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KARA tracks current news about at risk children bringing transparency and attention to our youngest and most vulnerable citizens.
These pages are a sampling of what should be reported – the great majority of child trauma, abuse & tragedy are never reported.
American states are struggling to find answers for saving at risk children and reversing the explosive growth of child abuse and neglect in our communities.
37% of children overall and 57% of Black children are reported to child protection services in America by the time they turn 18. (American Journal of Public Health January 2017)
12 million children a year are reported to child protection services each year and in many states, 1/3 of foster children are required to take psychotropic medicines Florida reports 48% of its foster children are forced to take Prozac like drugs.
ALL ADULTS ARE THE PROTECTORS OF ALL CHILDREN
Compilation of information and writing on the Sad Stories pages are the hard work of David Vang, Mike Toronto, Jamar Weston, Adolf Nchanj and Blaz Zlate, Callie Benscoter, (student volunteers at Century College) Katie Frake, Boston College, Julie O, and KARA.
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AZ: Tucson non-profit battling child homelessness (Includes video)
KVOA – April 12, 2017
Local non-profit, Youth On Their Own, helps record number of homeless students this month. Arizona ranks as the fifth worst state for child homelessness, at any given moment there are around 5,000 homeless youth in Pima County. Youth On Their Own is taking on the community’s social issue one child at time.
http://www.kvoa.com/story/35137975/tucson-non-profit-battling-child-homelessness
CO: State Takes Lead on Meeting Federal Education Requirements for Foster Youth
Chronicle of Social Change – April 13, 2017
Pat Chapman, executive director of the Colorado Department of Education’s federal programs unit, said that state officials have worked diligently to meet ESSA’s requirements for foster youth and other vulnerable students, such as migrant youth, economically disadvantaged youth and English learners.
https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/analysis/26115/26115
CT: Forum: Independent reviews of DCF improve the safety and well-being of children in state care (Opinion)
New Haven Register – April 13, 2017
Independent oversight of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families is a hotly debated topic this legislative session. In just the past few months, three new independent reports (two from a federal court monitor, the other from a federal agency) have left legislators with doubts about DCF’s transparency of reporting and accountability to children and families. Legislators have responded by proposing multiple bills with the intent of creating an independent oversight body for the child welfare system. All three reports are alarming.
DC: Advocate for Youth Sees Progress in Reforming D.C.’s System (Press release)
District of Columbia Bar – April 13, 2017
Thanks in part to Eduardo Ferrer, young people in the District of Columbia will see a new legal landscape. The Comprehensive Youth Justice Amendment Act of 2016 became law on April 4, which means that juveniles will no longer be faced with solitary confinement if they get arrested. They’ll be kept separate from adults. And they will have a chance to seal any criminal records when they turn 18, so they don’t face lifelong discrimination.
http://publicnow.com/view/8BCB80D97EAC8789B82F7D1F314714197EABE758
IL: To avoid abuse, churches take precautions with volunteers who work with children
Southern Illinoisan – April 14, 2017
“Basically all our volunteers have to go through a fairly significant background check,” Nathan Cherry said. “I think because of our rigorous volunteer application process, it screens out folks who obviously aren’t there for the right reason.”
IN: Despite concerns of child health experts, baby box bill clears Indiana legislature
South Bend Tribune – April 14, 2017
The Indiana Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill Thursday aimed at shielding from child neglect charges people who anonymously surrender babies in “newborn safety devices” at hospitals. The bill, now on its way to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb for his signature, also provides civil immunity to hospitals that install the boxes and receive a baby, and it allows two existing boxes – at fire stations near Michigan City and Woodburn – to continue operating.
IN: Zay’s bill for foster kids makes its way to governor
Huntington County Tab – April 13, 2017
A bill authored by State Sen. Andy Zay (R-Huntington) to help foster care children obtain a driver’s license will now move to the governor for final consideration. Senate Bill 366 allows foster care children between the ages of 16 and 18 to obtain a driver’s license as well as complete a driving course with individuals approved by the Department of Children Services.
MI: Snyder appoints Lohmeyer, Richardville to state posts
Monroe News – April 13, 2017
Monroe County Probate Judge Cheryl Lohmeyer has been appointed to serve on the Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect. The 11-person board promotes the health, safety and welfare of Michigan’s children and families by funding local programs and services that prevent child abuse and neglect.
http://www.monroenews.com/news/20170413/snyder-appoints-lohmeyer-richardville-to-state-posts
MS: How Hancock, Harrison schools plan to curb child abuse
SunHerald – April 13, 2017
An agreement signed Thursday night between area school districts and the state Department of Child Protection Services on reporting and investigating suspected abuse and neglect of at-risk children should help curb child abuse.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/education/article144548979.html
NE: Ban on LGBT Foster Parents to End
United States Law Week – April 13, 2017
A Nebraska policy that prevents gays and lesbians from adopting children or serving as foster parents is unconstitutional, the Nebraska Supreme Court affirmed April 7 ( Stewart v. Heineman , 2017 BL 114901, Neb., No. 16-018, 4/7/17 ). The court’s holding will allow gay and lesbian individuals and couples to be evaluated for foster care or adoption under the same standard-the best interests of the child-as heterosexual individuals and couples, starting immediately.
https://www.bna.com/nebraska-ban-lgbt-n57982086631/
NM: Task force to review juvenile justice system in New Mexico
Associated Press – April 13, 2017
New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Barbara Vigil and officials with the state’s child welfare agency launched the task force Thursday with an initial meeting in Albuquerque. More meetings and focus groups are planned over the next several months as the group looks at trends in the state based on the latest data and considers policy changes and possible legislation.
NY: OUR VIEW: Always be alert to child abuse
Observer-Dispatch – April 13, 2017
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month: On Monday, Oneida County officials gathered at the Child Advocacy Center on York Street in West Utica to call attention a problem that persists despite the very best efforts. In Oneida County alone, the Child Advocacy Center investigated 698 cases of abuse which resulted in 130 arrests.
http://www.uticaod.com/opinion/20170414/our-view-always-be-alert-to-child-abuse
OH: Turner seeks to give youth aging out of foster care more access to housing assistance
Ripon Advance – April 12, 2017
Youth aging out of foster care would have more access to affordable housing without increasing federal spending under legislation reintroduced on Monday by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH).
