KoalaKARA compiles news from various sources across the nation each month.  Find your state here (international news is also included).

This is a very short and incomplete compilation of stories about child abuse/death and child protection for three weeks in June.

While multiple sources are used to bring you this information, A primary source is Child Welfare in the News.  It is distributed at no charge by Child Welfare Information Gateway (www.childwelfare.gov), a service of the Children’s Bureau/ACF/HHS (www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb). It features news stories on topics of interest to child welfare and related professionals. Inclusion does not imply endorsement of any view expressed in an article, and opinions or views do not reflect those of Child Welfare Information Gateway, the Children’s Bureau, or staff. Other free subscriptions from Child Welfare Information Gateway are available at: https://www.childwelfare.gov/subscribe

New law requires hot car child death education
KXAN.comAUSTIN (KXAN) — One family whose child died after being left in a hot car is hoping their painful lesson will save the lives of others. Now, they have …

Man gets prison in child’s death The Times and DemocratA Columbia man will serve three years in prison for hugging a 14-month-old boy so tightly that the child stopped breathing and died. Robert Christian …
Child’s death on Lake Hudson remains under investigation Tulsa WorldSALINA — The circumstances surrounding the death of a 7-year-boy who apparently drowned Saturday near a private residence on Lake Hudson …

Leo Ackley gets new trial in child’s death Battle Creek EnquirerThe Michigan Supreme Court unanimously granted a new trial to a Battle Creek man convicted of murder in the 2011 death of a child. The high court …Supreme Court grants new trial for man convicted in child’s death – WWMT – News, Sports, Weather – WWMT-TV

Full Coverage

Hattiesburg American

Forrest County woman indicted in child’s death

SunHerald.com

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — A 21-year-old Forrest County woman has been arrested after being indicted for felony neglect of a child in the 2013 death of …

Forrest Co. woman indicted for child neglect in child’s death – Mississippi News Now

Forrest County woman indicted in child’s death – Mississippi News Now

Forrest County woman indicted for felony neglect of child in death of her 6-month-old son – Daily Journal

Authorities investigating Warner Robins child’s death

Macon Telegraph (blog)WARNER ROBINS — A 3-month-old child was found dead Wednesday morning inside a Delaware Avenue home, according to a police news release.

Flag as irrelevant
Hot Car Dangers: How to Prevent Child Deaths Yahoo NewsIn a 2005 study published in the journal Injury Prevention, researchers looked at 171 child deaths that occurred in parked cars, and found that nearly …
IC man gets 50 years for child’s beating death Iowa City Press CitizenAn Iowa City man was sentenced to 50 years in prison Wednesday for beating a 20-month-old boy to death in 2012. Jorge Perez, 23, accepted a plea …
Man in court over child’s death | Radio New Zealand News Radio New ZealandA Hawera man has appeared in court facing charges relating to the death of a toddler in the town on Friday. The 27-year-old, who has name …
Oberlin man convicted in child’s death KPLC-TVAuthorities said the child suffered third-degree burns, which may have been used to cover up to the actual cause of death — blunt force trauma to the …

AZ: New report details big problems at Arizona’s child welfare agency
ABC 15 – July 01, 2015
The Arizona Department of Child Safety hasn’t been shy about admitting the agency has a ton of work to do, but a new independent review by the University of Chicago shows just how far it has to go. Report: http://www.azauditor.gov/sites/default/files/AZ_Dept_of_Child_Safety_Independent_Review_0.pdf Also: Expert: Child safety changes still needed: http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/arizona_news/expert-child-safety-changes-still-needed/article_6439349e-2024-11e5-a4d6-9b12beb45d10.html
http://www.abc15.com/news/state/new-report-details-big-problems-at-arizonas-child-welfare-agency

CA: Civil grand jury recommends changes in county foster care, adoption systems
Thousand Oaks Acorn – July 02, 2015
Better communication and more collaboration between the Ventura County Human Services Agency and its partner organizations are needed to improve the county’s foster care and adoption system, according to a new report by the Ventura County civil grand jury.
http://www.toacorn.com/news/2015-07-02/Family/Civil_grand_jury_recommends_changes_in_county_fost.html

CA: LAUSD misspent money on special education that was meant for foster care, English learners, lawsuit alleges
Daily Breeze – July 01, 2015
A lawsuit filed by civil rights groups claims the Los Angeles Unified School District violated state law when it spent hundreds of millions of dollars on special education students. The state funding was supposed to help students living in poverty or foster care or those struggling to learn the English language, according to the lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Public Advocates and the law firm Covington and Burlington LLP.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20150701/lausd-misspent-money-on-special-education-that-was-meant-for-foster-care-english-learners-lawsuit-alleges

CO: Statue a memorial to the most vulnerable
Daily Sentinel – July 02, 2015
The dedication of the new How Are the Children? memorial statue was a bittersweet event for those who have lost children to child abuse and neglect.
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/statue-a-memorial-to-the-most-vulnerable

CO: Denver mayor’s 2nd term shake-up widens to Human Services, other areas
Denver Post – July 01, 2015
Internal moves by Mayor Michael Hancock will replace DHS director, communications chief.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_28413369/denver-mayors-2nd-term-shake-up-widens-human

IL: Parents, service providers at risk without Illinois budget
Morris Herald-News – July 01, 2015
Because of the intense political feud in Springfield between Gov. Bruce Rauner and a Democrat-controlled Legislature, the state began its new fiscal year Wednesday without a budget, leaving many area nonprofit organizations unsure where they or their programming stands.
http://www.morrisherald-news.com/2015/07/01/parents-service-providers-at-risk-without-illinois-budget/aobk4hb/

MA: DCF case spike prompts protests
Lowell Sun News – July 01, 2015
Massachusetts social workers plan informational pickets in the days leading up to next week’s release of the Senate budget, claiming an exodus of workers, lack of continued investments, and new directives are leaving child protection caseloads at crisis levels.
http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_28412847/dcf-case#

MI: Foster care ‘a persistent and dire problem’
Lansing State Journal – July 01, 2015
A decade ago, the death of Williamston 7-year-old Ricky Holland at the hands of his adoptive parents revealed fatal flaws in the state’s safeguards for foster kids. Seven years ago, a class-action lawsuit in federal court mandated improvements. Still, Michigan continues to fail hundreds of kids a year, court-appointed monitors say.
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/watchdog/2015/07/01/michigan-foster-care-persistent-dire-problem/29564431/

MN: ‘Paying it forward’ BSU graduate says foster care system prepared her to want to give back to others
Bemidji Pioneer – July 01, 2015
Koob, now 23, works in Bemidji as a regional coordinator at TXT4Life, a texting service that connects trained counselors with people contemplating suicide. “It’s my way of paying it forward,” she said.
http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/3777932-paying-it-forward-bsu-graduate-says-foster-care-system-prepared-her-want-give-back

MN: Voucher program helps push foster youth to higher education goals
Bimiji Pioneer – July 01, 2015
The Minnesota Department of Human Services has since worked to grow post-secondary opportunities for former foster youth. Each year, the Education and Training Voucher program awards roughly 200 such students an average of $3,000 apiece — money that can go toward nearly any expense associated with college life.
http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/local/3777933-voucher-program-helps-push-foster-youth-higher-education-goals

NC: Boy found chained to porch with chicken around neck speaks out for first time
WBTV – July 01, 2015
The boy was 11 years old in 2013 when deputies found him on the porch of his foster parents Wanda Sue Larson and Dorian Harper. At the time, Larson was a Department of Social Services supervisor for Union County and Harper was a nurse at Carolinas Medical Center – Union.
http://www.walb.com/story/29442232/boy-found-chained-to-porch-with-chicken-around-neck-speaks-out-for-first-time

NV: Clark County child welfare director resigns
Las Vegas Review Journal – July 01, 2015
Officials confirmed Wednesday that Clark County Department of Family Services Director Lisa Ruiz-Lee is stepping down from her position, although an effective date has not yet been set. It’s unknown who will assume her responsibilities in guiding the troubled department, which has come under scrutiny of a special state panel formed to review system shortcomings and problems.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/clark-county-child-welfare-director-resigns

NY: New York City foster care: stories from children and parents the system failed
The Guardian – July 01, 2015
A watchdog report reveals the Administration of Children’s Services has abused its power in family courts, wrongly taken children into custody and inadequately assisted those it claims to help. Those affected share their hardships
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/01/new-york-city-foster-care-children-parents

NY: The Collaborative for Children and Families Receives a Grant From The New York Community Trust to Build Capacity for Comprehensive Child Welfare
PRWeb (Press Release) – July 01, 2015
The Collaborative for Children and Families (CCF) announced that it received a grant of $100,000 from the New York Community Trust. The grant will allow CCF to improve quality of care and save costs for the child welfare sector by identifying and sharing proven practices.
http://investor.wallstreetselect.com/wss/news/read?GUID=30187973

PA: New law attempts to add clarity to background checks law
The Patriot-News – July 02, 2015
Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation on Wednesday that clarifies which employees and adult volunteers are required background checks if they work around children. Also: Bucks County lawmaker introduces bill that would exempt emergency responders from background clearance fees: http://www.buckslocalnews.com/articles/2015/07/01/bristol_pilot/news/doc555e39c03ff32890727669.txt
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/07/new_law_attempts_to_add_clarit.html

TN: Obergefell’s Limits (Opinion)
Menphis Flyer – July 02, 2015
The Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision doesn’t extend as far as traditionalists fear or as LGBT advocates would like.
http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/obergefells-limits/Content?oid=3991894

UT: Officials discuss progress of child welfare
Ogden Standard-Examiner – July 01, 2015
Lawmakers referred to David C., a federal lawsuit filed against Utah in 1993, as the case that initiated changes in welfare practices in the state. Lee Killian, the associate general counsel at the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, feels Utah’s focus on child welfare brought about “such a dramatic change that Utah started to be nationally recognized for its practices.”
http://www.standard.net/Government/2015/07/01/Child-Welfare-in-Utah-has-come-a-long-way.html

VT: Substance abuse driving demands on DCF
Vermont Press Bureau – July 02, 2015
The number of Vermont children in state custody rose sharply in 2014 to record numbers as families struggled with a slow economy and the scourge of substance abuse, according to the Department for Children and Families’ annual child protection report. Also: Report: Number of children in state custody up by 33 percent: http://vtdigger.org/2015/07/01/report-number-of-vermont-children-in-state-custody-up-by-33-percent/
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150702/NEWS03/707029933/1004

WI: Study helps state identify family risk factors for child abuse
University of Wisconsin-Madison – July 01, 2015
A new analysis from the La Follette School of Public Affairs may help Wisconsin prevent more cases of child abuse by detecting patterns associated with cases returning to the system after initially being screened out. Report: “Child Welfare Screening in Wisconsin: An Analysis of Families Screened Out of Child Protective Services and Subsequently Screened In”: http://www.lafollette.wisc.edu/research-public-service/publications/child-welfare-screening-in-wisconsin-an-analysis-of-families-screened-out-of-child-protective-services-and-subsequently-screened-in Information Gateway resource: Risk Factors and Perpetrators of Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/can/fatalities/perpetrators/
http://www.news.wisc.edu/releases/19155

US: National Student Privacy Bill Stirs Praise, Renews Concerns
Heartland Institute (Press Release) – July 02, 2015
Parents in several states fought for more than two years to stop inBloom, which eventually shut down following public outcry. Officials in some states were uploading personal student data to third-party vendor inBloom. The data sometimes included Social Security numbers and details of familial relationships such as whether a student was a foster child, and reasons for enrollment changes, such as a student leaving school as a victim of a violent incident.
http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2015/04/29/activists-companies-have-mixed-reaction-proposed-student-privacy-law-1

US: Cruel and all-too-usual: A terrifying glimpse into life in prison–as a kid (Includes video)
Huffington Post – July 01, 2015
In a wealthier Michigan county, kids convicted of minor offenses are almost always sentenced to community service, like helping out at the local science center. Doug Mullkoff, a criminal defense attorney in Ann Arbor, told me that prison in such circumstances is “virtually unheard of.” But Jamie is from Detroit, and in January 2012, she was sent to the Women?s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, a prison that holds inmates convicted of crimes like first-degree homicide. From this point onward, her world was largely governed by codes and practices and assumptions designed for adult criminals.
http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/cruel-and-all-too-usual/?ncid=newsltushpmg00000003

US: Educational Stability, Normalcy Best Served By Closer Placements (Opinion)
Chronicle of Social Change – June 30, 2015
In the past, the trauma of being placed in foster care was often intensified by placement in a new school. But in 2008, Congress passed the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, which required that a child who is placed in foster care (or in a new foster home) remain in the same school unless it is not in his or her best interest.
https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/opinion/educational-stability-normalcy-best-served-by-closer-placements/10602

 

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Challenged over refugee centers: Whistleblowers punished under new law
CNN – July 01, 2015
More than 40 doctors, nurses, teachers and other humanitarian workers have signed an open letter to the Australian government, challenging a new bill that could put whistleblowers in jail for disclosing the conditions of Australian detention centers.
http://www.channel4000.com/news/australia-challenged-over-refugee-centers/33943682

International: Speech: International Child Protection Certificate launch in Bucharest
Bloomberg Business – July 02, 2015
What is exciting for us is the launch of the International Child Protection Certificate. As emphasized by Mr. Virgil Spiridon, Deputy Inspector General of the Romanian Police, today’s launch takes place in the middle of a week which is a regional conference devoted to addressing the growing threats around online child sexual exploitation. We are really delighted that law enforcement officials and other key people from 11 countries and the region have joined us here in Bucharest this week and they are represented in the audience today, sharing experiences with officials from the UK National Crime Agency and with Romanian officials.
http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201507020350M2______EUPR_____6b03000002252ab3_3600-1

Syria: Urgent action needed to tackle child labour caused by Syrian Crisis: Save the Children and UNICEF (Press Release)
UNICEF – July 02, 2015
The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Syria are pushing an ever increasing number of children into exploitation in the labour market, and much more needs to be done to reverse the trend, according to a new report released by Save the Children and UNICEF. Also: Syrian Arab Republic: Small Hands Heavy Burden: How The Syria Conflict Is Driving More Children Into The Workforce, July 2015: http://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/small-hands-heavy-burden-how-syria-conflict-driving-more-children
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_82462.html

United Kingdom: Norfolk’s chief constable defends police work to tackle child abuse after release of critical report
Eastern Daily Press – July 02, 2015
A new series of reports released by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary this morning has warned that senior officers ‘risk failing another generation of children’ if they don’t reassess their approach.
http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/norfolk_s_chief_constable_defends_police_work_to_tackle_child_abuse_after_release_of_critical_report_1_4135814

United Kingdom: Report highlights failings in child protection by police
BBC News – July 02, 2015
Police forces need to improve failings in child protection, a watchdog’s report has said.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-33349259

 

AZ: Independent Audit Highlights Problems At Arizona Department Of Child Safety
KJZZ – June 30, 2015
A new report released Tuesday shows Arizona’s child-welfare agency still needs to develop processes to get a handle on a growing number of cases. The Department of Child Safety was created last year after the previous agency failed to investigate more than 6,500 cases of child abuse and neglect. The Arizona Auditor General commissioned the report by the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall Center for Children. State law passed last year requires an independent group complete the review.
http://kjzz.org/content/160001/independent-audit-highlights-problems-arizona-department-child-safety

DC: When Mom Needs Rehab, What About The Kids? New D.C. Programs Offer Solutions
WAMU – June 19, 2015
Judy Ashburn is director of residential treatment at Samaritan Inns. She says women, especially those who have young children, traditionally show up for treatment at a lower rate than men. “The mother will try to manage the addiction on her own, and usually it just gets worse and worse, so that by the time her children are grown, then her addiction has grown to the point that it?s much more difficult to treat later in life.” If women can bring their children with them into treatment, more families will stay together.
http://wamu.org/programs/metro_connection/15/06/19/when_mom_needs_rehab_what_happens_to_her_kids_new_dc_programs_seek_to_offer_solutions

