s education and awareness programs are working, and that Magen is now well-established and trusted and more people are willing to come forward with their stories.
http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Reporting-of-sexual-child-abuse-in-Bet-Shemesh-doubles-in-2013-322301

Pakistan: Child protection: Runaways apprehensive about reunions
The Express Tribune – August 07, 2013
Four of the eight children from Lahore claimed to have run away because they faced abuse at the hands of their parents.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/587354/child-protection-runaways-apprehensive-about-reunions/

South Africa: Children’s Act throws juvenile care centres into a quandry
West Cape News – August 01, 2013
The future of hundreds of children placed in the care of the state remains unknown as government appears to have no plan to transfer Youth Care Centres from the Department of Basic Education to Social Development as stipulated by the Children’s Act.
http://westcapenews.com/?p=6535

CA: Newborn Death: Procedural Problem Possibly Why CPS Released Drug-Positive Infant To Mother
CBS Sacramento – August 05, 2013
An 11-day-old infant died after being allowed to leave the hospital with her mother, despite testing positive for drugs when she was born. Now the question remains, who’s at fault?
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2013/08/05/newborn-death-procedural-problem-possibly-why-cps-released-drug-positive-infant-to-mother/

IL: Bryan Samuels, National Leader in Child Welfare, Named Executive Director of Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago News Office – August 05, 2013
As executive director, Samuels will advance Chapin Hall’s multidisciplinary, data-driven efforts to improve the well-being of children and youth, their families and their communities.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/606142/?sc=rsla

IL: Funding, ‘traumatized’ kids challenge child-welfare system
Reflejos – August 05, 2013
Treatment “programs have not seen their rates go up for years,” noted Andrea Durbin, CEO of the Illinois Coalition on Youth. “They keep bumping up against this cap and it makes things very difficult.”
http://www.reflejos.com/en/special-sections/health-wellness/article/13-08-04/funding_%E2%80%98traumatized%E2%80%99_kids_challenge_child-welfare_system.aspx

IN: Indianapolis Adoption Agency Offers Compassionate Parenting Help
All Voices – August 05, 2013
St. Elizabeth/Coleman Pregnancy & Adoption Services, a trusted Indianapolis adoption agency, is offering compassionate parenting help. They conduct a monthly parent support group focused on assisting mothers with children 10 years of age or younger.
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/15135174-indianapolis-adoption-agency-offers-compassionate-parenting-help

OR: Child sex exploitation: Study shows extent of the problem in Portland
KATU – August 06, 2013
Caseworkers also told the researchers that Oregon also needs a better system to collect data on child sex trafficking. Currently there is no system to collect data on addiction issues among victims, victims who also spend time in the juvenile justice system or victims in the foster care system. Also:PSU study: Hundreds of children sexually exploited: http://www.pamplinmedia.com/pt/9-news/158357-psu-study-hundreds-of-children-sexually-exploited
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Child-prostitution-New-study-shows-extent-of-the-problem-in-Portland-218382111.html

PA: Fontana: Reforming Child Abuse Laws ‘Taking a Long Time’
WESA – August 06, 2013
“This legislation is about reporting, mandatory reporting to not just a supervisor but to either police or Childline regardless of whether you’re a school employee or not and regardless of what type of abuse you see,” State Senator Wayne Fontana said.
http://wesa.fm/post/fontana-reforming-child-abuse-laws-taking-long-time

TN: New program to help moms fight substance abuse
WBIR – August 05, 2013
Knox County is launching a new drug court program in an effort to reduce the number of mothers who are separated from their children. Knox County Judge Tim Erwin and the Department of Children’s Services announced the state’s first Family Recovery Court during a luncheon on Monday.
http://www.wbir.com/news/article/283289/2/New-program-to-help-moms-fight-substance-abuse

TX: Despite criminal background, foster parent still qualified
KVUE – August 05, 2013
We’re learning more about Alex’s foster father Clemon Small. He’s not charged with her death, but he does have a criminal history that includes multiple marijuana drug charges and suspended driver licenses. Despite his background, the Department of Family and Protective Services says minor drug charges 10 years or older do not disqualify potential foster parents.
http://www.kvue.com/video/featured-videos/Despite-criminal-background-foster-parent-still-qualified–218435991.html