OK: Advocating for children: DCCSAN provides services for abused children
Grand Lake News – April 13, 2017
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series looking at child abuse, and the services available to children, in honor of April’s distinction as Child Abuse Awareness Month. Today’s story examines DCCSAN, the Delaware County Children’s Special Advocacy Network.
OR: Proposed bill aims to cut Oregon’s prison population
Statesman Journal – April 13, 2017
“When I arrested women with their children watching, I knew I was altering their lives forever,” said Piluso, a former Gresham police chief. “Many of these mothers were in domestic violence situations or struggling with addiction or mental illness.”
Information Gateway resource: Domestic Violence: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/domviolence/
TX: Child Maltreatment Prevention is Working in Texas, Study Shows
UT News (University of Texas in Austin) – April 12, 2017
Texas families who receive child maltreatment prevention services do not have a subsequent child protective services case, according to a new report from the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing at The University of Texas at Austin. It is the first report to show that receiving services from Texas child maltreatment prevention programs prevents child abuse cases, and that these programs are effective in the long run.
https://news.utexas.edu/2017/04/12/child-maltreatment-prevention-is-working-in-texas
WA: School districts share homeless students’ struggles; daily search for food, housing leave studies behind
Bellevue Reporter – April 12, 2017
For some students in Washington state it’s a time fraught with rapid change when they must grow and learn to survive on their own during those high school years. Often these students are hungry. It’s uncertain where they will sleep each night.
WI: Eau Claire County child abuse and neglect cases on the rise (Includes video)
WQOW – April 13, 2017
e Wisconsin Counties Association reports statewide, cases of child abuse and neglect have jumped by 30 percent since 2007. That trend is reflected in Eau Claire County. While there has been an increase locally, staff with the Eau Claire County Department of Human Services said the real change they are seeing is the type of cases.
WI: Kids in Crisis | Be proactive, not reactive about youth mental health (Includes video)
Post-Crescent – April 12, 2017
Communities can’t be reactive about youth mental health, they have to be proactive. Schoepke spoke as part of a suicide prevention training hosted by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. The training is a facet of the network’s Kids in Crisis series, which focuses on the mental health of children throughout the state. The training taught participants how to recognize if someone may be contemplating suicide, and how to use the steps of QPR to prevent it.
US: Child Adoption for Same Sex Couples (Opinion)
Artipot – April 12, 2017
According to Human Rights Campaign, more than 104,000 youth in the foster system are eligible for adoption. By refusing couples of the same sex of the right to adopt, these children are more affected. They are being deprived of their right for a safe and a happy family.
http://www.artipot.com/articles/2066082/child-adoption-for-same-sex-couples.htm
INTERNATIONAL
Belgium: EU boosts child migrant protection efforts
News24 – April 12, 2017
The EU on Wednesday announced steps to better protect child migrants running the risk of abuse as they come to Europe in record numbers, including avoiding placing them in detention centres.
Also: E.U. Seeks Stronger Protections for Child Migrants: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/world/europe/eu-migrants-children.html?_r=0
http://www.news24.com/World/News/eu-boosts-child-migrant-protection-efforts-20170412
Canada: From foster care to missing or murdered: Canada’s other tragic pipeline (Opinion)
MaClean’s – April 12, 2017
The increasing number of First Nations children being placed into foster care in Canada is nothing short of a crisis. Although Indigenous children make up only seven per cent of the population in Canada, they represent 48 per cent of all children in foster care. It is an astounding number until one examines these rates on a province-by-province basis.
United Kingdom: Child safety chiefs attack Facebook over abuse content
Times – April 14, 2017
Britain’s leading child protection charity called last night for Facebook and other technology giants to “stop making up their own rules” regarding child safety. The charity spoke out after an investigation by The Times revealed that Facebook continued to host potentially illegal child abuse content even after its moderators were told that it was on the site.
Also: Facebook’s darkest secret: a platform for paedophiles: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/facebook-s-darkest-secret-a-platform-for-paedophiles-hqlxxt2xq
AL: Bill would allow religious agencies to deny LGBT adoptions (Includes video)
Montgomery Advertiser – April 12, 2017
Frederick Horton, vice president of engagement at Lifeline, a Birmingham-based adoption agency affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, told the committee they were “not asking for state action to limit adoption.” “We simply would want the privilege to function according to our closely held religious beliefs, and the values that come from those,” he said.
Also: HRC Calls on AL Senate to Reject Bill Allowing Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination by Child Welfare Agencies: http://www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-alabama-calls-on-state-senate-to-reject-anti-lgbtq-child-welfare
AL: Martha Roby: Combat child exploitation (Opinion)
Montgomery Advertiser – April 12, 2017
My bill, the Global Child Protection Act, specifically would expand the criminal definition of “illicit sexual conduct” to include “sexual contact,” thus allowing authorities to crack down on global sex tourism and punish these criminals. The bill also seeks to protect the youngest child victims by broadening the sentencing code to ensure that all types of contact offenses against children of all ages are treated with the same level of seriousness.
AZ: How to plan for your family before you are deported (Included video)
KPNX – April 12, 2017
“There is a tool kit that provides guidance for someone who thinks they may be in jeopardy of being deported,” said Petra Falcon of Promise Arizona. She called it a priorities plan, and you can pick it up at Promise Arizona’s headquarters
FL: Let’s keep foster care program for teen drivers moving forward | Opinion
South Florida Sun Sentinel – April 12, 2017
Until recently, however, getting a license – not to mention paying for car insurance – was nearly impossible for teens in the state’s foster care system. Three years ago, in fact, only 20 youth ages 15 to 18 in the foster care system anywhere in Florida received their driver’s license before the age of 18.