IN: Prosecutor: Cases of child neglect getting more severe (Includes video)
Fox59 – June 30, 2015
A newborn baby with a broken leg, it is hard to comprehend. Two parents in Anderson are facing charges after they can’t explain how it happened. The case comes to light just one day after two other parents from Anderson were charged with neglect after police found their twins severely malnourished. Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings said he doesn’t know if the county is seeing more of these cases by number, but the level of neglect is getting more severe.
http://fox59.com/2015/06/30/prosecutor-cases-of-child-neglect-getting-more-severe/

KY: Social worker helps girl, faces firing
USA Today – June 29, 2015
Alarmed by multiple pleas for help from relatives of a 7-year-old Northern Kentucky girl who reported the child was being abused and neglected at home, state social worker Karey Cooper checked on her at school. For her efforts, Cooper now faces disciplinary action and possible termination by her employer in Northern Kentucky, the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Her offense? Unknown to Cooper, another worker had closed the cabinet’s long-running case on the girl’s family, finding no further action was necessary. Cooper said she was informed she violated cabinet policy by visiting the child.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/06/29/social-worker-helps-girl-faces-firing/29488235/

MN: Sweeping reforms made for child protection services (Includes video)
KARE 11 – July 01, 2015
Reforms in Minnesota’s child protection system go into effect Wednesday, July 1, including a requirement that all complaints to child protection be forwarded to police for possible investigation.
http://www.kare11.com/story/news/investigations/2015/06/30/july-1-child-protective-services-reforms/29517545/

MN: Kresha touts new nursing home funding, child protections
Brainerd Dispatch – June 30, 2015
Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, serves as the GOP member on the Governor Dayton’s Task Force on the Protection of Children and had two bills signed into law that protected children who are maltreated and expanded county efforts to aid disadvantaged families in Morrison and Todd County.
http://www.brainerddispatch.com/news/3777175-kresha-touts-new-nursing-home-funding-child-protections

MN: Our viewpoint: More needs to be done to reduce child abuse (Opinion)
Sun Sailor – June 30, 2015
It is easy to become angry at the accused and the convicted, to send them to prison and pretend that we have accomplished something. However, we have a major public health issue confronting us, and are nowhere close to solving it. The reported crimes are just the tip of the iceberg.
http://sailor.mnsun.com/2015/06/30/our-viewpoint-more-needs-to-be-done-to-reduce-child-abuse/

MO: Missouri provides assistance for victims of domestic violence (Includes video)
Four States – June 30, 2015
State policy changes could open the door to more permanent housing for victims.
http://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/missouri-provides-assistance-for-victims-of-domestic-violence

PA: Concern over new Pa. law requiring clearances for volunteers
The Mercury – June 30, 2015
Act 153, which was passed last November in response to the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal, requires a number of new or expanded measures to ensure that those who have working relationships with children have passed state and federal criminal and child abuse clearances. “We didn?t have a lot of notice. It came through in November 2014, when everyone’s clearances were expiring. We had to put together a database to make sure we are being compliant with the new laws,” said Steve Katch, Boyertown Area School District’s chief human resources officer.
http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20150630/concern-over-new-pa-law-requiring-clearances-for-volunteers

VT: Report: Children in DCF custody increased since 2014
WCAX – June 30, 2015
The Department for Children and Families released its 2014 child protection report Tuesday. It shows there are currently 1,326 children in DCF custody, a 33 percent increase since the beginning of 2014. Also: Vermont releases 2014 report on child abuse and neglect: http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/crime/article/Vermont-report-shows-more-children-in-state-6358790.php Also: VT DCF Report: Protection Line Receives Record Number of Calls in 2014: http://www.mychamplainvalley.com/story/d/story/vt-dcf-report-protection-line-receives-record-numb/33226/f4jKuMGmIUOINNhjlZKwNQ
http://www.wcax.com/story/29447525/report-vt-children-in-dcf-custody-increased-since-2014

WI: Family and Children’s Center announces new CEO
LaCross Tribune – July 01, 2015
After a national search, the Family and Children’s Center has hired a new president and chief executive officer. La Crosse native Tita Yutuc is set to take the post effective July 15.
http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/family-and-children-s-center-announces-new-ceo/article_46447bd3-1b3b-51c7-b93a-f23d9a788992.html

WV: Judge Martin Gaughan Retires–A Founder of Community Corrections In West Virginia
WTRF – July 01, 2015
“Establishing the drug court programs–the first in the State of West Virginia–establishing the Mental Health Court Program, also the very first in our state, he has been a leader in his position as a circuit court judge,” said Attorney David B. Cross.
http://www.wtrf.com/story/29446194/judge-martin-gaughan-retires-a-founder-of-community-corrections-in-west-virginia

US: Chronicle of Social Change Takes on Child Trauma Thanks to New Reporting Initiative {Press release)
PRLog – July 01, 2015
As part of grant funding from the California Endowment, The Chronicle of Social Change (https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/) kicks off a new reporting initiative focused on child trauma with particular attention given to children and youth involved in the child welfare and probation systems.
http://www.prlog.org/12470911-chronicle-of-social-change-takes-on-child-trauma-thanks-to-new-reporting-initiative.html

US: Legislation Would Keep Foster Kids From Having to Change Schools
Youth Today – June 30, 2015
he traumatic changes children in foster care face often include disrupted schooling. They may have to change schools when they first enter foster care, then shift from school to school with each new foster home.
http://youthtoday.org/2015/06/legislation-would-keep-foster-kids-from-having-to-change-schools/

US: Caring For Other Children Is Hard, Even With Kin (Opinion)
Chronicle of Social Change – June 18, 2015
I didn’t know these children all that well. And despite the fact they were in the same situation I was in 20 years prior, all I could think about was how topsy-turvy my nice, little quiet life would become. I couldn’t believe my reaction since I know what foster care is like and I’ve been working off and on in the foster care industry for years. Also, I’ve been on a speaking circuit lecturing others about how families need to stand up against the growing foster care bureaucracy, yet there I was, equivocating. Why?
https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/opinion/caring-for-other-children-is-hard-even-with-kin/10418

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Child sex abuse inquiry: Nearly impossible for many children in out-of-home care to report abuse, royal commission hears
ABC Radio Australia – June 30, 2015
In the two financial years to 2014, there were more than 3,600 reports of sexual abuse committed against children in either foster care, residential care or kinship care. But according to child advocates, the reporting process is anything but easy.
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2015-06-30/child-sex-abuse-inquiry-nearly-impossible-for-many-children-in-outofhome-care-to-report-abuse-royal-/1464596

China: Doing the Unexpected: How One Social Entrepreneur Changed Paths (Press release)
Skoll Foundation – June 30, 2015
Jenny Bowen thought her work was almost done. After 17 years of running Half the Sky, she had helped transform China’s child welfare institutions, and she could “see the light at the end of the tunnel.” “We have lots of work left to do, but I can see where it’s going. So done, right? Mission accomplished.” Or so she thought.
http://www.skollfoundation.org/doing-the-unexpected-how-one-social-entrepreneur-changed-paths/

Indonesia: Public needs education on child abuse, says experts
Jakarta Post – July 01, 2015
Rifka Annisa, psychological counselor from Women’s Crisis Center (WCC) added the government had no serious policy dealing with sexual violence against children. It seemed that for many law enforcers, she said, battling terrorism or pursuing drug offender was much more important than combating sexual violence against children.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/07/01/public-needs-education-child-abuse-says-expert.html
AL: Attorneys: Deposing Catholic school priest would “harass and embarrass” him, regarding past sex allegations (Includes video)
WSFA – June 26, 2015
According to the most recent court documents filed in Mobile County Circuit Court, attorneys for Father Johnny Savoie are still trying to block subpoenas requesting to hear his sworn testimony about previous allegations against him.
http://www.wsfa.com/story/29421380/attorneys-deposing-catholic-school-priest-would-harass-and-embarrass-him-regarding-past-sex-allegations

AZ: Child-safety agency struggles with staff turnover, rising child removals
Arizona Republic – June 28, 2015
Most indicators show an agency headed in the wrong direction: The number of children and families caught up in the system has increased, cases are coming in faster than workers can deal with them, and the administration has been roiled with internal conflict as firings and departures occur seemingly every week.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/politics/2015/06/28/arizona-child-welfare-agency-one-year/29370973/

CA: UCLA’s Williams Institute research played role in historic same-sex marriage decision
UCLA Newsroom – June 26, 2015
“As all parties agree, many same-sex couples provide loving and nurturing homes to their children, whether biological or adopted. And hundreds of thousands of children are presently being raised by such couples,” the U.S. Supreme Court noted in its historic opinion, citing Gates’ studies.
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/ucla-s-williams-institute-research-played-role-in-historic-same-sex-marriage-decision

DC: The Long, Hot Summer Ahead For D.C.’s Homeless Children (Includes audio)
WAMU – June 12, 2015
Summer is a milestone eagerly anticipated by many children, a season of ice cream, swimming pools and lazy days of leisure. Not necessarily so for many of the children at Ketcham Elementary in Southeast D.C., a third of whom are homeless. For them, summer means the only stable thing in their life is no longer available to them.
http://wamu.org/programs/metro_connection/15/06/12/the_long_hot_summer_ahead_for_dcs_homeless_children

MD: Montgomery schools abuse policy up for vote, with critics saying more work needed
Washington Post – June 28, 2015
As Montgomery County prepares to vote Monday on a new child abuse and neglect policy, advocates are urging that more work be done on the proposed changes, while school district leaders view them as a significant improvement that will help guide how the system handles sexual misconduct allegations.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-schools-abuse-policy-up-for-vote-with-critics-saying-more-work-needed/2015/06/28/2b482abe-141c-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html

ME: West Gardiner woman leads grandparent group working to increase visibility in Augusta
Kennebeck Journal – June 28, 2015
Kinship families are most often made up of grandparents, particularly grandmothers, raising their grandchildren, though there are numerous examples of other relatives taking in children.
http://www.centralmaine.com/2015/06/28/west-gardiner-woman-leads-grandparent-group-working-to-increase-visibility-in-augusta/

MN: More needs to be done to reduce child abuse (Opinion)
Morrison County Record – June 25, 2015
Minnesota has experienced a horrific parade of violence against children in recent years. Just last week, we learned of the death of Sophia O’Neill, age 2, of Minneapolis, stomped to death allegedly by her mother’s boyfriend, age 17.
http://mcrecord.com/2015/06/25/more-needs-to-be-done-to-reduce-child-abuse/

NJ: State Supreme Court case to decide fate of abused immigrant children
NJ.com – June 29, 2015
Abandoned by his father and living in a slum with his sickly mother and grandmother in India, a 15-year-old boy worked 75 hours a week at a construction job to support his family. When he got hurt, they arranged for him to illegally enter the United States so he could go to school and live with his uncle in Passaic County. Do state and federal laws allow him to remain in the United States because of the hardships he experienced in his native country?
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/06/nj_supreme_court_case_to_decide_fate_of_abused_imm.html

OR: First apartment building for former foster youth planned for Eugene
Register-Guard – June 28, 2015
The 12 one-bedroom apartments will be remodeled inside and out over the next several months. Most of the apartments eventually are to be rented at below-market rates to former foster kids — young people 18 and older — who need a home of their own.
http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/33202111-75/oregons-first-apartment-building-for-former-foster-youth-planned-for-eugene.html.csp

PA: Drug Rehab Philadelphia Comments on High Rate of Antipsychotic Medication Use In PA Foster
Emailwire.com – June 29, 2015
A recently released study revealed that in 2012, more than a fifth of Pennsylvania’s foster children were taking antipsychotics, these powerful prescription drugs can potentially cause serious metabolic side effects such as weight gain and diabetes.
http://finance.minyanville.com/minyanville/news/read?GUID=30165402

PA: Senate panel OKs further changes to background checks law (Includes video)
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/06/senate_panel_oks_further_chang.html – June 26, 2015
Legislation that seeks to further modify some of the provisions in the state’s child protection background checks law won the backing of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee on Friday. The changes include extending the time period for requiring re-certification of the criminal history and child abuse clearances for employees and adult volunteers to five years, instead of the three years that the original law enacted last year requires.
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/06/senate_panel_oks_further_chang.html

TX: Officials warn of religious discrimination after same-sex marriage ruling
San Angelo Standard-Times – June 26, 2015
“The Supreme Court has abandoned its role as an impartial judicial arbiter and has become an unelected nine-member legislature,” Abbott wrote in a statement. “Five justices on the Supreme Court have imposed on the entire country their personal views on an issue that the Constitution and the Court’s previous decisions reserve to the people of the states.”
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/state/texas-officials-warn-of-religious-discrimination-after-samesex-marriage-ruling_18945174

TX: UPDATE: Abbott vows a religious liberty fight, which gay couples’ lawyer warns will cost state
Dallas Morning News – June 26, 2015
A lawyer for the Texas gay-marriage lawsuit plaintiffs said Friday afternoon that Gov. Greg Abbott is asking for a lot of additional lawsuits that will be expensive for the state when he encourages resistance to the Supreme Court’s decision. Also: Texas GOP leaders set up next legal marriage fight: http://www.kvue.com/story/news/politics/2015/06/26/texas-gop-leaders-set-up-next-legal-marriage-fight/29363619/
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/06/update-abbott-vows-a-religious-liberty-fight-which-gay-couples-lawyer-warns-will-cost-state.html/

US: SCOTUS Ruling Means More than Marriage Licenses (Includes audio)
Public News Service – June 29, 2015
As for Friday’s ruling, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Kentucky, Michael Aldridge, says impact is profound. “There is just a whole litany of legal benefits that come along with according the dignity of marriage,” says Aldridge. He says adoption of a partner’s child and the ability to receive death benefits when a spouse dies are among the many examples.
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2015-06-29/social-justice/scotus-ruling-means-more-than-marriage-licenses/a46894-1

US: IPFW prof sees Supreme Court ruling as a win for her family and many others
News Sentinel – June 27, 2015
“The first thing people need to remember is that the battles aren’t over,” Jeannie DiClementi, associate professor of psychology at Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne said Friday. “Marriage is a done deal, but what are the implications for adoption,” she said, citing one example of the areas of law and policy that will remain up for debate. There are bound to be continuing disputes over whether adoption agencies, even ones operated by churches opposed to same-sex marriage and adoption, can refuse to cooperate with same-sex couples trying to adopt.
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20150627/NEWS/150629786/1005/SPORTS

US: Conservative Lawmakers and Faith Groups Seek Exemptions After Same-Sex Ruling
New York Times – June 26, 2015
Within hours of the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage, an array of conservatives including the governors of Texas and Louisiana and religious groups called for stronger legal protections for those who want to avoid any involvement in same-sex marriage, like catering a gay wedding or providing school housing to gay couples, based on religious beliefs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/27/us/conservative-lawmakers-and-faith-groups-seek-exemptions-after-same-sex-ruling.html?_r=0

US: Five pieces of evidence that show today’s grandparents have come a long way, baby
UCObserver – June 26, 2015
About 10 percent of children spend at least some of their growing up being parented by their grandparents. It lessens the load of child welfare agencies by half, and the outcomes for the kids are far better than they are in government care, overall.
http://www.ucobserver.org/short_list/short_list/

US: Hey America, Great Job on Gay Marriage, Now How About Gay Adoption? (Opinion)
Huffington Post – June 26, 2015
Currently, only 7 states (California, Oregon, Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island) explicitly protect LGBT foster parents from discrimination by adoption agencies. Michigan recently moved in the wrong direction, allowing its private adoption agencies to deny LGBT parents from adopting children if their “religious principles” are violated.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sanjeev-k-sriram/hey-america-great-job-on-_b_7672812.html