WI: Blue ribbons remind people of the need for more foster care
WITI – August 05, 2013
Volunteers from Milwaukee area businesses and members of the community tied dozens of blue ribbons to the street lamps along Wisconsin Avenue near the Grand Avenue shops. Each blue ribbon has a number to call on it, so people can get more information on becoming a foster parent. Officials with Children’s Hospital Community Services say there are more than 2,000 kids in Milwaukee County in foster care right now, many who are in group homes.
http://fox6now.com/2013/08/05/blue-ribbons-remind-people-of-the-need-for-more-foster-care/

US: Camp reunites siblings separated in foster care (Video)
NBC Nightly News – August 05, 2013
Camp to Belong welcomes siblings who have been separated by the foster care system, giving them the opportunity to share memories with one another and meet kids who are in similar situations.
http://dailynightly.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/05/19880333-camp-reunites-siblings-separated-in-foster-care?lite

US: Judge orders immediate transfer of Veronica after father misses visit
Live5News: WCSC – August 06, 2013
A Charleston judge ordered the immediate transfer of 3-year-old Veronica to her adoptive parents Monday after her biological father missed a court-ordered visit the day before, a family spokesperson said.
http://www.live5news.com/story/23053106/judge-orders-immediate-transfer-of-baby-veronica-to-james-island-after-birth-father-misses-court-ordered-visit

INTERNATIONAL

Poland: Adoption and Orphan Care In Poland – Part 1 of 2
Social Justice Solutions – August 05, 2013
International adoptions from Poland are very rare. During the first decade of this century, roughly 45,000 children were adopted from Russia and 69,000 from China. There were only about 1,000 from Poland.
http://www.socialjusticesolutions.org/2013/08/05/adoption-and-orphan-care-in-poland-part-1-of-2/

Australia: DHS told to reveal child protection staffing documents
ABC News (Australia) – August 06, 2013
The workplace umpire has ordered the Department of Human Services (DHS) to release documents about child protection staffing levels in the Loddon Mallee region.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-06/dhs-told-to-reveal-child-protection-staffing/4867062?§ion=news

AK: OCS: Few Alaska Native foster homes for Native children in need
Fairbanks Daily News Miner – August 04, 2013
The Alaska Office of Children’s Services reports that more than 1,200 of the 2,000 children who need foster homes in Alaska are Alaska Native. Fairbanks has 103 licensed foster homes but only 30 of those are Native foster homes.
http://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/ocs-few-alaska-native-foster-homes-for-native-children-in/article_f80fb896-fcdb-11e2-b7d3-0019bb30f31a.html

AK: Substantiated child abuse claims face scrutiny in Alaska, regardless of severity
Alaska Dispatch – August 04, 2013
According to OCS, there are 1,351 foster homes in the state. Lawton noted that for Fiscal Year 2012 there were 2,700 children in foster care in the state. That same year, there were only 25 cases of substantiated abuse or neglect.
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20130804/substantiated-child-abuse-claims-face-scrutiny-alaska-regardless-severity

CA: Sacramento program gives parents a path to sobriety — and keeping their kids
Sacramento Bee – August 01, 2013
In cases such as Campfield’s, Child Protective Services will suggest the intervention program – as opposed to another drug court program – to keep a family intact. Children aren’t removed from the home while the parent undergoes treatment.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/01/5613831/sacramento-program-gives-parents.html

LA: Child abuse training now mandatory for coaches, clergy, officers, teachers and more
Zachary Plainsman-News – August 05, 2013
As a new Louisiana state law went into effect Aug. 1, requiring mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect to undergo training, the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) reminds the public that online training is available on its website at no cost.
http://www.zacharytoday.com/view/full_story/23287143/article-Child-abuse-training-now-mandatory-for-coaches–clergy–officers–teachers-and-more