FL: Special kind of family court takes holistic approach in Orange County
Orlando Sentinel – April 12, 2017
Also known as Building A Better You, the program aims to provide a stable upbringing for children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned by their parents. A court team works to reunify the kids with their parents or place them with permanent guardians. The program provides families with weekly psychotherapy sessions, increased visitation for parents and children and parenting classes.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-orange-county-baby-court-20170403-story.html
FL: Stopping child abuse isn’t a pipe dream; we can ensure safety (Opinion)
Sun Sentinel – April 12, 2017
In order to truly prevent child abuse, we have to realize that preventing abuse is different than reporting abuse. Reporting abuse means that abuse has already occurred, that a child has already been harmed. And, while reporting abuse is critical to ensuring abuse does not continue, our goal should be to keep abuse from happening at all. Accordingly, if we are to successfully prevent child abuse, we must actively address its root causes before they grow into an act of abuse.
ID: Burley children help bring awareness to child abuse
Magic Valley – April 12, 2017
Children held pinwheels up to the breeze Tuesday as Cassia County Sheriff Jay Heward knelt before them and read a proclamation to end child abuse. “Bringing the children here makes them aware that it is okay to share with us if something like this ever happens to them. It helps them feel safe,” said Kandy Soto, center supervisor of the College of Southern Idaho Early Head Start program in Burley.
KY: Raising Awareness as Kentucky “Faces It” – Child Abuse and Neglect (Includes audio)
Public News Service – April 13, 2017
One way Kentucky is raising awareness is through the Face It movement, which was launched four years ago this month by Kosair Charities. The initiative, which promotes best practices in child abuse prevention and intervention, now involves more than three dozen nonprofit groups, educational institutions and government agencies.
Also: The Face It Movement: http://faceitabuse.org/
LA: Take the time to help protect a child (Opinion)
Shreveport Times – April 13, 2017
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time set aside each year to acknowledge the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect. It also is a month where people are urged to promote the social and emotional well-being of children and families.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/opinion/2017/04/12/take-time-help-protect-child/100381736/
MD: Hundreds of Prince George’s school staff members put on leave in misconduct cases this school year
FOX5 – April 12, 2017
An open records request to Prince George’s County Public Schools found hundreds of staff members are being put on administrative leave for abuse and misconduct allegations. Teachers tell FOX 5 the high number isn’t about widespread abuse, but a system that isn’t working. High-profile child abuse cases in Prince George’s County Public Schools led the school district to revamp policies last year with the schools’ CEO mandating new training for employees and requiring staff report any and all suspicions of wrongdoing directly to child protective services.
http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/248049870-story
MN: Child abuse reports soar across Minnesota, straining child protection system
Minneapolis StarTribune – April 12, 2017
A dramatic surge in child maltreatment reports is putting new strains on Minnesota’s child protection system, as local agencies struggle with soaring caseloads and stagnant funding, according to state and county officials.
MO: More Focus on Missouri’s Children Urged (Includes audio)
Public News Service – April 13, 2017
There’s a growing number of children in Missouri who live in high poverty areas, are homeless or lack health insurance, according to the latest Kids Count survey.
Also: 2017 Missouri KIDS COUNT Data and County Rankings: http://mokidscount.org/stories/2017-missouri-kids-count-data-and-county-rankings/
NC: Focus on reporting for Child Abuse Prevention Month
Gaston Gazette – April 12, 2017
A new campaign launched Gaston County child protection workers highlights some of the reasons people give for not reporting suspected abuse or neglect, and why they should instead take action. Some of the common reasons include not having concrete evidence, fear of being wrong or feeling like they should mind their business.
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/20170412/focus-on-reporting-for-child-abuse-prevention-month
NC: Children Aging Out of Foster Care Soars 10.4% in North Carolina (Press release)
Business Journal – April 11, 2017
Recently released figures show a huge jump of 10.4-percent in youth aging out of foster care in North Carolina in 2016 compared to 2015. These are the highest numbers since data compilation began 16-years ago in mid-2000.
http://www.bizjournals.com/prnewswire/press_releases/2017/04/11/PH58462
NE: Child advocates worried about governor’s recommended cuts to child welfare
Lincoln Journal-Star – April 11, 2017
Advocates of children in Nebraska’s child welfare system joined Tuesday to bring attention to the effects of proposed state budget cuts that would impact foster kids, including allowing HHS to take over support for half of those placed with relatives or people they know, considered relative and kinship placements. ~~ Also: Editorial, 4/13: Change puts children in jeopardy: http://journalstar.com/news/opinion/editorial/editorial-change-puts-children-in-jeopardy/article_d6094f1c-128f-50fc-bc40-a76801654957.html
NH: Division for Children, Youth and Families Faces Deep Challenges (Includes audio)
New Hampshire Public Radio – April 12, 2017
The New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families is now looking for a new leader. That person would take the helm of a department beset by overburdened child protection workers and a lack of resources. Reporter Allie Morris of The Concord Monitor has written a multi-part series on DCYF, drawing on documents and interviews with current and former employees, Governor Chris Sununu, and people who have been the subject of DYCF cases, as well as information gathered through Right to Know requests. She spoke with NHPR’s Peter Biello about her series, “Fatal Flaws.”
Also: Fatal Flaws: http://www.concordmonitor.com/division-for-children-youth-and-families-DCYF-brielle-gage-9066589
http://nhpr.org/post/division-children-youth-and-families-faces-deep-challenges#stream/0
NJ: Ways to keep children safe from sex abuse | Parenting With Pete (Opinion)
Jersey Journal – April 12, 2017
The sex abuse scandal in American girls’ gymnastics that recently came to light presents parents with a valuable teaching moment. This scandal should finally discourage parents from repeating the ineffective phrase to keep their kids safe: Don’t talk to strangers. This admonition doesn’t work because the overwhelming majority of abusers are parents, relatives, family friends or other individuals known to the child.
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2017/04/ways_to_keep_your_children_safe_from_sex_abuse_par.html
OH: Rep. Ryan Smith: Fighting the Drug Epidemic is Top Priority for Ohio
Herald-Dispatch – April 13, 2017
The group that is most affected by this scourge is often the one that is most overlooked. Children who have witnessed or experienced the horrors of drug addiction are often left with trauma that stunts their development and leaves lifelong scars.