US: Responding to Rehoming: Protecting Children & Strengthening Adoptive Families (Press Release)
Child Welfare League of America – June 26, 2015
In late 2013, a Reuters’ investigation on the practice of parents’ “rehoming” their adopted children through online forums resulted in public outcry and fast reactions by state legislators to protect children from being placed with strangers without any state agency or court approval and oversight. The report, coupled with the high-profile public case of an Arkansas state Representative transferring guardianship of his two adopted daughters to a man who later sexually assaulted one of the children, prompted legislation banning parents from transferring custody of their children outside the legal system.
http://www.cwla.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Joint-Statement_Responding-to-Rehoming_June2015.pdf

US: States Struggle With ‘Hidden’ Rural Homelessness
Pew Charitable Trusts – June 26, 2015
The causes of homelessness in small towns are the same as in big cities: poverty, mental illness, inadequate housing, domestic violence and the psychological wounds of war, according to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. But rural areas are more likely to be poor, with limited transportation, making it that much harder for the homeless to get to a center that can provide counseling, a housing voucher or medical care.
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2015/6/26/states-struggle-with-hidden-rural-homelessness

INTERNATIONAL

Canada: Foster care program for aboriginal families boasts 70% success rate
CBC News – June 26, 2015
Tacked to the bulletin board above Claudette Okemow’s desk is a handwritten card. On the outside, an orange flower; inside, a brief message of gratitude and the outline of a tiny hand. “It’s never-ending, the thank you,” said Okemow, a family group conference worker with CLOUT — or Community Led Organizations United Together — an aboriginal-based child welfare program in Winnipeg.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/foster-care-program-for-aboriginal-families-boasts-70-success-rate-1.3128375?cmp=rss

India: “Child Help Line Booth” at Raipur Rly Station soon
NYOOOZ – June 29, 2015
With a view to assist the wandering and missing children return back to their families, the Chhattisgarh Government is going to open a “Child Help Line Booth” at Platform Number One of Raipur Railway Station. State Women and Child Development Minister Ramsheela Sahu will inaugurate the booth on Monday. Officers from Women and Child Welfare Department informed that for stopping the illegal immigration of children, checking human trafficking, tracing missing child and for helping the child in need, the booths are being opened at the Railway Station.
http://www.nyoooz.com/raipur/138270/child-help-line-booth-at-raipur-rly-station-soon

South Korea: The Past and Future of International Adoption
The Chosunilbo – June 29, 2015
International adoption has been a part of South Korea’s history since the Korean War. Over 200,000 children born in Korea have been adopted abroad, and adoption by Americans account for about two-thirds. In 1985-86, the peak year, 9,000 children were adopted internationally. Korea remained one of the top five sending countries of children-and the only OECD country-until recently. But in 2013, Korea’s rank dropped to number 17 in contrast to 2011 when it was ranked 6 among sending-countries.
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/06/29/2015062901658.html

United Kingdom: Catholic charities challenge child abuse chairwoman
Scottish Legal News – June 16, 2015
The appointment of Susan O?Brien QC as chairwoman of a public inquiry into historical child abuse allegations has come under fire from two Catholic charities.
http://www.scottishlegal.com/2015/06/29/catholic-charities-challenge-child-abuse-chairwoman/

Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

Police investigate child death at day care

Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

David Mohlis with the Waterloo Police Department said the results aren’t complete, and the cause of death hasn’t been determined. The child had …

UPDATE WITH NAME: Police investigate child death at day care – Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

Police investigate child death at day care – Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

Waterloo police investigate child death at day care – KCRG

Full Coverage

Child’s Death Shines Light On Stressed Protection Services

CBS Local

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The death of a 2-year-old girl that police say happened at the hands of a teenager has again put the spotlight on the …

Child’s Death Shines Light On Stressed Projection Services – CBS Local

 

Hot Car Dangers: How to Prevent Child Deaths

Live Science

At least five U.S. children have died in overheated cars this year, but experts say there are a number of steps that parents can take to prevent such …

North’s child death rate worst in country

 

Northern Advocate

Northland DHB spokesperson Jeanette Wedding, right, said health inequalities, transient population, overcrowding, the poorest roading and high …

t

 Coroner rules Wilkins’ unborn child’s death “fetal demise”

The Denver Post

The Boulder County Coroner’s Office on Wednesday ruled the death of Michelle Wilkins’ unborn child after an attack in March to be “fetal demise.”. Child’s death still under investigation

Bonner County Daily Bee

SANDPOINT — The death of a 3-year-old boy who was found unconscious in … The child’s biological father was stationed at an U.S. Air Force base in …

Child death remains under investigation – Coeur d’Alene Press

Full Coverage

Atlanta Journal Constitution

Fulton man charged with murder in child’s death

Atlanta Journal Constitution

A south Fulton County man now faces a murder charge because a 2-year-old child he is accused of beating has died, Palmetto police reported Friday.

North’s child death rate worst in country

 

Northern Advocate

Of the 41 Northland child deaths over five years outlined in a report by … Over half of the deaths were the result of the sudden unexpected death of an …

Bowling Green Daily News

Two charged in connection with child’s death headed to trial

Bowling Green Daily News

A woman is anticipated to stand trial next week in an abuse case involving her dead son following an unsuccessful effort on Wednesday to have the …

Causes of child death

 

The Lancet

Child cause of death (COD) estimates for 2013 produced by the Maternal and Child Epidemiology Estimation group (MCEE, formerly the Child Health.

 

 

 

 

CA: Assembly approves on of the toughest mandatory vaccination laws in the nation
Los Angeles Times – June 25, 2015
California lawmakers Thursday approved one of the toughest mandatory vaccination laws in the nation, legislation that would eliminate the option for parents to keep their children from being vaccinated based on religious or other personal beliefs.
http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-vaccine-mandate-bill-up-for-vote-thursday-in-california-assembly-20150624-story.html

CA: LA Seeks Child Protection Rainmaker
The Chronicle of Social Change – June 25, 2015
Elected officials, philanthropic organizations, and the new child protection office in Los Angeles County are all moving forward on a plan to put one person in charge of securing grants and donations targeted at preventing child maltreatment and improving outcomes for vulnerable children and families.
https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/news/la-seeks-child-protection-rainmaker/10596

CA: LGBT Teens Find Sanctuary in Foster Care (Opinion)
Huffington Post – June 25, 2015
We envision Sanctuary Palm Springs as a Family Home for LGBT teens in state custody. Not a group home, per se, but a place of safety and healing in a community based support system. These kids have lost their families, as many in the adult LGBT population did once they came out. But ask any LGBT professional and they will tell you they found a new, more supportive family amongst friends and colleagues in the LGBT community.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ld-thompson/lgbt-teens-find-sanctuary-in-foster-care_b_7664340.html

CA: Senior Sleuth: Interfaith group partnesrs with HHS
Del Norte Triplicate – June 23, 2015
Barbara Pierson, the new director of Del Norte County Health and Human Services, has started working with a newly organized interfaith group of four local ministers. She explains, “When I met Pastor Steve Perez at a Board of Supervisors meeting, I told him that in the rural communities where I’ve worked, it was very important to have a strong interfaith committee involved in the activities of Health and Human Services. I find that religion is very important to the clients here as well, many of whom are in recovery.”
http://www.triplicate.com/Northcoast-Life/Northcoast-Life/Senior-Sleuth-Interfaith-group-partnesrs-with-HHS

FL: Peaceful Paths sets the standard with new campus for domestic abuse survivors
Gainesville Times – June 25, 2015
The gated campus for abuse survivors is behind Peaceful Path’s main office on Northwest 53rd Avenue and includes three four-bedroom buildings and a 12-bedroom building with a group meeting room, youth program room, play areas, TV rooms, living rooms, a pet room, kitchen and a staff area. It works with the child welfare system, law enforcement, schools, courts, homeless centers, hospitals and other places where victims come seeking help.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20150625/articles/150629790

IN: Until every child has a voice
Washington Times Herald – June 25, 2015
Three dozen. It may not seem like many in the grand scheme of things. After all, it’s only 36, but in Daviess County, that number currently represents 36 children who are waiting for a voice in the courtroom. That voice is a court appointed special advocate or CASA.
http://www.washtimesherald.com/news/local_news/until-every-child-has-a-voice/article_8c27650b-ed40-53fd-9840-424e334acbb3.html

KS: This Mom Faces Prison For Medical Marijuana. Now Her Attorney Has Declared War On The Drug War Itself.
Huffington Post – June 22, 2015
A 38-year-old Kansas woman who lost custody of her 11-year-old son and faces charges that could send her to prison for 30 years over her use of medical marijuana was released on bail last week.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/22/this-mom-faces-30-years-i_n_7625168.html

MA: DCF social worker licensing lags
Boston Herald – June 26, 2016
Nearly 700, or about one of four, child welfare workers at the state’s Department of Children and Families still aren’t licensed, a Herald review found, leaving hundreds of frontline staffers likely to fall short of next week’s deadline under the year-old reform.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/06/dcf_social_worker_licensing_lags

MA: Court offers guidelines on spanking
Associated Press – May 25, 2015
Massachusetts’ highest court for the first time established legal guidelines Thursday for the use of physical punishment by parents, saying it’s permissible to discipline a child by spanking so long as “reasonable” force is used and the child is not harmed.
http://www.wcvb.com/news/massachusetts-court-offers-guidelines-on-spanking/33772990

ME: Franklin County child abuse rate among highest in State
Lewiston Sun Journal – June 25, 2015
Franklin County is one of three counties identified as having the highest rates of child abuse in the state. Androscoggin and Somerset counties are the other two, according to data released from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/news/0001/11/30/franklin-county-child-abuse-rate-among-highest-maine/1732309

MN: Study: Hennepin County screens out child abuse reports to reduce caseload
Minneapolis Star Tribune – June 25, 2015
Dee Wilson, a director of child welfare services for Casey Family Programs, also told the board that the county’s most common response to a child abuse report is to screen it out, meaning that a family is never visited and services never offered. Neglect cases are also given low priority, rarely get investigated, and then are often closed without doing anything to help children, a stark contrast to many other child protection agencies, Wilson said. Also: Study details child protection concerns (Video): http://archive.kare11.com/video/4322641770001/1/Study-details-child-protection-concerns
http://www.startribune.com/study-hennepin-county-screens-out-child-abuse-reports-to-reduce-caseload/309948221/

MN: Counties hiring new child protection staff
Mankato Free Press – May 25, 2015
Counties across Minnesota are preparing to hire more child protection workers after receiving a combined $23.5 million to reduce caseloads and implement changes passed by the Legislature.
http://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/counties-hiring-new-child-protection-staff/article_efaf313c-1b8c-11e5-ab12-17d3d3481817.html

NY: De Blasio’s Child Welfare Administration Drops Storied Adoption Agency; Explanation Disputed
The Chronicle of Social Change – June 25, 2015
Carrión’s statement also explained reasons why ACS cancelled the contracts, giving figures of each agency’s failure to meet contractual obligations. Specifically, Carrión noted the low number of children the agencies placed in 2014.
https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/news/de-blasios-child-welfare-administration-drops-storied-adoption-agency-explanation-disputed/10580

PA: Bill would grant adoptees access to their birth certificates
Associated Press – June 25, 2015
The House Children and Youth Committee plans to take up the proposal during a meeting in the Capitol on Wednesday.
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pa-adoption-records-access-20150625-story.html

PA: Mercy’s child abuse center receives funding from Penn State Sandusky case (Press release)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – June 25, 2015
The commission has already given more than $2.6 million to CACs this year. A Child’s Place received $200,000, which Mary Carrasco, the center’s director, said has allowed the center to establish satellite locations in Fayette, Westmoreland, Washington and Beaver counties.
https://marcellus.com/news/id/125235/mercys-child-abuse-center-receives-funding-from-penn-state-sandusky-case/

TX: Voices for Children celebrates opening of Grimes County office (Includes video)
Bryan-College Station Eagle – June 26, 2016
An advocacy group that seeks to find abused children permanent and stable homes is celebrating the opening of its Grimes County office.
http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/voices-for-children-celebrates-opening-of-grimes-county-office/article_0d613af1-cd81-562e-a858-8cfd00cb9d1c.html

US: Congress needs to reform funding for child abuse, neglect
Bayou Buzz – June 26, 2016
Federal funding shortchanges prevention efforts that could help parents manage financial distress, mental health, substance abuse, and other abuse and neglect risk factors. Today, the federal government pays $4 on foster care for every $1 on prevention. Federal foster care funding itself is insufficient, covering less than half of eligible kids. Underfunding of prevention efforts will only drain this already shallow funding pool.
http://www.bayoubuzz.com/politics/us-congress/item/920358-congress-needs-to-reform-funding-for-child-abuse-neglect

US: & Ghana: US gives Ghana $5m for child protection
Starr FM Online – June 25, 2015
Ghana has sealed a $5 million Child Protection Compact with the US. This is the first time the US is signing this kind of compact with any country.
http://www.starrfmonline.com/1.4748127

US: Chapin Hall initiative seeks better estimate, understanding of homeless youth
UChicago News – June 25, 2015
Researchers will document the number of runaway and homeless youths in the United States, as part of a new two-year initiative from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago aimed at producing the country?s first reliable estimate of its kind.
http://news.uchicago.edu/article/2015/06/25/chapin-hall-initiative-seeks-better-estimate-understanding-homeless-youth

US: The Not-So-New History of Asian International and Transracial Adoption (Opinion)
Berkeley Blog – June 25, 2015
The history of Asian international adoption in the United States provides a lens to view the relationship between U.S. foreign relations and immigration, specifically between an American military presence in other countries and the resultant migrations of children to the United States. It also helps us glean the shifting definitions of what constitutes an American family.
http://blogs.berkeley.edu/2015/06/25/the-not-so-new-history-of-asian-international-and-transracial-adoption/

US: Changing pot laws create gray areas in child-welfare and custody cases
Washington Post – June 15, 2015
A Colorado man loses custody of his children after getting a medical marijuana card. The daughter of a Michigan couple growing legal medicinal pot is taken by child-protection authorities after an ex-husband says their plants endangered kids. And police officers in New Jersey visit a home after a 9-year-old mentions his mother’s hemp advocacy at school.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/changing-pot-laws-create-gray-areas-in-child-welfare-and-custody-cases/2014/06/15/594e752c-f49b-11e3-b633-0de077c9f768_story.html

US: Supreme Court rules gay couples nationwide have a right to marry
Washington Post – May 26, 2015
The Supreme Court on Friday delivered an historic victory for gay rights, ruling 5-4 that the Constitution requires that same-sex couples be allowed to marry no matter where they live and that states may no longer reserve the right only for heterosexual couples.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gay-marriage-and-other-major-rulings-at-the-supreme-court/2015/06/25/ef75a120-1b6d-11e5-bd7f-4611a60dd8e5_story.html

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Budget cuts and jobs losses for child protection services in NSW ‘absolutely staggering’, Opposition says
ABC News Australia – June 26, 2015
The New South Wales Opposition has accused the Government of axing crucial child protection jobs at a time when it is celebrating a budget surplus, but the Government says the overall funding has increased. Also: Australia: Feds cut funding for child abuse support: http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/06/25/15/39/feds-cut-funding-for-child-abuse-support
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-26/budget-cuts-and-job-losses-for-nsw-child-protection-services/6574612