MN: Rural Mankato man runs national adoption registry from home
Mankato Free Press – August 04, 2013
For the past 15 years Schaefer has facilitated the website and nonprofit G’s Adoption Registry, which now receives between 8,000 and 11,000 unique visitors each month who were somehow involved with an adoption and are searching for unknown family members. The idea for the site came in 1998 after his late wife, Danna Schaefer, began searching for her birth mother.
http://mankatofreepress.com/local/x389848550/Rural-Mankato-man-runs-national-adoption-registry-from-home

MT: Spotlight on child abuse: In wake of tragedies, team looks for answers
Great Falls Tribune – August 03, 2013
Dana Toole, the director of the Montana Department of Justice, Children’s Justice Center, said the tragedies that hit Great Falls could have happened anywhere in Montana, and they had nothing to do with the work of first responders. Cascade County had already made an effort to strengthen the multidisciplinary team of first responders and start a child advocacy center, but what the spotlight showed was that while child abuse may be a national problem, solutions come from a community.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20130803/NEWS01/308030015

NE: World-Herald editorial: Child welfare numbers point toward progress
Omaha World Herald – August 05, 2013
The latest figures from the state government show that Nebraska is seeing improvement in some important regards, and that’s encouraging. Nebraska has fewer children in custody as state wards, for one.
http://www.owh.com/article/20130805/NEWS08/130809724

SC: DSS encourages S.C. families to adopt teens
Associated Press – August 03, 2013
The South Carolina Department of Social Services currently has 610 children between the ages of 13 to 18 years old who live in either group homes or foster care. Some of these children are part of sibling groups and have siblings as young as 7-years-old. In an effort to reduce those numbers and help create more happy endings in the system, region-wide recruitment events are being coordinated around the state to help find adoptive homes for the older foster children who are legally free for adoption.
http://www.ajc.com/news/ap/south-carolina/dss-encourages-sc-families-to-adopt-teens/nY9P8/

TX: Foster agency had history of violations
KVUE ABC – August 02, 2013
The Department of Family and Protective Services hired Texas Mentor to match Alexandria Hill with Sherill Small in Rockdale. “That means background checks, criminal background checks, home studies,” explained DFPS spokesperson Julie Moody, talking about the obligations of placement agencies. Those background checks don’t always happen. According to records reviewed by the KVUE Defenders, the state found Texas Mentor in violation of child care standards 15 times since 2011.
http://www.kvue.com/news/defenders/Foster-agency-history-of-violations–218169011.html

US: Former Child Trafficking Victim Now Mentors Others (Audio)
National Public Radio – August 04, 2013
“Growing up there was a lot of domestic violence in my household, a lot of things that were directly impacting me at a young age. And when I got into foster care there really wasn’t any outlets to kind of like talk about my trauma or … any of the things things that I’ve been through.” After several arrests, the court ordered White to work with (GEMS), or go to jail. Since then, she has turned her life around, and she now works with GEMS to help other victims of sex trafficking escape and rebuild their lives.
http://www.npr.org/2013/08/04/208609488/former-child-trafficking-victim-now-mentors-others?ft=1&f=208609488

US: Magazine for adult adoptees raises issues of alienation, racism and loss
Minnesota Public Radio – August 05, 2013
Vollmers and other contributors to the magazine say the success stories of adoption must be balanced with the stories of loss – an approach they expect will be controversial. Among the struggles experienced by some adoptees is a growing awareness that they are disconnected from a culture they were born to. Some who came to the United Sates as children later find that they are uneasy with the storybook narrative surrounding the notion of international adoption.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/08/04/regional/magazine-spotlights-lives-of-adult-adoptees

US: Sex-Trafficking Sting Covers 76 Cities (Audio)
National Public Radio – August 04, 2013
“One hundred children were rescued in the recent three-day sting. Host Rachel Martin talks with Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s criminal investigations division, about child sex trafficking the U.S.” Related: FBI Official: Internet A Key Recruiting Tool For Sex Traffickers: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/08/04/208876861/fbi-official-internet-a-key-recruiting-tool-for-sex-traffickers
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=208825144

Ghana: Over 1,000 Ghanaian children get adopted in three years-UNICEF
Spy Ghana – August 03, 2013
One thousand one hundred and seventy-nine children were adopted throughout the country between 2009 and 2011. Out of the number, 823 were inter-country, that means the children were sent to foreign countries.
http://www.spyghana.com/over-1000-ghanaian-children-get-adopted-in-three-years-unicef/