OR: Gov. Kate Brown calls for reforms to “undersourced” child welfare system
Statesman Journal – April 12, 2017
Gov. Kate Brown pulled together key players on the frontlines of child welfare services reform this week in a closed-door meeting at her Salem residence. The move signals she will continue to push legislators to boost funding for those services even in the face of an estimated $1.6 billion budget shortfall.
PA: Keeping kids safe: A smart new tool helps county see if a child is at risk (Editorial Board)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – April 13, 2017
Allegheny County is bringing technology to bear in the effort to keep children safe. As the Post-Gazette’s Kate Giammarise reported Sunday, the Allegheny Family Screening Tool, developed by a team of researchers from California and New Zealand, uses computer modeling to assess whether a child is at risk from unsanitary living conditions, parental drug use or other problems.
SD: Department of Social Services Seeing More Child Abuse Cases Tied to Drugs (Includes video)
Keloland Media Group – April 11, 2017
Regional Manager for Child Protection Services Vicki Burger says, in January of the is year, 446 children from the Sioux Falls area were in state custody. 216 of those had ties to families tied to drugs.
TX: Family Spreads Awareness of Abuse After Child Suffers Traumatic Injuries from Birth Father (Includes video)
Everything Lubbock – April 12, 2017
Ketcherside said speaking up and reporting any suspicion could have reduced the risk of continued child abuse. “What makes me so angry is people don’t want to get involved,” Ketcherside said. “This is what happens when you don’t get involved…This can be a result if you don’t say something. And it’s one of the worst things you could possibly go through. Don’t ever think that it’s going to happen to you, until it does.”
TX: Improved CPS numbers after pay raises, Dallas Morning News reports (Press release)
TexProtects – Texas Association for the Protection of Children – April 12, 2017
Today, we are cautiously optimistic that new numbers from CPS may be supporting this prediction. According to today’s Dallas Morning News, since the pay raises were improved, turnover at the agency has dropped significantly, and high-priority children are being seen in a more timely fashion.
http://publicnow.com/view/ABB700017DABFED33270E1A966E0663C2C4B26CC
VA: Program Keeping Juveniles Out of Detention Celebrates VA Success (Includes audio)
Public News Service – April 13, 2017
A program to help keep juvenile offenders out of pre-trial detention is showing big results for Virginia. Beth Stinnett, program manager for the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice, says using Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) data and standards, the state has been able to reduce predisposition detention by nearly 60 percent without seeing a rise in new offenses or failures to appear.
Also: The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI): http://www.aecf.org/work/juvenile-justice/jdai/
US: Corporal punishment is no way to discipline kids
Clarion Herald – April 12, 2017
Patton’s work over the past decade aims to reform cultural attitudes of African-American parents: that physical punishment of children is a proper form of discipline that comes from love and an impulse to protect them from getting into worse trouble later.
Also: How about sparing the kid and not using the rod?: http://tsdmemphis.com/news/2017/apr/12/how-about-sparing-kid-and-not-using-rod/
Information Gateway resource: Family-Centered Approach to Working With Families: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/famcentered/caseworkpractice/working/
INTERNATIONAL
International: Adoption, Foster Care: Exploring Which Countries Have The Easiest Adoption Procedures
Parent Herald – April 13, 2017
China is on the top list of easiest countries to adopt with its “stable and predictive adoption program,” as per Insider Monkey. Parents can adopt Chinese infants and kids up to 7-years-old, provided they have been married for two years and are not under 30-years-old.
CA: Fostering a world of love for youth in need this Foster Care Month (Press release)
PRLog – April 11, 2017
Aspiranet is one of the earliest adopters of CCR, which puts the nonprofit at the forefront of child welfare best practices. Through its holistic, family-focused approach, Aspiranet’s unique breadth and depth of services for children and youth, from birth to childhood, help more than 10,000 children in families thrive per year.
https://www.prlog.org/12632669-fostering-world-of-love-for-youth-in-need-this-foster-care-month.html
CO: County focuses on child abuse prevention
Mountain Mail – April 12, 2017
Child abuse is an important subject for this county, said Brad Golden, child case worker with Chaffee County Child Protective Services, because child abuse and neglect can often remain hidden in rural areas. “Child abuse and neglect are not specific to a culture, a race or financial status, or to metropolitan areas. It’s equal opportunity,” said Golden.
http://www.themountainmail.com/free_content/article_15805476-1f42-11e7-957f-3b1fd37300db.html
GU: SNAP: Guam clergy sex abuse cases could reach 150-200
Pacific Daily News (Guam) – April 09, 2017
The world’s largest network of priest abuse survivors says Guam’s clergy sex abuse cases could reach into the hundreds over the next couple of years, from 46 at present.
IL: Nearly a decade old, state contract for foster care leaves funding gaps
Southern Illinoisan – April 12, 2017
Linda Reiss, associate director of the Southern Region for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, which serves nearly 300 foster children in Illinois’ lower 14 counties, said the state is mandated by the court to fully fund their contract. However there is one problem – the contract has not been renegotiated in nearly 10 years.
IN: Legion doing big things for its child welfare fund
Brazil Times – April 11, 2017
The American Legion created the Child Welfare Foundation (CWF), Inc., as a separate no-profit corporation in 1953. The organization raises funds for projects that contribute to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual welfare of children.
http://www.thebraziltimes.com/story/2402363.html
MI: New bill would require animal control officers to report child abuse to CPS (Includes video)
ABC 12 WJRT – April 11, 2017
Twelve other states have similar co-reporting laws where animal control officers report suspected child abuse and CPS reports possible animal abuse. “When you have an abuser of animals, you also have someone that will abuse people. That’s a fact,” said Genesee County Animal Control director Paul Wallace.
MN: Child Abuse Reports In Minnesota Rise Dramatically
Southwest Minneapolis Patch – April 11, 2017
The number of Minnesota children suspected of being abused or neglected grew significantly in 2016. More than 39,500 children were the subject of reports, a 25 percent increase from 2015. Of those children, 16,400 were part of child maltreatment investigations, a 43 percent increase over the previous year.