Canada: New resource promotes Aboriginal cultural identity of children and families
Prince Edward Island – June 25, 2015
A new resource has been developed by Child Protection Services to help preserve and promote the Aboriginal cultural identity of children and families receiving services, says Minister of Family and Human Services Doug Currie.
http://www.gov.pe.ca/newsroom/index.php3?number=news&lang=E&newsnumber=10256

China: Country To Punish Buyers Of Trafficked Children, As Public Demand Stronger Action Against ‘Rampant’ Trade
International Business Times – June 25, 2015
Trafficking in children is “rampant” in some parts of rural China, state media said Thursday, after the country’s legislature began considering a draft legal amendment that would see criminal punishment for those who buy children as well as those who abduct and/or sell them.
http://www.ibtimes.com/china-punish-buyers-trafficked-children-public-demand-stronger-action-against-rampant-1983364

Japan: U.S. rights report slams country on child abuse, prison conditions, asylum system
Japan Times – June 26, 2015
It praised the central government’s decision to revise a law to criminalize the possession of child pornography last June, but said, “No national law addresses the unfettered availability of sexually explicit cartoons, comics and video games, some of which depict scenes of violent sexual abuse and the rape of children.”
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/06/26/national/u-s-rights-report-slams-japan-on-child-abuse-prison-conditions-asylum-system/#.VY1I9EaE03g

United Kingdom: Child abuse going unreported, suggests NSPCC report
Swindon Advertiser – June 25, 2015
The National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is concerned that despite rises in the numbers of recorded offences against children hundreds more cases are unknown.
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/13354375.Child_abuse_going_unreported__suggests_NSPCC_report/
CA: Schools Need Better Tallies, Transparency for Foster Youth Grants
The Chronicle of Social Change – June 24, 2015
Of course, simply acquiring the data on foster students marks a significant shift in the way the education system treats its responsibility for the special funding of these at-risk populations. However, some feel that the LCFF’s accountability mechanism is insufficient, allowing local planners to distribute funds, while leaving them unchecked at the state level.
https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/analysis/california-schools-need-better-tallies-transparency-for-foster-youth-grants/10555

FL: Broward Leads Florida in Child-on-Child Sexual Abuse
Broward Palm Beach New Times – June 25, 2015
Pedophiles are some of the most hated members of society. But what happens when the person sexually abusing a child is himself a child? It’s a disturbing thought — children sexually abusing other children – but unfortunately, it is more prevalent than most people imagine – especially in Broward, where there are more incidents reported than in any other county in Florida.
http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/broward-leads-florida-in-child-on-child-sexual-abuse-7068927

FL: At-risk youth in Sulphur Springs targeted for help
Tampa Tribune – June 18, 2015
In the “iWork” program, residents can learn employment skills. and in the “Catapault Learning” program, 16 to 21-year-olds can get help earning their high school diploma. A new Department of Juvenile Justice Reception Center will be located at the community center so minors in the community have a more easily accessible place to meet with their probation officers and mentors throughout the week.
http://tbo.com/news/breaking-news/at-risk-youth-in-sulphur-springs-targeted-for-help-20150624/

KY: UPDATE: New State Booster Seat Law Takes Effect (Includes video)
WSAZ 3 – June 24, 2015
Now, children younger than eight years old must ride in a booster seat. This age restriction is lifted if the child is taller than 57 inches.
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/New-Kentucky-Booster-Seat-law-Takes-Effect-Wednesday-309523591.html

MA: GOP lawmakers: Parents should decide care if child in state custody
Statehouse News Service – June 24, 2015
Hoping to make parents the arbiter when medical professionals disagree about the care of a child and to avoid the repeat of a saga that embroiled the state’s child protection department and a family from Connecticut, lawmakers on Wednesday pushed for “Justina’s Law.”
http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_28375205/gop-lawmakers-parents-should-decide-care-if-child

NE: ‘Resolved in favor of the child’
Lexington Clipper-Herald – June 24, 2015
In light of a troubling case out North Platte, the Clipper-Herald contacted Lexington High School Principal Kyle Hoehner to discuss LPS policy regarding reported suspected child abuse.
http://lexch.com/news/resolved-in-favor-of-the-child/article_fba0f4ec-1aad-11e5-a76e-37a6df1ea219.html

NE: Shortage of Foster Homes Across State (Includes video)
NBC Nebraska – June 24, 2015
Though shortages for homes are across the board for all ages, the Department of Health and Human Services say the biggest shortage lies among homes for teens. Many foster parents say this is because some are afraid children could have behavioral issues.
http://www.nbcneb.com/home/headlines/Shortage-of-Foster-Homes-Across-State-309654001.html

PA: Child Advocacy Center moving to Sunbury
Daily Item – June 24, 2015
After seeing more than 500 children annually in recent years, Geisinger Health System’s Child Advocacy Center will be moving to a new location in Sunbury that will quadruple its size and allow it to better serve regional victims of child abuse.
http://www.dailyitem.com/news/child-advocacy-center-moving-to-sunbury/article_af444c10-1a68-11e5-a086-a35b10c59394.html

PA: Commissioner: CYS vacancies put children at risk (Includes video)
ABC 27 – June 24, 2015
The commissioners on Wednesday approved a budget that increases funding to Children and Youth Services by $1.5 million. The increased funding will be used, in part, for the hiring of four more caseworkers.
http://abc27.com/2015/06/24/commissioner-cys-vacancies-put-children-at-risk/

SC: A plea to foster hope and security for siblings in crisis
Daniel Island News – June 24, 2015
Experts say that close to 400,000 children in the United States live in foster care, and 75 percent of them have been separated from a sibling. But when brothers and sisters are placed in the same foster home, the results are compelling: siblings placed with NTF foster parents typically return to their own homes, or alternative permanent placements, three times faster than the national average (nine months with NTF versus the national average of 27 months). Though evidence shows that children who have been abused or neglected fare much better when they are placed with their siblings in safe, stable foster homes, Zimmerman concedes that it’s not always easy to find people willing to open their homes to more than one child in need.
http://www.thedanielislandnews.com/artman2/publish/Top_Stories_69/A_plea_to_foster_hope_and_security_for_siblings_in_crisis.php

SD: ‘Terrible Racial Disparities’ Not Fixed With State Juvenile Justice Reform
Indian Country Today Media Network – June 24, 2015
He said that nationally, Native youth are arrested less often than all other youth – but not in South Dakota. There, the Native population is 9 percent, but comprises almost 40 percent of the incarcerated youth.
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/06/24/terrible-racial-disparities-not-fixed-sd-juvenile-justice-reform-160831

WA: “Tough Love” Documentary Gives Insight Into Birth Parents’ Struggles
The Chronicle of Social Change – June 16, 2015
The documentary’s subjects, Hasna “Hannah” Siddique and Patrick Brown, are seen struggling to get their children back from the foster care system, and much of the action is shot in Seattle’s Family Treatment Court, a realm where audio and visual recording privileges must be given by the court’s presiding judge.
https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/news/tough-love-documentary-gives-insight-into-birth-parents-struggles/10461

US: How a Group of Female Inmates Fought for, and Won, the Right to Live with Their Children
Vice Magazine – June 25, 2015
Some states do too, whether through programs like California’s CPMP, prison nursery programs in ten states, or alternative custody programs, which allow mothers to live with their children in a low-security residential setting. The US is one of four countries to allow the separation of newborn babies from their incarcerated mothers, usually within 24 or 48 hours of birth. The others are the Bahamas, Liberia, and Suriname.
http://www.vice.com/read/how-a-group-of-female-inmates-fought-for-the-right-to-live-with-their-children

US: Annie E. Casey Foundation CEO Calls for States to Close ‘Youth Prisons’ (Press release)
PR Newswire – June 24, 2015
McCarthy said states can produce better outcomes for young people who get into trouble with the law, and they should commit to three things: First, decrease the number of youth going into juvenile systems by half; second, improve existing systems by expanding community-based and family-centered programs proven to help kids who have the most serious problems; and third, eliminate all publicly operated and contracted youth prisons and instead use small, treatment-intensive secure care programs. Report: http://www.aecf.org/resources/maltreatment-of-youth-in-us-juvenile-corrections-facilities/
http://www.bizjournals.com/prnewswire/press_releases/2015/06/24/DC42092

US: Could Same-Sex Parenting Study Influence Supreme Court Ruling On Gay Marriage?
International Business Times – June 24, 2015
Children raised in households with two moms or two dads turn out just as fine as kids raised by mixed-gender parents, according to the latest research on same-sex parenting, published this month. The study adds to the growing body of evidence that suggests gay and lesbian parents are just as fit to raise kids as heterosexual parents — a reality researchers hope could influence future U.S. Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage.
http://www.ibtimes.com/could-same-sex-parenting-study-influence-supreme-court-ruling-gay-marriage-1981854

US: DHS to free illegal immigrant families
Washington Times – June 24, 2015
Mr. Johnson’s move met with praise from immigrant rights advocates, who called it a “first step” but said they still want to see the detention centers shut down altogether, and all families released out into the community.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/24/dhs-free-illegal-immigrant-families/

US: How kids became the strongest argument for same-sex marriage
Washington Post – June 24, 2015
Leading medical organizations, including the American Academy for Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association, have endorsed same-sex marriage, citing studies that show that children raised by gay parents fare as well as their peers with different-sex parents.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-kids-became-the-strongest-argument-for-same-sex-marriage/2015/06/24/98955632-18fe-11e5-ab92-c75ae6ab94b5_story.html?tid=hpModule_ba0d4c2a-86a2-11e2-9d71-f0fe

US: Physicians recommend elements to look for in suspected child physical abuse evaluations
Orthopedics Today – June 24, 2015
“Medical evaluation of suspected child physical abuse presents a unique challenge to physicians, requiring consideration of a broad differential, attention to detailed injury history, testing for occult injury, and difficult questions related to social risk factors often overlooked in the setting of acute trauma.”
http://www.healio.com/psychiatry/violence-trauma/news/online/%7B1b56ef6c-7e2d-4d02-9d42-b21f6a5a381c%7D/physicians-recommend-elements-to-look-for-in-suspected-child-physical-abuse-evaluations?sc_trk=i

US: Key “Soft Skills” that Foster Youth Workforce Success: Toward a Consensus across Fields
Child Trends – June 01, 2015
Soft skills are skills, competencies, behaviors, attitudes, and personal qualities that enable youth to navigate their environment, work with others, perform well, and achieve their goals. We’ve identified five key soft skills that — according to researchers, employers, youth, and program implementers — most enable youth (15-29) worldwide to be successful in the workplace.
http://www.childtrends.org/?publications=key-soft-skills-that-foster-youth-workforce-success-toward-a-consensus-across-fields-executive-summary&utm_source=5+Soft+Skills+that+Help+Youth+Succeed+at+Work

INTERNATIONAL

Canada: Childhood adversities, including witnessing parental domestic violence, linked to later migraines
Medical News Today – June 24, 2015
“We found the more types of violence the individual had been exposed to during their childhood, the greater the odds of migraine. For those who reported all three types of adversities–parental domestic violence, childhood physical and sexual abuse–the odds of migraine were a little over three times higher for men and just under three times higher for women” said Sarah Brennenstuhl, PhD, first author of the study.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/295838.php?tw

Cyprus: Adoption likely to be excluded from civil partnerships law
Cyprus Mail – June 24, 2015
Cyprus is not ready to accept child adoption by same sex couples, lawmakers said on Wednesday, and an amendment will be submitted to preclude couples – straight and gay – in civil partnerships from adopting.
http://cyprus-mail.com/2015/06/24/adoption-likely-to-be-excluded-from-civil-partnerships-law/

United Kingdom: Child welfare and neglect worries rise in Wales
South Wales Evening Post – June 24, 2015
“While our figures suggest an encouraging increase in public awareness of child neglect, it is a scandal that people simply don’t know what to do when they think a child is not being cared for or where to go to raise the alarm that a child in their street may be in serious danger.
http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Child-welfare-neglect-worries-rise-Wales/story-26757225-detail/story.html

 

AL: Mobile Archdiocese again tries to block priest from answering sexual-abuse questions
AL.com – June 19, 2015
Mobile County Circuit Judge Sarah Stewart on March 27 rejected the church’s arguments that statements about the decade-old relationship involving the Rev. Johnny Savoie are protected by attorney-client privilege and that an internal investigation into the matter is protected under evidentiary rules holding that lawyers are not compelled to turn over their “work product” to opposing attorneys.
http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2015/06/mobile_archdiocese_again_tries.html

CT: A second chance for youths who break the law?
CT Mirror – June 23, 2015
The state’s goals is to reduce incarceration of minors by 20 percent in three years by creating a more effective system for dealing with the underlying issues that too often land adolescents behind bars.
http://ctmirror.org/2015/06/23/a-second-chance-for-ct-youths-who-break-the-law/

GA: Three areas for community-building identified at ‘data summit’
Athens Banner-Herald – June 24, 2015
Athens could see big gains in child welfare by targeting three neighborhoods for community-building — Rolling Ridge, Hallmark Mobile Home Park and Carriage Court.
http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2015-06-24/three-areas-community-building-identified-data-summit

MN: Counties hire child protection workers with state funds
St. Cloud Times – June 23, 2015
St. Cloud-area counties are hiring new social workers as part of a statewide effort to bolster the child protection system. On Tuesday, Stearns County commissioners approved hiring six new social workers. Earlier this month, Benton County agreed to hire two more, and Sherburne County commissioners will considering adding about four full-time equivalent positions at a July 7 meeting.
http://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2015/06/23/counties-hire-child-protection-workers-state-funds/29184581/

NC: Lawmakers finalize medical treatment, foster care bills
Associated Press – June 23, 2015
One measure is designed to give new leeway to families offering foster care so the children can learn to drive or have a sleepover at a friend’s house. The legislation seeks to remove rules that require official pre-approval of activities and promote normal lives for the children.
http://newsok.com/nc-lawmakers-finalize-medical-treatment-foster-care-bills/article/feed/855468

NY: Adoption advocates irate, say Assembly wrecked Adoptees Bill of Rights
Watertown Daily Times – June 23, 2015
A bill that passed the state Assembly on Thursday is being rejected by its initial advocates, who say legislators completely changed the bill by amending it before a vote. Members of New York Adoption Equality — including an advocate from Hammond — are claiming the Adoptees Bill of Rights was “destroyed” by members of the Assembly before it passed 125-19.
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/adoption-advocates-irate-say-assembly-wrecked-adoptees-bill-of-rights-20150623

NY: New Program Designed to Curb North Country Child Abuse Needs Volunteers (Includes video)
Time Warner Cable News – June 23, 2015
While a $100,000 grant from the state last year will allow for three part-time staff, organizers are now in need of volunteer mentors to get the ball rolling. They’re targeting established families who have raised young children.
http://www.twcnews.com/nys/capital-region/news/2015/06/23/glens-falls-healthy-parenting-and-mentoring-program.html

OH: State working to reduce pain of addiction on families
Chillicothe Gazette – June 23, 2015
The movement for change is being prompted and helped along by a two-year $309,000 federal grant, announced in November, to spread the influence of family drug courts.
http://www.chillicothegazette.com/story/news/local/2015/06/23/ohio-working-reduce-pain-addiction-families/29184371/

VT: Ken Schatz: Working together for a stronger child protection system (Opinion)
VTDigger.com – June 23, 2015
It is important to remember that by the time a family comes to the attention of the child protection system, they are already in serious distress. As a community, we must continue prevention efforts to address opiate abuse and provide a comprehensive system of economic and social supports to families with young children.
http://vtdigger.org/2015/06/23/ken-schatz-working-together-for-a-stronger-child-protection-system/

US: Analysis finds 23% of children are victims of cyberbullying
Medical News Today – June 23, 2015
The most common forms of bullying were name-calling, spreading gossip and rumors and circulating pictures. Victims of this kind of bullying would usually use passive strategies to deal with the abuse, such as blocking the sender. However, the children in the study did not believe much could be done to stop cyberbullying.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/295740.php?tw