United Arab Emirates: UAE tackles child abuse with Sharjah helpline
Emirates.info – August 05, 2013
The helpline is staffed with professional crisis counsellors who, through interpreters, can provide assistance in two languages, Arabic and English. The helpline offers crisis intervention, information, literature, and referrals to hundreds of emergency, social service, and support resources. All calls are confidential.
http://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/uae-tackles-child-abuse-helpline-511794

Canada: Ban on Pakistani adoptions baffles parents, clerics
TheStar.com – August 05, 2013
After decades of welcoming adopted children from Pakistan, Canada abruptly halted them in July. Critics say Ottawa misunderstands Islamic guardianship law.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/08/05/canadas_ban_on_pakistani_adoptions_baffles_parents_clerics.html

Tanzania: Helpline Project Breaks Silence Over Child Abuse
Tanzania Daily News – August 03, 2013
The Child Helpline (CHL) was launched in mid May, this year to fight violence against children. Up to mid July over 1,146 phone calls were made from callers from all over the country. Some of the callers wanted to know how to accurately report child abuse.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201308050119.html

Kazakhstan: MP suggests returning adopted children back to Kazakhstan
Tengri News – August 05, 2013
According to the senator, the country is capable of creating normal conditions for its orphans. He also reminded that her colleagues called to ban adoption of Kazakhstan children by foreign citizens altogether. “We have seen several cases when children from CIS (Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine) were adopted by American citizens and later reported dead. Some use the adopted children for organs, some kids are left without proper care and some just run away. This should be considered a treachery,” Kassymov said.
http://en.tengrinews.kz/politics_sub/MP-suggests-returning-adopted-children-back-to-Kazakhstan-21498/

CA: Therapeutic foster care seeks few good families
Gazettes – August 02, 2013
Under the auspices of the Child Welfare Initiative, six Los Angeles area foster family agencies have launched the extraordinary families recruitment campaign to promote therapeutic foster care. The program is literally a last chance for foster children with behavioral problems and/or multiple failed foster situations, according to Stephen Lovejoy, the intensive home-based services administrator at ChildNet in Long Beach.
http://www.gazettes.com/lifestyle/health/therapeutic-foster-care-seeks-few-good-families/article_d775e1ea-fa39-11e2-9a53-0019bb2963f4.html

CA: IT snapshot: Child welfare computer system makeover
The Sacramento Bee – August 01, 2013
This is the fourth in a series of daily blog posts looking at California’s 10 most-expensive state computer projects as ranked by the of Department of Technology.
http://blogs.sacbee.com/the_state_worker/2013/08/tech-no-7.html

CA: L.A. County chooses Sanders to lead child welfare reform campaign
Los Angeles Times – August 01, 2013
David Sanders was elected chairman at the Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Protection’s first meeting on Thursday, bringing significant credentials as the former child welfare chief in Los Angeles and Minneapolis. He currently serves as an executive at Casey Family Programs, an influential nonprofit dedicated to child protection reform.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-la-county-launches-reform-campaign-for-child-welfare-system-20130801,0,1387739.story

CT: Fostering college dreams for kids in foster care
UConn Today – August 02, 2013
First Star prepares students for higher education by giving them a taste of college life in a safe, supportive, and healthy environment. Students live in a dorm, take summer courses, and participate in self-exploratory and recreational activities while working with a network of caring mentors, some of whom are products of the foster-care system themselves.
http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2013/08/fostering-college-dreams-for-kids-in-foster-care/

CT: West Hartford lawyer to serve as new child advocate
The Hartford Courant – August 01, 2013
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has appointed Sarah Eagan, a West Hartford lawyer, to serve as the state’s new child advocate.
http://articles.courant.com/2013-08-01/news/hc-child-advocate-named-0802-20130801_1_child-advocate-child-welfare-advocacy

FL: Foster care house to break ground in Key Largo
Keys Reporter – August 01, 2013
The Keys have many children in the foster-care system, but only 15 DCF licensed homes between Key Largo and Key West.
http://www.keysnet.com/2013/08/01/488756/foster-care-house-to-break-ground.html