Also: Fact Sheet: Child abuse and neglect prevention: Safety for Minnesota’s children: https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-3922-ENG
MN: Protecting the children
Winona Daily News – April 11, 2017
In Winona County alone, there were over 1,400 reports of child maltreatment in 2015. The state of Minnesota reported 78,178 reports in total, with 21 deaths and 42 life- threatening injuries confirmed as being the result of such abuse.
NE: Advocates slam proposed child welfare cuts
Associated Press – April 11, 2017
Gov. Pete Ricketts’ proposed budget would cut about $15 million over two years from child welfare programs, and eliminate one that provides post-adoption services to help families stay together. It also would shift responsibility for 500 of the approximately 2,000 Nebraska children placed with relatives and family friends from licensed private agencies to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
Also: Child welfare advocates warn senators of impact of proposed budget cuts: http://www.omaha.com/news/legislature/child-welfare-advocates-warn-senators-of-impact-of-proposed-budget/article_8888e7ce-1ed6-11e7-bdcc-6b8680b15a95.html
NV: Sandoval signs bill to protect LGBTQ youth
Las Vegas Review-Journal – April 11, 2017
The two-term Republican governor signed Assembly Bill 99. It requires child welfare or juvenile detention facilities to treat LGBTQ children in their care according to the gender or gender expression with which they identify.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/2017-legislature/sandoval-signs-bill-to-protect-lgbtq-youth/
NV: Slew of sex offender bills heard in Nevada Senate committee
Las Vegas Review-Journal – April 11, 2017
Senate Bill 488 would make it a crime to facilitate sex trafficking or child porn by making travel arrangements, for example. The bill would also increase the minimum sentence for those convicted of sex trafficking and establish a Medicaid program for victims.
TX: Lufkin woman starts non-profit to give back to foster care children (Includes video)
KTRE – April 11, 2017
Drawing on the memory of having only a trash bag to store everything, she used that experience to begin a non-profit called Bags of Love. Ferguson, 29, said often at trying times in their lives, children are given their belonging in flimsy trash bags.
http://www.kplctv.com/story/35126833/lufkin-woman-starts-non-profit-to-give-back-to-foster-children
US: Big Data’s Latest Brainstorm: Target Poor People and Make Parents Suspects If They Ask For Help (Opinion)
Chronicle of Social Change – April 11, 2017
SAS’ evidence that its new approach works consists of pointing out that a lot of those it targeted had repeat reports of child abuse. But the reasoning is circular. Part of the rationale for predictive analytics is that decisions now are too subjective and prone to bias. Logically, then, you can’t turn around and cite those same subjective, biased decisions as proof your approach works.
US: Bishops back bill to let agencies opt out of adoption for same-sex couples
Catholic Herald – April 11, 2017
Three bishops, in a joint letter to the measure’s sponsor, voiced their support of the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, which would permit social service agencies to refuse on religious grounds to provide adoption or foster services for households headed by same-sex couples.
US: Can the child welfare system handle trans children? Part Two
Windy City Times – April 11, 2017
From the conversations, which her parents’ groups have shared with those in Illinois, Martha told Windy City Times that she knows of two cases of transgender children currently in Illinois DCFS courts where the parent stands accused of some form of abuse or neglect and 10 that have been similarly heard nationwide.
Also: Can the Child Welfare System Handle Trans Children? Part One Transgender youth being removed from homes by child welfare agencies: http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Can-the-Child-Welfare-System-Handle-Trans-Children/58703.html
Also: Child Welfare Information Gateway Resource: Working With LGBTQ Families in Adoption: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/diverse-populations/lgbtq/working-with-lgbtq-families-in-adoption/
Also: Child Welfare Information Gateway Resource: Working With LGBTQ Youth and Families: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/diverse-populations/lgbtq/
US: How The Heroin Crisis Is Straining Foster Care
Huffington Post – April 11, 2017
With the increase in children being placed into foster care, the foster care system is struggling to keep up. With roughly 450,000 children in foster care across the nation, there are not enough foster homes, as foster care agencies face the challenge of recruitment and retention of foster parents. The end result is simply that there are not enough homes for children in need to be placed in, or a child is moved from one home to another.
INTERNATIONAL
India: In a first, welfare officials stop underage wedding
Times of India – April 11, 2017
Members of the Child Welfare Committee, along with a team from the woman and child helpline, prevented a child marriage in the periphery of Chandigarh. The teams swung to action after receiving a call on the helpline number, 181 at 2.07pm on Monday. This is the first time such a case has come to fore in the city, members of the rescue team said.
AL: Column: Foster care bill would leave kids without caring homes (Opinion)
Montgomery Advertiser – April 10, 2017
Unfortunately, this lengthy – but necessary – homestudy process contributes to the delay many Alabama children experience as they wait for an appropriate foster placement. There simply aren’t enough foster parents for these children. That’s why I’m so concerned to see two bills in the Alabama Legislature that could make the 5,700 foster children in the state wait even longer for a home.
MA: Opioid epidemic causes surge in need for Brockton foster parents
Enterprise – April 10, 2017
A local foster care program is seeking families in Brockton and Southeastern Massachusetts to take in children whose parents are dealing with addiction.
MD: As opioid use grows, hospitals scramble to provide treatment for substance-exposed newborns
Frederick News-Post – April 08, 2017
“When I think about it, like how I would even obtain drugs anymore, it just seems like such a far-out idea,” she said, her large blue eyes widening with incredulity. “Which is crazy to me, because that was my everyday life. Now, I couldn’t even picture doing that. You know, ‘Oh, let me go shoot up in the bathroom, my baby’s in her bassinet, sleeping.’ Like, that’s crazy to me.”
MN: Child protection workers union claims ‘broken’ system, sues Ramsey County
Pioneer Press – April 10, 2017
“We are seeking a temporary injunction against the county because supervisors have threatened and disciplined social workers who question the county’s child protection system,” Munt said. “These whistle-blowers deserve protection, not retaliation.”