US: Civitas Solutions Completes Strategic Review of At-Risk Youth Service Line; Announces Decision to Discontinue Services to Children and Adolescents in Five States (Press release)
Business Wire – June 23, 2015
Civitas Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: CIVI) today announced that it has completed a six-month strategic review of its service line supporting at-risk youth (ARY) that will result in the Company discontinuing ARY services in the states of Florida, Louisiana, Indiana, North Carolina and Texas. This decision will not affect other services provided by the Company in these states.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102782661

US: Supreme Court Rules Teachers Can Testify in Some Child Abuse Cases (Includes video)
WSIL 3 ABC – June 22, 2015
Now, a new U.S. Supreme Court decision could allow a teacher or someone not “charged with uncovering or prosecuting criminal behavior” to give factual testimony, so the victim wouldn’t have to.
http://www.wsiltv.com/news/three-states/Supreme-Court-Rules-Teachers-Can-Testify-in-Some-Child-Abuse-Cases-309139761.html

INTERNATIONAL

Canada: PEI aims to attract new foster parents by increasing compensation
The Canadian Press – June 24, 2015
The Prince Edward Island government says it is aiming to attract new foster parents by increasing its monthly foster care compensation by $200.
http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/p-e-i-aims-to-attract-new-foster-parents-by-increasing-compensation-1.2437544

International: UN panel to review handling of alleged child abuse by French troops
Deutsche Welle – June 23, 2015
The United Nations (UN) has appointed an independent panel to review the organization’s handling of allegations of child sexual abuse by French soldiers. The troops reportedly bought sex from children as young as nine.
http://www.dw.com/en/un-panel-to-review-handling-of-alleged-child-abuse-by-french-troops/a-18535343

Philippines: Tacloban City, Leyte province back child protection bill during calamities
Rappler – June 24, 2015
The Children?s Emergency Relief and Protection Act proposes that national agencies develop a comprehensive plan to enhance services, and increase protection and services for children before, during, and after disasters.
http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/97330-tacloban-leyte-back-child-protection-bill-disasters

United Kingdom: Jersey States approve same-sex couple adoption law
BBC News – June 23, 2015
Unmarried same-sex and heterosexual couples will now be able to adopt children in Jersey following a change in law.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-jersey-33237900

AR: CASA of Northwest Arkansas to help older foster youth
The City Wire – June 22, 2015
The Life Long Links program seeks to reconnect older youth with biological relatives to give a sense of family, identity, and belonging. Once made, these connections may result in something as simple as meaningful and consistent contact between the child and a caring adult or relative. Ideally, this program will result in identifying permanent, safe, and stable homes for these children outside of the foster care system.
http://www.thecitywire.com/node/37919#.VYlSxkaE30g

FL: DCF Investigates Rape Allegations in Miami
News Chief – June 22, 2015
State child welfare officials are investigating after an employee at one of its private foster care contractors allegedly raped a 17-year-old foster girl who had previously been the victim of child prostitution.
http://www.newschief.com/article/20150622/NEWS/150629814/-1/news300?Title=DCF-Investigates-Rape-Allegations-in-Miami

IL: DCFS Investigates Hope Institute for Child Neglect (Includes video)
My Fox Illinois – June 22, 2015
The Department of Children and Family Services announced Monday it is investigating another case of alleged child neglect at the Hope Institute. The state is also suspending all new enrollment at the school. The Illinois Department of Human Resources said Hope has already put some staff on administrative leave in response to the allegations. This is not the first time the hope institute has come under scrutiny for how it treats children.
http://www.foxillinois.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/dcfs-investigates-hope-institute-child-neglect-3348.shtml

IN: 5 takeaways from the DCS ombudsman report
Indianapolis Star – June 22, 2015
A state ombudsman continued to express concern with the high caseloads and staff turnover plaguing the Department of Child Services, according to a recent report from the watchdog agency. Report: http://www.in.gov/idoa/files/DCS_Ombudsman_Bureau_2014_Annual_Report.pdf
http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/06/22/takeaways-dcs-ombudsman-report/29118899/

KY: Social service workers lose 92 cases of possible child abuse
Associated Press – June 22, 2015
More than 90 cases involving possible child abuse or neglect in Northern Kentucky have been lost, with some languishing for months before being recently discovered, state social service officials said. Also: Kids put on hold as social worker pool shrinks: http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2015/06/19/social-workers-say-conditions-worsen-state-agency/29013721/
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/social-service-workers-lose-92-cases-child-abuse-31948300

MD: & PA: Lawsuit involving disabled foster child moved to Maryland
Baltimore Sun – June 22, 2015
A federal lawsuit against a Maryland state contractor centered around a disabled foster child who was injured at a troubled group home has been moved from Pennsylvania to Maryland, records show.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/investigations/bs-md-lifeline-lawsuit-20150622-story.html

MD: “Free range” parents consider legal action after being cleared of neglect
WTOP – June 22, 2015
Parents investigated by Montgomery County’s Office of Child Protective Services for letting their children walk home alone in April are considering legal action — despite being cleared in the case.
http://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2015/06/free-range-parents-consider-legal-action-after-being-cleared-of-neglect/

MN: Hennepin Co. Poised to Add More than 100 Workers to Fortify Child Protection (Includes video)
Eyewitness News 5 – June 22, 2015
Issues plaguing the state’s child protection system have been at the forefront of a public debate that has played out for much of the past year. The fear is that too many Minnesota children are dying after their cases come to the attention of child protection services. Many believe the problem boils down to too many cases, and not enough staff to handle them.
http://kstp.com/news/stories/S3833041.shtml

NE: World-Herald editorial: Flexibility on child welfare is welcome
Omaha World Herald – June 23, 2015
As reported by World-Herald staff writer Martha Stoddard, a number of families have expressed appreciation for how Nebraska child welfare workers have used an approach known as “alternative response.”
http://www.omaha.com/opinion/world-herald-editorial-flexibility-on-child-welfare-is-welcome/article_e25ecda0-e25e-5c70-8743-3b6969f58691.html

NE: 2 educators who suspected child abuse say they were told to check with parents first
Omaha World-Herald – June 22, 2015
In their petition, the teacher and guidance counselor contend that such instructions, issued by North Platte school administrators, violate state law and school policy.
http://www.omaha.com/news/nebraska/educators-who-suspected-child-abuse-say-they-were-told-to/article_acde0cce-d26b-5f00-a839-7a96bb271eb2.html

NV: Daughter-in-law of DFS supervisor to plead guilty to child abuse
Las Vegas Review-Journal – June 22, 2015
Prosecutors said that her mother-in-law, Jody Holt, was working for the child welfare service while she kept her own grandchildren in a home carpeted with filth and failed to report her son and daughter-in-law for possible child endangerment.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/daughter-law-dfs-supervisor-plead-guilty-child-abuse

NY: New Washington, Warren Co. program aims to reduce child abuse cases (Includes video)
ABC News 10 – June 22, 2015
The program called “Healthy Parenting and Mentoring” was able to secure $100,000 in state funds to help it get started. The Warren-Washington Child Advocacy Resource Center is teaming up with the Glens Falls YMCA and Wait House to find volunteers and advocates working with young parents in order to stop the cycle of child abuse
http://news10.com/2015/06/22/ymca-works-with-washinton-co-to-reduce-child-abuse-cases/

PA: Report: Psychotropic Meds Given at 3x Normal Rate in Pennsylvania Foster Care
Education News – June 22, 2015
School-aged children in Pennsylvania who are in foster care use psychotropic drugs at almost three times the overall rate for youth in the state’s Medicaid system, a study by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia reveals.
http://www.educationnews.org/parenting/report-psychotropic-meds-given-at-3x-normal-rate-in-pennsylvania-foster-care/

VT: Improving child protections (Opinion)
Rutland Herald – June 21, 2013
Last year, we mourned the loss of Dezirae Sheldon and Peighton Geraw. These children died, allegedly at the hands of their caregivers, after time spent in the Department for Children and Families’ custody.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150621/OPINION06/706219973

WV: Courts, law enforcement in WV work to protect at-risk kids
State Journal – June 20, 2015
“We don’t really know what the extent of the problem is in West Virginia,” said Lt. D.B. Swiger, commander of the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children unit. “We know it exists, but we’re still (trying) to identify what kind of a problem we have here.” What he does know: More than 900 children, many of them already in the child welfare system, were runaways in 2014; at least 31 of them ran away three times or more, putting them on the WVSP Crimes Against Children unit’s radar.
http://www.statejournal.com/story/29363549/courts-law-enforcement-in-wv-work-to-protect-at-risk-kids

US: Bill Introduced to Help Children in Foster Care with Educational Stability (Press release)
Senator Chuck Grassley – June 22, 2015
U.S. Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have introduced a key bipartisan measure to help give children living in foster homes the best opportunity to get a good education. The legislation, called the Educational Stability of Foster Youth Act, would support students in the foster care system by strengthening connections between child welfare agencies and state and local education institutions. Often, schools may be the only familiar place for a child in foster care, and the Senators? measure will help make sure that those kids can go to school in a safe, stable environment.
http://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/bill-introduced-help-children-foster-care-educational-stability

US: Lack of Will to Keep Siblings Together in Foster Care; But There Is a Way
The Chronicle of Social Change – June 22, 2015
Gordon Johnson, head of the Illinois Department of Children and Families in the 1980’s, was deeply perturbed by the separation of siblings already traumatized by removal from their families. When he became head of Hull House in Chicago, Johnson developed a new approach that enabled siblings to be placed in the same foster home. In 1998, Johnson brought the program to Florida as the non-profit Neighbor-to-Family (NTF), which now operates at multiple sites in four states.
https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/analysis/lack-of-will-to-keep-siblings-together-in-foster-care-but-there-is-a-way/10493

US: As same-sex marriage spreads, ranks of gay dads increase
Associated Press – June 21, 2015
More so than heterosexual couples or lesbians, who can bear their own children, gay men face high hurdles en route to parenthood. The two main avenues open to them – adoption or surrogacy – can be costly and complicated.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FATHERS_DAY_GAY_DADS?SITE=AZPHG&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

US: Supreme Court gay marriage decision could end debate over children’s well-being
Mashable – June 20, 2015
It would all be a rather ordinary day — except for the fact that Mansell and Espejo are plaintiffs in Tanco v. Haslam, which has been consolidated with four other lawsuits under Obergefell v. Hodges, a landmark case before the Supreme Court challenging same-sex marriage bans in Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. (The couple lived in Tennessee when they filed the original suit.) While the case disputes the constitutionality of gay marriage bans, it also raises emotional questions about whether children of such couples are somehow worse off than the offspring of straight couples. An estimated 122,000 same-sex couples in the U.S. are raising more than 200,000 children, according to the Williams Institute, a think tank at the University of California, Los Angeles
http://mashable.com/2015/06/20/gay-marriage-kid-supreme-court/?utm_campaign=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-All-Partial&utm_cid=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-All-Partial&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss

 

INTERNATIONAL

Indonesia: Death of Child Brings Calls for Reform of Child Protection, Adoption Legislation
Library of Congress: LawWeb – June 22, 2015
An infamous case of violence against a child has led to calls for reform in child protection and adoption legislation in Indonesia.
http://www.loc.gov/lawweb/servlet/lloc_news?disp3_l205404459_text

Nepal: Hundreds Of Children At Risk For Trafficking After Earthquake. Here’s Who’s Helping
Huffington Post – June 22, 2015
To prevent children from getting trafficked, UNICEF is working with local police stations to set up or strengthen 84 checkpoints throughout the country, and is collaborating with nonprofit Maiti Nepal on 12 interception points along the India and China borders.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/22/nepal-children-trafficking_n_7637776.html

United Kingdom: Somerset’s new fostering and adoption website is a big hit
Somerset County Gazette – June 23, 2015
There have been over 30,000 page views of Somerset County Council’s new-look website – fosteradoptsomerset.org.uk – for prospective foster carers and adopters, since it went live on January 20.
http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/13348199.Somerset___s_new_fostering_and_adoption_website_is_a_big_hit/

AK: Alaska justice system review will save money, help families stay intact (Opinion)
Alaska Dispatch News – June 19, 2015
Our country’s 30-year prison building boom and its fiscal impacts have been widely discussed. But one often-overlooked impact of America’s high incarceration rates is the impact upon children and families, those innocent casualties left behind.
http://www.adn.com/article/20150619/alaska-justice-system-review-will-save-money-help-families-stay-intact

AR: This term to be last, says re-homing lawmaker Harris
Arkansas Online – June 17, 2015
The Northwest Arkansas Republican legislator who “re-homed” his adopted 5-year-old daughter to a man who later raped her announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election in 2016. Rep. Justin Harris of West Fork said Tuesday that he made the decision about a month ago, near the end of a second Arkansas State Police investigation into allegations of child maltreatment relating to his treatment of the then-5-year-old girl and her 3-year-old sister.
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/jun/17/this-term-to-be-last-says-re-homing-law/

AZ: Career goals of kids in the foster care system
Arizona Republic – June 22, 2015
Foster care kids grow up much quicker than most people. Through the hardships, many find strength, gain perspective and become extremely resilient. They realize their interests, talents, skills and dreams, and are determined to succeed in the future. Gateway Resource: Cross-System Collaboration to Support Youth Involved With Child Welfare
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2015/06/22/career-goals-kids-arizonas-foster-care-system-cbt/28941591/

CA: L.A. County’s Youth Foster Center Should Be Closed Immediately: Panel says (Opinion)
Los Angeles Times – June 22, 2015
Los Angeles County’s foster care system should promptly shut down its last-resort facility for older youth with nowhere else to go and make significant new investments in the facility for younger youth, a special committee appointed by the Board of Supervisors has concluded.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-welcome-center-20150622-story.html

CA: Failing Our Youth: An Inadequate Foster Care System (Audio)
KPFA – June 19, 2015
This show takes a look at issues within the foster care system in the U.S. from the high rate of teen pregnancy to the alarming use of psychiatric medications in California’s foster care system.
https://kpfa.org/episode/making-contact-june-19-2015/

FL: A quality continuum of care is needed for children (Opinion)
Tallahassee Democrat – June 22, 2015
Quality residential care is often the only answer for stabilizing high-needs children, teaching them the skills they need for success, and helping to prepare them for placement in a permanent family. Boys Town advocates for quality residential care for these youth because it is in their best interest and gives them the best opportunity to achieve positive outcomes.
http://www.tallahassee.com/story/opinion/2015/06/22/quality-continuum-care-needed-children/29099111/

FL: Sexually trafficked girl endures new torment — in foster care
Miami Herald – June 19, 2015
It was the kind of encounter that gives child welfare judges nightmares: A 25-year-old male “transporter” with all of three days on the job, and no real background check. And a 17-year-old girl who wound up in foster care partly because she had fallen victim to forced prostitution. Related: DCF investigating after driver allegedly raped foster teen: http://www.wokv.com/ap/ap/florida/dcf-investigating-after-driver-allegedly-raped-fos/nmhpf/
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article25021960.html

IL: Counties team up to fight human trafficking
Chicago Tribune – June 19, 2015
In his address to the seminar participants, Dart said the No. 1 target for human traffickers are young girls in the child welfare system. Mark Price, the chief deputy for the Lake County Superior Court’s Juvenile Division, wants to head that off at the pass.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-lake-trafficking-st-0620-20150619-story.html

IL: Millions pledged to fight Chicago violence have yet to be disbursed
Chicago Tribune – June 19, 2015
With prominent executives at the helm and a goal of $50 million in corporate pledges, the new private foundation called Get IN Chicago presented itself as a departure from the usual practice of pumping tax dollars to community groups while paying little heed to the results.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-youth-violence-prevention-met-20150618-story.html#page=1