FL: New DCF leader looks for answers following child deaths in Florida
First Coast News – August 01, 2013
Interim DCF Secretary Esther Jacobo, on the job two weeks now, has ordered a review of all the deaths to see what the agency might have done differently in the cases.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/rss/article/322280/4/New-DCF-leader-looks-for-answers-following-child-deaths

KS: Program aims to keep families together
Associated Press – August 02, 2013
The definition of a “typical” American family has changed since 1893, and so have the services Kansas Children’s Service League provides. Its staff members no longer focus on facilitating adoptions but on preventing child abuse in the families where kids are most at risk.
http://www.necn.com/08/02/13/Program-aims-to-keep-families-together/landing_nation.html?&apID=d0a6129c078b4f6297fd352faadb84b0

MI: Kalamazoo County a pilot site for new Michigan program to help vulnerable children
MLive.com – August 01, 2013
Protect MiFamily will engage with 100 Kalamazoo families and offer wide array of services for a minimum of six months. The goal of the program is to improve the lives of young children while keeping families together.
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2013/08/new_department_of_human_servic.html

NC: Gay parents struggle to adopt (Audio)
WUNC – August 01, 2013
Host Frank Stasio talks to Julie Edmunds, an adoptive parent, and Chris Brook, legal director of the North Carolina ACLU, about the obstacles for second parent adoption.
http://wunc.org/post/gay-parents-struggle-adopt

NV: Complaints about conditions in Clark County group homes for children prompt investigation
Las Vegas Review-Journal – August 01, 2013
At a public meeting, Assemblywoman Lucy Flores, D-Las Vegas, detailed conversations last week with parents, advocates and county employees who reported issues ranging from inappropriate touching to the availability of alcohol and tobacco in some homes.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/complaints-about-conditions-clark-county-group-homes-children-prompt-investigation

PA: For those in foster care, less pressure to leave nest
Reading Eagle – August 02, 2013
State and federal measures have relaxed previous age limits, allowing some 18- to 21-year-olds to remain with the families that took them in.
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=498579

UT: Foster kids get help with a dose of reality
ABC4 Utah – August 01, 2013
DCFS offered reality training, with a simulated budget complete with expenses and emergencies. Foster kids were also connected with resources, information on educational and employment opportunities, and attitude training.
http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top_stories/story/Foster-kids-get-help-with-a-dose-of-reality/sUnYN3TPu02n7myhSEgz6w.cspx

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Gambling on child neglect
goldcoast.com – August 02, 2013
More than 40 children have been abandoned by their parents at Jupiters Hotel and Casino in the past three years, according to a report obtained by the Bulletin.
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2013/08/02/455707_gold-coast-news.html

Canada: Winnipeg tragedy: Mothers lament postpartum depression stigma
CBC News – August 01, 2013
Studies suggest that as much as 50 to 80 per cent of new mothers experience the innocuously dubbed baby blues. With this, mothers may cry at the drop of a hat or feel overwhelmed and unsure about parenting.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/07/31/f-postpartum-depression-moms.html

New Zealand: Free advertising on offer for groups tackling child abuse
Rotorua Daily Post – August 02, 2013
The 1000 Hours Project will see the advertising agency join with a not-for-profit or community partner that shares the common goal of doing something about reducing child abuse in New Zealand.
http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/news/free-advertising-on-offer-for-groups-tackling-chil/1969266/

United Kingdom: Children’s services head urged to quit over failure to stop abuse and murder of Daniel Pelka, as mother and partner await sentence
The Independent – August 02, 2013
A child welfare expert warned last night that children’s services around the country were failing to learn from child abuse tragedies such as the deaths of Daniel and Baby P – the 17-month-old Peter Connelly, who was killed by his mother, her partner and her partner’s brother in Haringey, north London.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/childrens-services-head-urged-to-quit-over-failure-to-stop-abuse-and-murder-of-daniel-pelka-as-mother-and-partner-await-sentence-8742826.html

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CHILD WELFARE NEWS STATE BY STATE (for August)

Author: Mike Tikkanen