MT: Governor Bullock Signs Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Montana Kids (Press release)
Montana.gov – April 10, 2017
“As a father and as governor, protecting the health and safety of Montana’s kids is a top priority,” said Governor Bullock. “Protecting children is a team effort. Thanks to bipartisan support from legislators who recognize that the safety of our kids is too important for political games, we’re taking much needed steps to watch out for the most vulnerable among us.”
Also: Governor signs bills for child protection reforms: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2017/04/10/governor-signs-bills-child-protection-reforms/100307324/
http://news.mt.gov/governor-bullock-signs-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-montana-kids
NC: Children Aging Out of Foster Care Soars 10.4% in North Carolina (Press release)
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina – April 11, 2017
Recently released figures show a huge jump of 10.4-percent in youth aging out of foster care in North Carolina in 2016 compared to 2015. These are the highest numbers since data compilation began 16-years ago in mid-2000.
NC: Pinwheels for Prevention: Campaign promotes awareness of child abuse
Reflector – April 11, 2017
Since 2013, a small pinwheel garden is planted every April outside of a local foster care agency to remind people about the reality of child abuse in North Carolina.
http://www.reflector.com/News/2017/04/11/Pinwheels-for-Prevention.html
NM: Agency enlists NM schools in fight against abuse
Associated Press – April 08, 2017
New Mexico’s child welfare agency is reaching out to school administrators and teachers around the state as part of its Pull Together campaign in hopes of curbing child abuse.
https://www.abqjournal.com/985039/agency-taps-schools-in-fight-against-abuse.html
OH: Drugs driving children services caseload increase
Ashtabula Star-Beacon – April 09, 2017
The Ashtabula County Children Services Board received 2,660 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect in 2016. That number has been climbing steadily over the past decade, up from 1,736 reported cases in 2006.
OK: Police calls show pattern of assaults, vandalism at DHS group homes
Oklahoman – April 09, 2017
Police reports from Oklahoma group homes contracted by the Department of Human Services to care for troubled adolescents in state custody show a pattern of violent outbursts, assaults on staff and vandalism. One staff member at Marland Children’s Home in Ponca City was assaulted by two teenage residents twice within a week, according to police.
OR: Editorial: Richardson at his best when focused on accountability
Daily Astorian – April 11, 2017
As a former foster parent himself, Richardson is in a good position to help Oregon’s children get the protection they deserve from abusive and dangerous situations.
OR: Brown to talk child welfare with DHS officials, legislators
Statesman Journal – April 10, 2017
Brown’s office is recommending a rate increase for foster-care providers, among other budget moves. DHS is ramping up efforts to attract new foster parents. One of its most recent tacks involves radio and television public-service announcements.
PA: Allegheny County DHS using algorithm to assist in child welfare screening
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – April 09, 2017
Of the thousands of calls to the state’s and Allegheny County’s child protection hotlines, alleging potential child neglect, call screeners often have to make life-altering decisions without much information. Without the resources to investigate every single call, which ones should be prioritized? While all calls alleging physical or sexual abuse are investigated, other allegations, such as those pertaining to unsafe or unsanitary living conditions, can be harder to gauge.
PA: Protecting our children: Sandusky case changed everything
CNHI News Service – April 08, 2017
More than two dozen child protection bills created in response to the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal have created more work for caseworkers, but no one’s sure they’ve made children much safer.
Also: Philadelphia Children’s Alliance Renews Partnership With Several City Agencies: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2017/04/08/philadelphia-childrens-alliance-renews-partnership-with-several-city-agencies/
PA: Richard Wexler: Child welfare’s double standards at heart of Grace Packer tragedy
Morning Call – April 08, 2017
Yet there has been no outcry about the state doing too little to keep families together, no demand that the state curb the needless removal of children. In fact, policy should never be driven by horror stories in either direction. It should be driven by data.
TX: Foster care ministry accused of sexual abuse
Baptist Press – April 10, 2017
A $7 million lawsuit alleges children were “serially sexually abused” and neglected at a Baptist children’s home in Texas.
http://www.bpnews.net/48650/tx-foster-care-ministry-accused-of-sexual-abuse
TX: ASHBY: It’s crunch time for Texas legislators (Opinion)
Lufkin News – April 09, 2017
We are addressing the foster care crisis in Texas by investing $433 million of additional funds to child protective services. In addition, the House is dedicating $62.6 million in new funds to eliminate waiting lists for community mental health services across the state, all the while maintaining our commitment to adequate border security funding.
http://lufkindailynews.com/news/community/article_adfde6e8-1cc0-11e7-84c4-8b92c3f58876.html
VA: Bristol, Va. in ‘desperate need’ of foster families
WCYB – April 10, 2017
Bristol, Virginia social workers say there is a desperate need for foster families in the city. We have learned when there are not enough families in the region, those children may have to move outside of the city That can make a traumatic situation even more difficult.
WA: Empowering Adults to Stop Abuse During Child-Abuse Prevention Month (Includes audio)
Public News Service – April 11, 2017
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and advocates for ending abuse say it has long-lasting effects on a child’s development and that adults need to be empowered to feel they can be part of the solution as well.
WA: 43 newborns surrendered under Washington’s ‘safe haven’ law
Tri-City Herald – April 10, 2017
Washington’s “safe haven” law offers overwhelmed parents a place to turn newborns over to protective care at hospitals and fire stations, but the baby abandoned on a Lakewood lawn Monday was too old to qualify.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article143468959.html
WA: After spate of high-profile Spokane child abuse cases, officials say help for stressed parents is available
Spokesman-Review – April 09, 2017
The program, called the nurse-family partnership, supports parents through pregnancy, birth and the child’s first two years of life by tracking growth, answering questions and educating parents about everything from breastfeeding to child development.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/apr/09/after-spate-of-high-profile-spokane-child-abuse-ca/
WV: Stopping vicious cycles in W.Va.