MD: “Free range” parents are cleared in second neglect case
Washington Post – June 21, 2015
Danielle Meitiv said Sunday night that she and her husband Alexander received the decision in a letter from Child Protective Services June 13 as they were about to leave for vacation. Child Protective Services officials have said in the past that they could not comment on such matters on grounds of confidentiality.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/marylands-free-range-parents-are-cleared-in-second-neglect-case/2015/06/21/83d0d1b4-16d7-11e5-89f3-61410da94eb1_story.html?wprss=rss_local

ME: ‘Evidence of cultural genocide’ in Maine says state’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission
CBC News – June 19, 2015
On Thursday, the Manitoba government apologized for the Sixties Scoop – the forced adoption and relocation of thousands of indigenous children. But in Maine, where indigenous peoples faced a similar problem with child welfare agencies – a different approach has been taken to facing a dark history.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/maine-s-truth-and-reconciliation-commission-finds-evidence-of-cultural-genocide-1.3119567?cmp=rss

MN: Stevens County will add two social workers to children’s unit
Morris Sun Tribune – June 18, 2015
Stevens County will add two new social workers in the department’s children’s unit, thanks in part to additional state funding for child protection measures.
http://www.morrissuntribune.com/news/3769445-stevens-county-will-add-two-social-workers-childrens-unit

MO: Attorneys receive training to help children in the court system (Includes video)
WGEM – June 18, 2015
This is the fifth year of the free training in Hannibal, which started from a change in Missouri state statue requiring any Guardian Ad Litem to have yearly follow-up training. 10th Judicial Circuit Presiding Judge Rachel Shepherd says the training helps attorneys locate services in the area to help in the judicial process.
http://www.wgem.com/story/29355670/2015/06/18/attorneys-receive-training-to-help-children-in-the-court-system

OK: The Oklahoman: No easy choices when trimming Oklahoma DHS (Opinion)
Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise – June 21, 2015
How would you like to be Ed Lake, director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, and have to figure out where to make cuts to an agency that’s charged with tasks ranging from caring for abused and neglected children to issuing food stamps to helping feed the state’s elderly?
http://examiner-enterprise.com/opinion/editorials/oklahoman-no-easy-choices-when-trimming-oklahoma-dhs-budget

PA: Children and Youth agency plans to embark on new training program
Observer-Reporter – June 19, 2015
Washington County commissioners entered into a $204,400 contract this week with a New Jersey firm to provide about a year’s worth of training for employees of the Children and Youth Services agency on how to use data and technology to measure the most effective way to help children.
http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20150619/NEWS01/150619369

TX: Foster parents accused of sexual abuse may have earned $1.6 million from state
El Paso Times – June 19, 2015
An El Paso couple arrested in April on suspicion of sexually abusing two foster children might have earned as much as $1.6 million from the state as foster parents over 14 years, documents show.
http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_28348278/foster-parents-accused-sexual-abuse-may-have-earned?source=rss

US: Prison Born
The Atlantic – June 21, 2015
Over the past four decades, as the inmate population in the United States has grown into the largest in the world, the number of children with a parent in custody has risen to nearly 3 million. For corrections officials and policy makers, those relationships can fade into the background. But not when a child is born on the inside.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/prison-born/ar-AAbTvEF

US: Kuster Introduces Legislation to Protect Adoptions
Concord Patch – June 19, 2015
The bipartisan legislation would create an electronic National Responsible Father Registry to help place children in permanent homes more quickly. The bill would also help preserve the safety and privacy of mothers, facilitate domestic adoptions, and ensure a birthfather’s rights are protected so adoptions remain secure from future interruptions.
http://patch.com/new-hampshire/concord-nh/kuster-introduces-legislation-protect-adoptions

INTERNATIONAL

Canada: Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth invites services providers and professionals to renew their commitment to LGBTQ2S young people
Canada Newswire – June 19, 2015
With a number of Pride celebrations underway, Ontario’s Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth is calling on service providers and professionals who work with LGBTQ2S (lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, 2 spirited) young people to renew their commitment and share their best practices for creating safe, equal and supportive environments.
http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201506190900CANADANWCANADAPR_C5624-1

International: World refugee day: One in two refugees is a child
ReliefWeb – June 20, 2015
One in two refugees is a child. Many of them are born in refugee camps and denied a birth registration and nationality. Around the world, many of the refugee children do not access education, health care and enter harmful work to maintain themselves and their families.
http://reliefweb.int/report/world/world-refugee-day-one-two-refugees-child

Namibia: USAID Ends Orphan Funding
All Africa – June 19, 2015
The country’s ambassador to Namibia, Thomas Daughton, said the closure comes after a realisation that they have reached their target in Namibia. So far more than 30 000 vulnerable children at existing 3 000 early childhood development (ECD) centres in Namibia benefited from the project.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201506190590.html

Nepal: Children are at risk of trafficking, says Unicef
Reuters – June 19, 2015
Children in earthquake-hit Nepal are more at risk of trafficking and exploitation or of being sent unnecessarily or illegally to live in orphanages since the first quake struck in April, the UN children’s fund (Unicef) said yesterday.
http://www.gulf-times.com/nepal/250/details/443891/children-are-at-risk-of-trafficking%2c-says-unicef

United Kingdom: Councils get £4.5m to kick start regional adoption agencies
LocalGov – June 22, 2015
The first regional adoption agencies – groups of councils matching children with parents – will be up and running months earlier than planned after a £4.5m cash injection.
http://www.localgov.co.uk/Councils-get-45m-to-kick-start-regional-adoption-agencies/38903

AZ: Ducey aims for more foster care
Associated Press – June 18, 2015
The actions announced Wednesday are intended to engage the faith-based community in identifying families who will help provide homes for the more than 17,000 Arizona children now in state care. About half those children are placed with relatives, but the other half are in foster or group homes.
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/arizona_news/ducey-aims-for-more-foster-care/article_02aeb684-15d6-11e5-b477-4b04a96baa50.html

CA: Foster kids overcome obstacles, graduate high school (Includes video)
KABC-TV – June 19, 2015
It was an emotional ceremony for 175 foster kids, who overcame obstacles to mark a big milestone in their lives – they graduated high school and all of them are heading to college. Information Gateway Resource: Support Services for Youth in Transition: Education: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/outofhome/independent/support/education/
http://abc7.com/education/foster-kids-overcome-obstacles-graduate-high-school/794291/

GA: Cagle: Building a better child welfare system in Georgia (Opinion)
Online Athens – June 19, 2015
The plan includes a serious investment in the front lines of the fight against abuse and neglect — an investment that ensures we have enough boots on the ground to respond to the needs of our communities and staff with the skills necessary to make tough calls in complex situations.
http://onlineathens.com/opinion/2015-06-19/cagle-building-better-child-welfare-system-georgia

MD: Editorial: Maryland fixes error in its child ‘neglect’ policy
Free Lance-Star – June 19, 2015
It may have taken a public relations battering and threats of a lawsuit, but Maryland officials have decided that they shouldn’t be badgering parents who let their children walk and play outside without adult supervision.
http://www.fredericksburg.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-maryland-fixes-error-in-its-child-neglect-policy/article_053e8cac-f23d-5a13-9a9a-18f21cffebdf.html

ME: Why are Native Maine Children 5 Times More Likely to be in Foster Care?
Care2 – June 19, 2015
The small state of Maine just took a big step towards statewide healing. In a new state report, The Pine Tree State owned up to the cultural genocide of indigenous communities, particularly the Wabanaki (“The People of the Dawn”) experience. Report: http://www.mainewabanakitrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MaineWabanaki-StateTRC-Report_061415a-opt.pdf
http://www.care2.com/causes/why-are-native-maine-children-5-times-more-likely-to-be-in-foster-care.html

ME: Embracing diversity stressed at Maine Child Welfare Conference
BDN Maine – June 18, 2015
By ignoring her daughter’s diversity, her in-laws “failed to encompass the whole person.” The same thing can happen with those who provide services to children, she stressed to conference attendees Wednesday at the University of Maine.
http://bangordailynews.com/2015/06/18/news/bangor/embracing-diversity-stressed-at-maine-child-welfare-conference/

MI: Column: Faith-based adoption helps children (Opinion)
The Detroit News – June 19, 2015
To have these bills passed protects us, the agency, and the kids and families they serve. It keeps their doors open to serve our community. And it puts the best interest of kids ahead of the politics and personal opinions the adults have.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2015/06/19/faith-adoption-helps-children/28947533/

NY: More Support for Adopted Children and Families from Investment in Post-Adoption Services
WAER – June 18, 2015
Families that adopt children from foster care can sometimes need help adjusting to the new situation at home. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services is committing 1.5 million dollars for post adoption services.
http://waer.org/post/more-support-adopted-children-and-families-investment-post-adoption-services

PA: Pickett supports legislation to more effectively determine background checks for those working with children
The Daily Review – June 19, 2015
To bring clarity to the issue of background checks for employees and volunteers who work directly and routinely with children, Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna) has voted in support of legislation to address much of the confusion surrounding a new state law requiring the checks.
http://thedailyreview.com/news/pickett-supports-legislation-to-more-effectively-determine-background-checks-for-those-working-with-children-1.1900235

PA: County Commissioners Will Investigate Pocono Child Abuse Response (Includes video)
PA Homepage – June 18, 2015
Monroe County Commissioners are investigating Children and Youth’s response to child abuse concerns in the Poconos.
http://www.pahomepage.com/story/d/story/county-commissioners-will-investigate-pocono-child/37462/CRO9POmzMUepxZleA73sCQ

RI: Report finds 25% of R.I. infants living below poverty line
Warwick Beacon – June 18, 2015
In 2013, 25 percent of infants and toddlers under the age of 3 were living below the poverty line in Rhode Island, according to Kids Count’s newest report, “Infants, Toddlers, and their Families Rhode Island.” Nationally, this population is three times more likely to be living in poverty than adults 65 and older. Report: http://www.rikidscount.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/Special%20Publications/NextSteps-June2015-FINAL.pdf Information Gateway Resource: Poverty and Economic Conditions: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/can/factors/contribute/environmental/poverty/
http://warwickonline.com/stories/Report-finds-25-of-RI-infants-living-below-poverty-line,103414?category_id=4&content_class=1&town_id=1&sub_type=stories

SC: Fostering Great Ideas: Programs seek help for kids in foster care
Greenville Journal – June 18, 2015
After working in business development and in clinical care, White set out to “listen to children in foster care and create initiatives to fill that need.” Fostering Great Ideas was the result. The nonprofit now has nine initiatives designed to address children’s needs.
http://greenvillejournal.com/life-culture/4500-fostering-great-ideas.html

WY: State continues foster care recruitment and retention efforts
Casper Journal – June 18, 2015
Wyoming needs to recruit more than 150 new foster families, according to the Director of the Wyoming Department of Family Services, and DFS is well on its way to meeting that goal.
http://casperjournal.com/news/quick_news/article_19a885c1-956d-583a-a981-94c2f066addf.html

US: Supreme Court Allows Use of Child Abuse Evidence
Associated Press – June 18, 2015
Statements that children make to teachers about possible abuse can be used as evidence, even if the child does not testify in court, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/supreme-court-child-abuse-evidence-31857537

 

INTERNATIONAL

Canada: Treated ‘like we were pets:’ Manitoba formally apologizes for ’60s Scoop
The Canadian Press – June 18, 2015
On Thursday, Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger apologized to Orgeron and thousands of other victims. “I would like to apologize on behalf of the Province of Manitoba for the ’60s Scoop–the practice of removing First Nation, Motis and Inuit children from their families and placing them for adoption in non-Indigenous homes, sometimes far from their home community, and for the losses of culture and identity to the children and their families and communities,” Selinger told a packed gallery of adoptees, supporters and aboriginal leaders. Also: Manitoba to become first province to formally apologize to aboriginal adoptees: http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/manitoba-becomes-first-province-to-formally-apologize-to-aboriginal-adoptees-1.2428247
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/manitoba-to-become-first-province-to-formally-apologize-to-aboriginal-adoptees-308091361.html

China: Advocacy ‘legally unreasonable’
Global Times – June 18, 2015
A matchmaking website on Thursday apologized for posting an online campaign calling for the death penalty for all child traffickers for commercial purposes, as the advocacy triggered heated debate overnight.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/927912.shtml

International: Il Papa vs. My Fathers: What The Pope Doesn’t Understand About Child Abuse (Opinion)
Huffington Post – June 18, 2015
If Pope Francis can root the shame of child-molesting priests out of his Church, that will be a great thing and a legacy to remember him by. But that won’t be the end of child abuse in the Catholic Church, because as long as any kid of gay parents is made to feel lesser-than because of its Pontiff’s remarks, the Church is still harming children.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/buster-ross/il-papa-vs-my-fathers-wha_1_b_7606924.html

United Kingdom: Jehovah’s Witnesses to compensate woman over sex abuse
BBC News – June 19, 2015
A woman who claimed Jehovah’s Witness elders failed to protect her from sex abuse carried out by a convicted paedophile has won a six-figure payout. Also: Jehovah’s Witness elders “don’t take child abuse seriously”: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33195609
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33201010

 

CA: Abandoned Jewel: Group Seeks to Help to Launch Programs for Adult Former Foster Children in 3 Southern California Cities
East Country Magazine – June 15, 2015
Every year, over 400,000 children are in foster care. But when they reach 18, many are still struggling, without enough resources. Now AbandonedJewel.org has a goal to provide free Ph.D.-facilitated monthly support group meetings and assistance for adult former foster children.
http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/abandoned-jewel-group-seeks-help-launch-programs-adult-former-foster-children-3-southern-california

CA: L.A. Child Protection Director Seeks Community Input
Chronicle of Social Change – June 15, 2015
Creating a child safety mobile app was not one of the recommendations laid out in the Los Angeles County Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) on Child Protection’s 2014 report. Instead, it was a recommendation made by a group of people who attended a child protection strategic planning meeting June 11 in Compton, Calif.
https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/news/l-a-child-protection-director-seeks-community-input/10460

CA: Study: At-risk Los Angeles kids short-changed in spending
Associated Press – June 15, 2015
A new stream of state funds intended to provide greater educational equity for at-risk students in Los Angeles is largely going for other purposes, a study released Monday found. Report: http://laschoolreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/UC-Berkeley-United-Way-Research-Findings-on-LAUSD-budget-June-15-2015.pdf
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CA_CALIFORNIA_SCHOOL_FUNDING_CAOL-?SITE=CASCN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-06-15-15-26-02

CO: Camp to Belong Reunites Siblings Separated by Foster Care
Rocky Mountain PBS News – June 15, 2015
In Colorado, about 1,100 kids are a part of the state foster care system every year. Stacey Sanders, a camp executive, says that of the youth in foster care, about 500 are separated from one or more sibling each year.
http://inewsnetwork.org/2015/06/15/camp-to-belong-colorado-reunites-siblings-separated-by-foster-care/

ME: Alarming Information Released in Regards to the State’s Native Americans
Fox Bangor – June 15, 2015
With some of the findings disturbing, one reported, native children are 5.1 times more likely to end up in foster care. Those there, say this news information will be used to make a changes. Report: http://www.mainewabanakitrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MaineWabanaki-StateTRC-Report_061415a-opt.pdf
http://www.foxbangor.com/news/local-news/9791-alarming-information-released-in-regards-to-the-states-native-americans.html

ME: New advocacy center for abuse victims opens (Includes video)
WLBZ 2 – June 15, 2015
The Cumberland County Children’s Advocacy Center will allow law enforcement, prosecutors and social workers a place to meet and interview alleged victims in a kid-friendly environment. Employees said it will speed up the investigation process into child abuse allegations.
http://www.wlbz2.com/story/news/local/portland/2015/06/15/new-child-abuse-center-opens-cumberland-county/71267102/