Journal (West Virginia) – April 10, 2017
“The needs of West Virginia’s children coming into care are more complicated than ever before, and life in foster care can be chaotic,” said Traci Busch, executive director of the WVCASA Association.
http://www.journal-news.net/opinion/editorials/2017/04/stopping-vicious-cycles-in-w-va/
US: iFoster Announces Employer Tax Bill for Foster Youth
PR Web – April 10, 2017
The Improved Employment Outcomes For Foster Youth Act H.R.2060 amends the Internal Revenue Code to include transition age foster youth as categorically eligible for purposes of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). Employers may be eligible to receive a credit of up to $2,400 annually for each foster youth hired.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/04/prweb14231136.htm
US: Turner Reintroduces Foster Care Housing Bill (Press release)
Congressman Michael Turner – April 10, 2017
Aging out of foster care should not mean aging into homelessness. The Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act will remove obstacles blocking these vulnerable youths’ access to safe housing during their overnight transition into adulthood.
https://turner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/turner-reintroduces-foster-care-housing-bill
AL: Child abuse: A different and difficult crime
Huntsville Item – April 09, 2017
Since April is Child Abuse Prevention month, it’s appropriate to talk about a subject that strains the resources of our society and tests the capabilities of law enforcement professionals and social services workers everywhere. Child abuse presents some unique challenges to the agency and investigator in our 21st century world.
AR: Sebastian County Restore Hope talks transportation for people in challenging situations
Times Record – April 08, 2017
Cox said in a previous meeting of the group, it was decided that transportation is a problem for the people Restore Hope seeks to help, such as people coming out of incarceration and families in the child welfare system.
CA: On children, fairgrounds and tennis courts
Union Democrat – April 07, 2017
Protecting children – A decrease of almost 200 reported cases in child abuse year over year is something to be proud of for all of Tuolumne County citizens. Child Welfare Services deserves much of the credit but as with most pressing community problems no one acts alone. The program manager for the agency was careful to say partnerships with Infant Child Enrichment Services, the District Attorney’s Office and law enforcement are vital in fighting for children whose lives are not happy, not healthy.
http://www.uniondemocrat.com/opinion/5215437-151/on-children-fairgrounds-and-tennis-courts
CO: Homeless count: 16% of Fort Collins homeless are minors (Includes video)
Coloradoan – April 06, 2017
A quarter of Fort Collins’ homeless population is younger than age 24, according to recently released data from this year’s annual point-in-time count.
FL: For a judge, one rewarding day in Miami-Dade’s juvenile court
Miami Herald – April 08, 2017
On any given day, GRACE Court – a specialized trauma court that deals with juvenile victims of human trafficking – usually consists of many emergencies, including defiant teenagers, contempt proceedings, frequent run away episodes, and hearings to commit young children into a residential psychiatric treatment facility.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/article143500439.html
FL: NE Florida Senator’s Drivers License Foster Care Bill Headed to Governor
WJCT – April 07, 2017
The Legislature has approved a bill sponsored by Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach. The measure pays back cost for a learner’s permit, driving school and insurance for those who have completed an education program. It covers teens until they’re 18 and a half.
http://news.wjct.org/post/ne-florida-senator-s-drivers-license-foster-care-bill-headed-governor
GA: CASA, others work in battle against child abuse
Tahlequah Daily Press – April 08, 2017
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Child abuse and neglect affect children of every age, race, and family income level. However, research has identified many factors relating to the child, family, community, and society that are associated with an increased risk of child abuse and neglect. Studies have also shown that when multiple risk factors are present, the risk is greater.
ID: Idahoans Raise Concerns During National Child Abuse Prevention Month (Includes audio)
Public News Service – April 10, 2017
Organizations across the state are displaying blue pinwheels – symbolizing not only the need for awareness of child abuse, but how people can help prevent it. Shannon Gray, program manager for Stewards of Children Initiative at Bannock Youth Foundation in Pocatello, trains adults on child sexual abuse prevention. She says people should never consider abuse of a child something that is “none of their business.”
IL: Franklin County is at the forefront in improving team-based child abuse investigations in Illinois
Southern Illinoisan – April 07, 2017
Even after protectors intervene, children in Illinois too often end up being abused again, and in some cases they wind up dead. But efforts are afoot to attempt to reverse this troubling trend. Franklin County has been chosen as one of four counties in Illinois to pilot a more formalized team-based approach to child abuse cases.
Also: Too Many Unreported Child-Abuse Cases in Illinois (Includes audio): http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2017-04-10/childrens-issues/too-many-unreported-child-abuse-cases-in-illinois/a57199-1
IN: Judges Have Options for Juvenile Offenders (Includes audio)
Public News Service – April 10, 2017
Young people in trouble with the law in Indiana have benefited from an updated approach to juvenile justice. It’s the 25th anniversary of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative. Indiana was one of the first states to embrace it, and state Supreme Court Justice Steven David called JDAI a “game changer.”
LA: Child abuse allegations at Head Start not reported (Includes video)
Lafayette Daily Advertiser – April 07, 2017
Two instances of alleged child abuse at a local SMILE Head Start/Early Head Start center were not reported to local, state and federal authorities as required by law, according to findings of a January review by the U.S. Administration for Children and Families.
LA: State civil service agency floats $46M plan to boost employee pay
Associated Press – April 07, 2017
“We want to move to a structure that is more market-competitive,” Decoteau says. Particularly hard-hit are the corrections, juvenile justice and child welfare agencies, which are having trouble hanging onto front-line workers because of low pay for jobs with hazardous conditions.
Also: Targeting turnover: Should La. boost government pay rates?: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/High-turnover-La-civil-service-wants-to-change-11058031.php
Also: High turnover: La. civil service wants to change pay scales: http://www.sunherald.com/news/business/article143315279.html
MO: KMBZ Cover Story: Never too late to adopt older children
KMBZ – April 06, 2017
The Salvation Army Children’s Shelter is a temporary place for kids who are pulled out of abusive or neglectful situations. For many it can eventually lead to foster care or adoption. In each state there is an organization that helps connect kids with adoptive families. In Kansas the organization is the Kansas Children’s Service League.
http://www.kmbz.com/articles/kmbz-cover-story-never-too-late-adopt-older-children
NC: Senators introduce needed child welfare reform (Opinion)
Triangle Tribune – April 10, 2017
Unfortunately, North Carolina’s child welfare system is structurally and systemically inadequate to ensure the safety of children who come into its care and to promote their long-term health and recovery.