MI: New state adoption law can discriminate against anyone (Opinion)
Detroit News – June 16, 2015
Our goal is to adopt a child from foster care. But, given our first experience and rejection, we are very concerned about the law signed by Gov. Rick Snyder last week allowing faith-based adoption agencies (including those funded by tax dollars) to deny services to families based on religious beliefs. This can include unmarried couples, same-sex couples, those who hold different religious beliefs or anyone else for any reason at all. The reasons don’t even need to be disclosed.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2015/06/16/adoption-law-discriminate-anyone/71267574/

MI: Report: St. Clair County leads region in rate of confirmed cases of child abuse, neglect
The Voice (MI) – June 15, 2015
A report by Wayne State University released May 25 suggests that the rate of confirmed child abuse and neglect in St. Clair County was the highest in the seven-county region over a five-year period from 2009 to 2013.
http://voicenews.com/articles/2015/06/15//news/doc5570a7948d2aa614150262.txt

MN: Five children killed by abuse or neglect since 2014
Minneapolis Star Tribune – June 16, 2015
Five children have died from abuse or neglect since 2014 whose caregivers were known to Hennepin County Child Protection Services.
http://www.startribune.com/five-children-killed-by-abuse-or-neglect-since-2014/307502271/

MN: Hennepin Co. child protection found to be overloaded
Minneapolis Star Tribune – June 16, 2015
The safety of abused children in Hennepin County is compromised because of an underfunded child protection system whose workers are overloaded and undersupported and lack “a sense of urgency, “according to a report released last week by a national child welfare foundation.
http://www.startribune.com/report-hennepin-county-child-protection-needs-more-staff-to-meet-caseload-demands/307500791/

MO: Top reasons why area youths are homeless revealed in report
Springfield News-Leader – June 15, 2015
The report showed the number one reason youths are becoming homeless in the Ozarks is because they are kicked out of the family home. This was the number three reason two years ago. Other reasons in the top five included lots of arguments at home, verbal abuse, feeling unsafe at home and physical abuse. Gateway Resource: Support Services for Youth in Transition: Housing: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/outofhome/independent/support/housing/
http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2015/06/15/top-reasons-area-youths-homeless-revealed-report/28781485/

MO: YouthBridge Community Foundation announces new grant program
St. Louis Post-Dispatch – June 15, 2015
YouthBridge Community Foundation is pleased to announce a new grant program that will award up to $15,000 in general operating support to child and family serving nonprofit organizations that primarily provide foster/adoptive care services or family support services designed to prevent child abuse and neglect.
http://interact.stltoday.com/pr/non-profits/PR061515024221918

NJ: When considering adoption, look far – and near (Opinion)
Hunterdon County Democrat – June 15, 2015
Whether it’s through Kidsave, the state’s Department of Children and Families or any other agency, the decision to adopt – especially when it involves an older child or a child with developmental delays or health issues – is never easy.
http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/06/when_considering_adoption_look_far_-_and_near_edit.html

NY: Children’s Home to receive $142,500 for post-adoption services
Watertown Daily Times – June 16, 2015
The Children’s Home of Jefferson County will receive $142,500 to provide post-adoption services — one of eight agencies to be awarded money through the state Office of Children and Family Services.
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/childrens-home-to-receive-142500-for-post-adoption-services–20150616

SC: Heart Gallery Captures Adoption Importance (Includes video)
WLTX – June 15, 2015
Heart Gallery does adoption recruitment for children in foster care. They use local photographers to take pictures of children who are waiting to be matched. A black and white copy of the picture, along with a brief description of the child’s personality, is then placed around the state in hopes that a family will want to adopt and give the children a permanent home.
http://www.wltx.com/story/life/2015/06/15/heart-gallery-captures-adoption-importance/28787573/

TX: Kurt Senske: How can you help Texas’ foster kids? (Opinion)
Dallas Morning News – June 15, 2015
Upbring, the largest nonprofit foster placement and adoption agency in Texas, believes that as members of a caring community, we all share responsibility in helping to raise healthy children prepared to embrace successful lives.
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20150615-kurt-senske-how-can-you-help-texas-foster-kids.ece

VT: Vermont’s new law makes child safety priority
Associated Press – June 15, 2015
Vermont’s new child safety law shifts the state’s priority in protecting children to their well-being from an imperative to reunite them with their families, officials said Monday during the governor’s bill-signing ceremony at his Statehouse office.
http://www.elkharttruth.com/news/national/2015/06/15/Vermont-s-new-law-makes-child-safety-priority.html

US: SAMHSA’s National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative Helps Children Recover and Thrive With New Campaign
Marketwired (Press Release) – June 16, 2015
Raising awareness about the impact of child traumatic stress and what parents and caregivers can do to help children recover and thrive is the focus of a new public education campaign launched today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and its National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI). The campaign, titled, “Helping Kids Recover and Thrive,” includes new public service announcements (PSAs) in English and Spanish, as well as a website.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/samhsas-national-child-traumatic-stress-180554322.html

US: Pay Foster Parents as Professionals (Opinion)
Fostering Reform – June 15, 2015
Several members of the Senate Finance Committee, including Chair Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) have voiced support for limiting congregate care. Hatch proposed legislation last year to tighten restrictions on group homes, eliminating the federal match for group homes for very young children and (after a certain time period) for older youth.
http://fosteringreform.blogspot.com/2015/06/pay-foster-parents-as-professionals.html

US: Two US bishops quit over child abuse case
Australian Associated Press – June 15, 2015
The Vatican has accepted the resignation of two US bishops accused of failing to protect minors from a pedophile priest and set a date for the unprecedented trial of a senior cleric for pedophilia.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/06/15/two-us-bishops-quit-over-child-abuse-case

Authorities await scientific evidence in child death case

Glens Falls Post-Star

KINGSBURY | Washington County police and prosecutors are awaiting the completion of a “scientific analysis” of the drug concentrations in a …

 Local parents charged in child’s death Police say couple were ‘against’ modern medicine

Towanda Daily Review

Based off of Dr. Terzian’s report, Bradford County Coroner Tom Carman ruled the child’s death a homicide, which began an investigation into the …

Bradford County pair charged in child’s death – Press & Sun-Bulletin

Mother Accused in Death of Child Didn’t Trust Doctors – wnep.com

Full Coverage

E. coli infections, including one linked to toddler’s death, confirmed at now-shuttered South

New York Daily News

The May 31 death of Myles Mayfield prompted the South Carolina Department … The county coroner ruled days later that the child died from hemolytic …

Police: Child’s death 7 months ago ruled homicide

WBAL Baltimore

Homicide detectives were called to the scene to investigate. On Friday, the child’s death was determined to be a homicide due to malnourishment and …

Appeals court affirms denial of post-conviction relief in child death case

Mason City Globe Gazette

Christopher McCoy, 38, was convicted by a jury of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment causing the January 2006 death of Riley Prazak.

Court denies bid for post-conviction relief – Mason City Globe Gazette

Full Coverage

 

Man arrested in connection with 4-month-old child’s death released

KOCO Oklahoma City

CHICKASHA, Okla. —The man who was arrested in connection with the death of a 4-month-old child in Chickasha was released from the Grady …

 

Man shot by anti-gang activist is suspected in child’s death

KOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News

A man who was shot and paralyzed by one of Denver’s leading anti-gang activists is suspected in the death of a 2-year-old girl. The Denver Post …

Man shot by anti-gang activist is suspected in child’s death – KOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News

Infamous Denver gang shooting victim accused in toddler’s Aurora death – The Denver Post

Hasan Jones, a paralyzed ex-gang member, is accused of killing girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter – The Denver Channel

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Mpls. Police: Juvenile Suspect Arrested In Child’s Death

CBS Local

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minneapolis police say they have arrested a juvenile suspect in connection to the death of a 2-year-old child Wednesday …

Charges may come Friday in 2-year-old’s death in Minneapolis – Minneapolis Star Tribune

Juvenile suspect in custody after 2-year-old child dies in Minneapolis – Minneapolis Star Tribune

17-Year-Old Held in Death of Girlfriend’s Daughter in Minneapolis – KSTP.com

 

Waveland father indicted in child’s death

WAPT Jackson

According to multiple media reports, Oren Lewis, 33, is charged in the 2013 death of 23-month old Maleah “Gracie” Bush. The indictment was issued …

Waveland father indicted in child’s death – SunHerald.com

Waveland father indicted in child’s death – Mississippi News Now

Waveland father indicted in child’s death – WJTV

 

 

WVNS-TV

One person has been charged in death of children case in Fayette County.

WVNS-TV

Ashley Penson, 25 of Hilltop pleaded guilty to child injury resulting in death. On March 11, 2014 the Fayette County Sheriffs department responded to …

 

Witness The Death Of A Child’s Future In This Walmart

The Concourse – Deadspin

The two videos embedded in this post are called “Beech Grove Walmart fight part 1” and “Beech Grove Walmart fight part 2.” Each video carries the …

 

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Victims of abuse and forced adoption share their stories
Gympie Times – June 15, 2015
The Gympie region’s forgotten Australians, including many victims of forced adoption and institutionalised abuse, will have a chance to tell their stories. Gympie man John Deller yesterday convened a meeting of victims and support organisation representatives.
http://www.gympietimes.com.au/news/forgotten-no-more-as-victims-helped/2672961/

Canada: Foster kids no longer staying in Regina hotels
CJME – June 15, 2015
Natalie Huber, executive director of child and family programs in the Ministry of Social Services, confirmed Monday that foster children’s hotel stays were over.
http://cjme.com/story/foster-kids-no-longer-staying-regina-hotels/561712

International: Swedish FM slams UN for suspending whistleblower who exposed child abuse by peacekeepers
RT.com – June 15, 2015
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom has hit out at the UN for suspending Anders Kompass, who leaked documents about French peacekeepers in the Central African Republic allegedly being involved in child abuse cases.
http://rt.com/news/267280-sweden-un-peacekeepers-abuse/

Liberia: Over 150 LNP Officers Brainstorm On Child Protection
AllAfrica – June 15, 2015
The training, according to the Coordinator/Program Manager of the section said the training seeks to define the role of the police generally and specific responsibilities and a multiple-disciplinary team approach on juvenile justice among others.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201506152689.html

Uganda: Accelerate efforts to end child marriage in Uganda
Daily Mail (Uganda) – June 16, 2015
Today, Uganda joins the rest of the world to commemorate the Day of the African Child under the theme, “25 Years after the Adoption of the African Children’s Charter: Accelerating our Collective Efforts to End Child Marriage in Africa.”
http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/Accelerate-efforts-to-end-child-marriage-in-Uganda/-/689364/2753134/-/3y5y88z/-/index.html

United Kingdom: LGA: councils picking up child protection costs
Public Finance – June 15, 2015
Councils are footing the bill for local child protection initiatives because the police, NHS and schools do not contribute a fair share of funding, the Local Government Association has claimed today.
http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2015/06/lga-councils-picking-child-protection-costs

Vatican: Vatican to try official on child porn charges
CNN – June 15, 2015
The Pope’s former ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Jozef Wesolowski–accused of offenses related to child abuse–will be tried at the Vatican beginning next month, the Vatican said Monday.
http://www.kwch.com/news/national/vatican-official-to-face-child-abuse-charges/33582396

CA: Report: LAUSD’s short-changed disadvantaged schools, students
Los Angeles Daily News – June 12, 2015
Schools in poverty-stricken neighborhoods have not been receiving their fair share of state funding from Los Angeles Unified School District, according to a new report from the University of California, Berkeley and United Way of Greater Los Angeles. Out of $820 million in extra funding sent to LAUSD this year, Gov. Jerry Brown intended for $145 million to be spent on kids who live in poverty or foster care or are struggling to learn the English language.
http://www.dailynews.com/social-affairs/20150612/report-lausds-short-changed-disadvantaged-schools-students

CA: Child abuse down 12% in SLO County
Times Press Recorder – June 11, 2015
The Action for Healthy Communities 2013 Vital Signs Report said that “while San Luis Obispo County has seen a 12 percent decrease in total cases of substantiated child abuse from 2006 to 2012, the rate of substantiated cases for the county (13.9 per 1,000) was still higher than for the state of California as a whole (9.2 per 1,000) in 2012.” Report: http://cfsloco.org/images/cms/files/2013VitalSignsSLO.pdf
http://timespressrecorder.com/news/local/child-abuse-down-in-slo-county/article_a033f2fc-10fd-5688-896f-a83ebbc6a1b8.html

CT: Supreme Court upholds firing of social worker
Associated Press – June 12, 2015
Connecticut’s Supreme Court on Friday upheld a decision by the state Department of Children and Families to fire a social worker who was charged with manslaughter in the death of her own foster child. Suzanne Listro’s union appealed and sought to get her job back after she was acquitted in the 2008 death of 7-month old Michael Brown Jr.
http://www.newstimes.com/news/crime/article/Connecticut-Supreme-Court-upholds-firing-of-DCF-6323583.php

FL: Governor signs bill repealing gay adoption ban
Metro Weekly – June 12, 2015
Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) signed into law on Thursday a bill that repeals the Sunshine State’s nearly four decade-long law prohibiting same-sex couples from adopting children. But he also urged the Florida Legislature to pass a conscience clause-style bill that would allow adoption and child placement agencies to refuse to serve prospective parents if doing so would violate their religious beliefs.
http://www.metroweekly.com/2015/06/florida-governor-signs-bill-repealing-gay-adoption-ban/

MD: New guidelines in ‘free-range parent’ cases
Reuters – June 12, 2015
Maryland officials have limited state child protective services involvement in so-called “free-range” parenting cases under a policy directive released on Friday. The policy limits child protective services’ involvement in so-called “free-range” parenting cases unless children have been harmed or face an serious and immediate danger. Also: After ‘free-range’ case, Maryland clarifies solo-kids policy: http://globegazette.com/news/national/after-free-range-case-maryland-clarifies-solo-kids-policy/article_9e0bceaf-32a3-531a-a308-651395d6cd54.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/12/us-usa-maryland-parenting-idUSKBN0OS20Z20150612

ME: Closing ceremony for Maine Native Americans (Includes video)
WCSH6 – June 14, 2015
The Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or TRC held their closing ceremony on Sunday. For 27 months, the TRC, has been researching, gathering statements and exploring the Wabankai’s experience with child welfare. Report: http://www.mainewabanakitrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MaineWabanaki-StateTRC-Report_061415a-opt.pdf Also: Commission’s Results Bring Positive Change in Child Welfare (Includes video): http://wabi.tv/2015/06/14/commissions-results-bring-positive-change-in-child-welfare/
http://www.wcsh6.com/story/news/2015/06/14/tribal-healing-meeting/71223876/

MI: Mixed reaction greets Michigan’s new gay adoption law (Includes video)
USA Today – June 12, 2015
“It puts an unfair burden on my husband and I,” said O’Conner, 27, of Pittsfield Township, Mich. “It’s a double standard that doesn’t make a lot of sense.” But Catholic leaders and evangelical Christians, who say the new law will help preserve religious liberty, are cheering Snyder’s move, which was effective immediately.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/06/12/gay-unmarried-couple-adoption-michigan/71115236/

NC: House unanimously passes foster-care bill
Winston-Salem Journal – June 12, 2015
The State House on Tuesday passed a bipartisan foster-care bill by a 115-0 vote that includes providing services to youth until age 21. There are companion “Fostering Success” bills — House Bill 424 and Senate Bill 424 — affecting the age limit for people in foster care and guardianship.
http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/n-c-house-unanimously-passes-foster-care-bill/article_28e90619-4edd-5bd4-9336-9c6850dc3f67.html

NE: Child welfare workers test gentler approach instead of ‘us versus you’
Omaha World Herald – June 15, 2015
Nebraska child welfare workers don’t typically receive thanks from families that are reported for child abuse or neglect. But workers trying a gentler approach to keeping children safe have proved to be the exception to the rule.
http://www.livewellnebraska.com/health/nebraska-child-welfare-workers-test-gentler-approach-instead-of-us/article_853e8fcb-e567-512b-81fd-9d266927cac0.html

NV: State Supreme Court Creates Guardianship Commission
Las Vegas Tribune – June 12, 2015
The Nevada Supreme Court has petitioned to created a commission to study the Administration of Guardianships in Nevada’s Courts with no more than twenty representatives from the public and private guardianship system, but as is the case with the Blue Ribbon Committee to study the Family Court adoption cases, none of those affected are included in the commission.
http://lasvegastribune.net/nv-supreme-court-creates-guardianship-commission/

NY: Adoptees push state Legislature to pass ‘long overdue’ law granting them birth certificate access
New York Daily News – June 15, 2015
With just days before the Legislature ends its session, supporters of the so-called Bill of Adoptee Rights said the measure has more than enough support to pass but they are struggling to convince leaders in the Assembly and Senate to allow a vote.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/adoptees-push-legislature-pass-birth-cert-access-law-article-1.2258267

PA: Being Beautiful Foundation helping foster care youth in Philadelphia
Philadelphia Sun – June 12, 2015
Being Beautiful Foundation works with youth currently placed in the foster care or residential care in Philadelphia. The organization offers several programs for these youth, including Camp Butterfly, a series of life enrichment workshops. These workshops educate, inspire and motivate children in foster care and equip them with the tools they need to succeed in life.
http://www.philasun.com/local/being-beautiful-foundation-helping-foster-care-youth-in-philadelphia/

VT: Shumlin to sign bill to improve state child safety system
Associated Press – June 15, 2015
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin is set to sign into law a bill designed to improve Vermont’s child protection system, in part by strengthening communications between the various entities involved in that effort. The deaths in early 2014 of two children who had been seen by state social workers prompted multiple investigations into how well the state Department for Children and Families had been performing.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Shumlin-to-sign-bill-to-improve-state-child-6327228.php

US: When the Free ID Isn’t Free
Medium.com – June 15, 2015
There are many reasons why low-income Americans lack legal ID. Young adults aging out of foster care programs often need help locating vital records. Adults fleeing domestic abuse are often forced to leave documents behind. Americans who were born at home or delivered by midwife can lack birth certificates.
https://medium.com/@kellyfetty/when-the-free-id-isn-t-free-5d7d23b07747

US: Same-Sex Parents’ Rights May Be Unresolved After Justices; Ruling
New York Times – June 14, 2015
If same-sex marriage is legalized nationwide as part of the monumental case before the Supreme Court — a decision is expected this month –married couples living in states that do not acknowledge their unions will gain significant financial and legal benefits. But as sweeping as the changes will be, one aspect of marriage may not always be automatically guaranteed: parental rights.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/15/your-money/same-sex-parents-rights-may-be-unresolved-after-justices-ruling.html?_r=0

US: Pope’s plans on abuse, environment shape US bishops’ meeting
Associated Press – June 13, 2015
As the session began, the Vatican announced Francis had approved a proposal from his sex abuse advisory panel for a tribunal system that would review cases of bishops who committed “abuse of office.” The announcement for the global church has particular resonance for the United States, where the abuse crisis erupted in 2002, then spread around the world. No U.S. bishop has been punished by the church for failing to notify parents or police about guilty priests.
http://www.kansascity.com/living/religion/article23729545.html

INTERNATIONAL

Indonesia: Murder case raises questions about Indonesia’s child protection system
Asia News – June 12, 2015
Given up for foster care by her poor parents, Angeline was found dead, buried in the backyard of her foster family’s home. Mistreated by her foster mother, the child was killed by a domestic helper for still unknown reasons. The case has sent waves of horror and indignation across the country. The existing legal vacuum in the area of child protection facilitates such crimes.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Murder-case-raises-questions-about-Indonesia%E2%80%99s-child-protection-system-34495.html

Pakistan: Pakistan Shuts Down Save the Children (Includes audio)
Voice of America – June 12, 2015
The international NGO has operated in the country for more than 35 years. It first ran into trouble after a U.S. raid inside Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011. A Pakistani intelligence report said Save the Children had ties to Shakil Afridi, the Pakistani doctor allegedly recruited by the CIA to help find bin Laden. The organization has denied any links to the doctor. Also: Pakistan closes Save the Children office, alleges spying: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2015/06/12/Pakistan-closes-Save-the-Children-office-alleges-spying/1991434117113/ Also: Pakistan Allows Save the Children to Resume Operations (Includes audio): http://www.voanews.com/content/pakistan-allows-save-the-children-to-resume-operations/2821177.html
http://www.voanews.com/content/pakistan-shuts-down-save-the-children/2818918.html

United Kingdom: UWE lawyers contribute to rethinking child protection strategy
Family Law – June 15, 2015
The research is investigating the costs (financial, social and economic) of child protection intervention, a multi-billion pound per annum industry. The research will include evaluation of the harms caused by interventions as well as the benefits. The project is particularly interested in researching how rationed services mean requests for support are mixed with allegations of child abuse, making it difficult to separate one from the other.
http://www.familylaw.co.uk/news_and_comment/uwe-lawyers-contribute-to-rethinking-child-protection-strategy#.VX7LNkaK1ps

United Kingdom: Youngsters in foster care can stay with the family until they are 21, health minister announces
Wales Online – June 12, 2015
Some will even be able to stay until they turn 25, provided they are in an ‘agreed education programme’.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/youngsters-foster-care-can-stay-9438511

Vatican City: Vatican to try former ambassador on charges related to child abuse
CNN – June 15, 2015
The Pope’s former ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Jozef Wesolowski, is accused of offenses related to child abuse and will be tried at the Vatican beginning on July 11, the Vatican said Monday. Wesolowski, 66, is the highest-ranking former Vatican official to be arrested for allegations related to the sexual abuse of minors and the first to be tried on such charges at the Vatican.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/15/europe/pope-former-ambassador-dominican-republic-child-pornography-trial/index.html

AR: New Duggar Investigation: Family Refused To Cooperate With Arkansas Department Of Human Services [REPORT]
HNGN – June 10, 2015
One week after a report revealed Josh Duggar molested five underage girls as a teenager, the Arkansas Department of Human Services opened another investigation against the Duggars, according to In Touch Weekly.
http://www.hngn.com/articles/100033/20150610/new-duggar-investigation-family-refused-cooperate-arkansas-department-human-services-report.htm

CA: Child abuse down 12% in SLO County
Times Press Recorder – June 11, 2015
Child abuse in San Luis Obispo County decreased 12 percent from 2006 to 2012, according to figures released Wednesday by the Center for Family Strengthening. Report: http://cfsloco.org/images/cms/files/2013VitalSignsSLO.pdf
http://timespressrecorder.com/news/local/child-abuse-down-in-slo-county/article_a033f2fc-10fd-5688-896f-a83ebbc6a1b8.html

GA: Governor Nathan Deal names Robyn Crittenden to head the Department of Human Services
The Augusta Chronicle – June 09, 2015
Gov. Nathan Deal’s choice to head the Department of Human Services would take over an agency that has been under considerable pressure in recent years.
http://beta.mirror.augusta.com/latest-news/2015-06-09/governor-names-human-services-chief?v=1433878241

MA: Foster care families are better and cost less than group homes, so why the shortage in Western Mass.? (Opinion)
Mass Live – June 10, 2015
There were 8,590 Massachusetts children placed in foster care in 2013, the most recent year data was available. Eighty-one percent of children were placed with families. Family placement includes children in relative foster care, non-relative family foster care and homes looking to permanently adopt a child. Other children were placed in group homes or specialized care facilities.
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/06/foster_care_families_are_bette.html

MI: Child abuse unit needs a new van for victims (Includes video)
WXYZ – June 10, 2015
Moments after they experience some of the most horrific situations, many times victims of child abuse in Detroit think they are being arrested. That is because police have to transport them in squad cars.
http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit/child-abuse-unit-needs-a-new-van-for-victims

MI: State Senate Approves Controversial Adoption Bill
9&10 News – June 10, 2015
In Lansing, the Senate voted to let faith-based adoption agencies refuse adoptions that violate their beliefs. Also: Michigan Legislature Passes Bills Allowing Adoption Agencies To Reject LGBT Parents: http://www.buzzfeed.com/dominicholden/michigan-legislature-passes-bills-allowing-adoption-agencies#.nwQLKAGreP
http://www.9and10news.com/story/29287788/state-senate-approves-controversial-adoption-bill

MO: Foster care records contradict initial Homer G. case (Includes video)
KSDK – June 10, 2015
Eighteen pages of state foster care records contradict the woman whose reunion caused hundreds of women to question their birth experiences at Homer G. Phillips Hospital.
http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/local/5-on-your-side/2015/06/10/homer-g-phillips-stolen-baby/71040626/

NV: Bills to help child abuse, revenge pornography victims
Reno Gazette-Jouranls – June 10, 2015
Three “victims’ rights” bills that recently passed the Legislature could help victims and prosecutors in child abuse and revenge pornography cases.
http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2015/06/10/bills-help-child-abuse-revenge-pornography-victims/71039104/

OH: New bill opens adoption records for first time for those born between 1964 and September 1996
Register Herald – June 10, 2015
According to a press release from Senator Bill Beagle, who, along with Senator David Burke, cosponsored the new law, the change in law will allow 400,000 people born in Ohio and adopted between 1964 and 1996 to access their original birth certificate for the first time.
http://www.registerherald.com/news/news/153897889/New-bill-opens-adoption-records-for-first-time-for-those-born-between-1964-and-September-1996

OK: Ginnie Graham: Local house of horrors a wake-up call to stop child abuse, neglect (Opinion)
Tulsa World – June 10, 2015
Not only is the state in dire need of foster homes, but it needs a movement to stop the abuse and neglect of children. This is a cultural shift beyond the capability of government.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/columnists/ginniegraham/ginnie-graham-local-house-of-horrors-a-wake-up-call/article_10b3446c-0209-5afd-a1fc-a461ea35b638.html

PA: Demoted Dauphin County Children & Youth administrator named in grand jury report to resign
Penn Live – June 10, 2015
Two Dauphin County Children & Youth employees are resigning less than a week after a grand jury report criticized the agency for “detrimentally impacting the very children the agency is tasked with protecting.”
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/06/dauphin_county_children_youth_1.html

PA: Pennsylvania relaxes costs for child care background checks
WTAE – June 10, 2015
Volunteers who work with children in the state will no longer have to pay for the background checks required of them, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration announced Wednesday. Also: Worry arises with Pennsylvania requirement for background checks for volunteers interacting with children: http://triblive.com/state/pennsylvania/8540840-74/background-state-volunteers#axzz3cjIXJEIs
http://www.wtae.com/news/pennsylvania-relaxes-costs-for-child-care-background-checks/33449748?absolute=true

PA: Pittsburgh Public Safety launches parental mentoring program
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – June 10, 2015
“A lot of people don’t get this information until they get a court order. They don’t have a tendency to go reach for the information they need,” said Maria Bethel, nuisance and disruptive properties coordinator in the city’s Department of Public Safety. “Sometimes it’s not that they don’t want to learn, it’s that they don’t know how to access it.”
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/06/11/Pittsburgh-Public-Safety-launches-parental-mentoring-program/stories/201506110068

PA: Anti-human trafficking bill would protect child victims
Penn Live – June 09, 2015
“For many years, we have treated the victims of trafficking as criminals and the criminals as victims,” said the bill’s sponsor Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery County, at a press conference on Tuesday. Also: Senators propose criminal immunity for child prostitutes: http://www.witf.org/state-house-sound-bites/2015/06/senators-propose-criminal-immunity-for-child-prostitutes.php
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/06/anti-human_trafficking_bill_wo.html

TX: Mom Says She Was Turned Away By Lubbock Business For Having Too Many Foster Kids
KLBK – June 10, 2015
A Lubbock woman has called out a local business for denying her membership because she has too many foster children.
http://www.everythinglubbock.com/story/d/story/mom-says-she-was-turned-away-by-lubbock-business-f/41629/CbPWqPYq-ki2fXo6jE7vhA

WA: Parks and Kids Are Focus of State Budget Protests (Includes audio)
Public News Service – June 11, 2015
Tim Welch, director of public affairs for the Washington Federation of State Employees, says after years of cutbacks, DSHS is struggling to oversee the cases of more than 19,000 children in the child welfare system. “There are fewer social workers to meet the demand, high caseloads, high frustration, high turnover,” he says. “The potential for a tragedy or for at-risk kids to not get services is quite high. That’s what this is all about.”
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2015-06-11/budget-policy-and-priorities/parks-and-kids-are-focus-of-state-budget-protests/a46658-1

US: 3 Ways You Can Help Children with Incarcerated Parents
Ebony – June 10, 2015
There are an estimated 2.7 million children of incarcerated parents in the United States. Black children (6.7%) are 7.5 times more likely than White children (0.9%) to have a parent in prison.
http://www.ebony.com/life/3-ways-you-can-help-children-with-incarcerated-parents-503#axzz3cj0hMJtp

US: LGBT youth deserve quality foster care: Column (Opinion)
USA Today – June 10, 2015
Today’s system leaves gay children at a higher risk for physical abuse and homelessness. Information Gateway Resources: Resources for LGBTQ Youth in Out-of-Home Care: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/diverse-populations/lgbtq/lgbtq-youth/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/06/10/adoption-children-gay-foster-youth-column/28645677/

US: Pope’s plans on abuse, environment shape US bishops’ meeting
Associated Press – June 10, 2015
Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, said he awaited details on how the tribunal would run. “We welcome it and will cooperate,” Kurtz said.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CATHOLIC_BISHOPS?SITE=NCJAC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-06-10-18-21-24

US: Tech’s New Tool in the Hunt for Human Traffickers Who Hide in Plain Sight
Take Part – June 09, 2015
Information science professors Craig Knoblock and Pedro Szekely and their team of researchers have built an online tool that scours sites where human traffickers post ads, extracts data, and reorganizes it all into a continually updated database that American law enforcement can rely on.
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/06/09/human-traffick

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: About Town; WA child abuse: outrage over failed support plan
WA Today – June 10, 2015
Former WA Supreme Court judge Peter Blaxell is disappointed the state government reneged on a plan to create a one-stop shop for victims to report child abuse.
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/wa-child-abuse-outrage-over-failed-support-plan-20150610-ghkl8y.html

Canada: Child welfare changes don’t go far enough, children’s advocate says
The Canadian Press – June 10, 2015
The Manitoba government is implementing more recommendations from an inquiry into the province’s troubled child welfare system. But the Manitoba children’s advocate said the changes do not go far enough.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/child-welfare-changes-don-t-go-far-enough-children-s-advocate-says-1.3108268

Canada: Manitoba aware of three rural youths in foster care still living in hotel
The Globe and Mail – June 10, 2015
Two weeks after the Manitoba government conceded it did not know how many foster children were being placed in hotels outside Winnipeg, the province has collected the data and says it is aware of three youths living in a hotel since June 1.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/manitoba-aware-of-three-rural-youths-in-foster-care-still-living-in-hotel/article24910342/

United Arab Emirates: Data sharing among countries will help stop child abuse
The National – June 10, 2015
Child abuse has long been a taboo subject in the Middle East. But, as a seminar in Abu Dhabi this week heard, things have changed in the past decade.
http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/editorial/data-sharing-among-countries-will-help-stop-child-abuse