NE: Ban on LGBT foster parents to end, court rules
CNN\ – April 07, 2017
The Nebraska Supreme Court upheld a decision to strike down a ban on same-sex couples becoming foster parents. The court compared the ban on its decision to “a sign reading ‘Whites Only’ on the hiring-office door.”
Also: Nebraska Supreme Court: Ban on Gay Foster Parents Is Indistinguishable from a “Whites Only” Sign: http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2017/04/07/nebraska_supreme_court_strikes_down_anti_gay_foster_parent_rule.html
Also: NE Supreme Court upholds decision allowing gays and lesbians to be foster parents: http://fox42kptm.com/news/local/ne-supreme-court-upholds-decision-allowing-gays-and-lesbians-to-be-foster-parents
http://gantdaily.com/2017/04/07/nebraska-ban-on-lgbt-foster-parents-to-end-court-rules/
NM: State Joins Growing Number of States Protecting LGBTQ Youth From “Conversion Therapy” (Press release)
Human Rights Campaign – April 07, 2017
Today, New Mexico’s Republican Governor Susana Martinez signed Senate Bill (SB) 121 into law, making it the eighth jurisdiction — after California, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, and New York — to protect LGBTQ youth from the dangerous and discredited practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” A number of municipalities have also enacted similar protections, including cities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
http://www.hrc.org/blog/new-mexico-joins-growing-number-of-states-protecting-lgbtq-youth
NV: Armed with new tools, child welfare caseworkers help more families address underlying problems
Las Vegas Sun – April 10, 2017
“We do so much more for families and for children that we work with now in 2017 than we did when I first started in 1999,” Earhart said. “We really have more of a focus to maintain children in the homes with their parents and to put services in place.”
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/apr/10/armed-with-new-tools-child-welfare-caseworkers-hel/
NV: Pinwheels to prevent child abuse and neglect (Includes video)
KOLO TV – April 07, 2017
800 pinwheels blow in the wind in Carson City, placed in one of the most prominent areas– the legislative complex. Organizers hope the spinning wheels will bring attention to child abuse and its prevention.
http://www.kolotv.com/content/news/Pinwheels-to-prevent-child-abuse-and-neglect–418699113.html
NV: Bill would stop school districts from ‘passing the trash’: Heidi Gansert (Opinion)
Reno Gazette-Journal – April 06, 2017
Currently, mandatory reporting of suspected abuse and neglect is only reportable for “persons responsible for the welfare of a child.” In Nevada, “persons responsible for the welfare of a child” does not include teachers, other school personnel or volunteers unless they are parents or guardians. This creates a huge gap in reporting and contributes to the nationwide problem known as “passing the trash.”
NY: $10 million in funding for investigating child abuse announced
Watertown Daily Time – April 10, 2017
Early this week, the state announced $10 million in funding for eligible organizations committed to investigating and responding to cases of child abuse. The New York State Office of Victim Services is offering grants to state-approved child advocacy centers to offset costs, including the installation of video recording equipment and hiring of specially trained staff to interview young victims of sexual and physical abuse.
OH: Heroin crisis leading to more kids in foster care (Includes video)
WCMH – April 07, 2017
The Public Children Services Association Of Ohio said there are thousands of children needing foster homes in Ohio. State officials say the number of foster kids is on the rise due to the heroin problem.
http://nbc4i.com/2017/04/07/heroin-crisis-leading-to-more-kids-in-foster-care/
OK: Seeking to educate about tie between hurting pets and hurting people (Opinion)
Oklahoman – April 07, 2017
While not surprising, the evidence is remarkable. In the past 30 years, social science has led to the discovery of a direct link between animal abuse and several forms of human abuse – specifically domestic abuse, child abuse and elder abuse.
http://newsok.com/article/5544679
OR: Put protecting children first in budget priorities (Opinion)
Medford Mail-Tribune – April 09, 2017
A newly released report indicating state child welfare workers failed to identify threats to the safety of children is just the latest in a long string of alarming findings about the state’s dysfunctional child welfare system. Legislators now meeting in Salem must get a handle on that system, and must give it the resources needed to adequately monitor at-risk children and keep them safe.
PA: Child abuse probes handled by the book, CYS head says
Sharon Herald – April 09, 2017
Had the caseworkers been unable to see the child – or if that caller had looked the other way – the case might have ended very differently, county officials said. “The worker’s persistence saved the child’s life,” the DHS report concluded.
PA: Questions remain about effectiveness of legal reforms following Sandusky sexual abuse scandal
CNHI State Reporter – April 09, 2017
More than two dozen Pennsylvania child protection bills created in response to the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal have made more work for caseworkers, but no one’s sure they’ve made children much safer.
Also: Protecting our children: Where do we stand today?: http://www.sharonherald.com/news/local_news/protecting-our-children-where-do-we-stand-today/article_bda8a321-f72a-540a-909f-9533097232f3.html
http://www.cnhinews.com/cnhi/article_29e47582-1d44-11e7-a3b2-83889608bd86.html
TX: House lawmakers take a stab at funding for trafficking victims
Texas Tribune – April 10, 2017
A Texas House member’s proposal would cut $3 million from Gov. Greg Abbott’s homeland security budget and give it to victims of human trafficking.
https://www.texastribune.org/2017/04/10/house-lawmakers-take-stab-funding-trafficking-victims/
TX: House approves major bump to Texas’ troubled child welfare system (Includes video)
Statesman – April 07, 2017
The House’s approved budget includes a major bump to the state’s troubled child welfare system, a move that has been promised by state leaders since the beginning of the session.
Also: Texas budget wish list: Big dreams, low expectations: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2017/04/07/texas-budget-wish-list-big-dreams-low-expectations
Also: Things to Know: Texas lawmakers turn on corporate incentives: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/business/article143356789.html
Also: House passes $218B budget: https://www.news-journal.com/news/2017/apr/07/house-passes-218b-budget/
TX: Bowie County goes blue for child abuse awareness (Video)
KTLA – April 07, 2017
In Bowie County, people are taking a stand against the mistreatment of kids by celebrating child abuse awareness month at the court house.
Also: Blue flags honor young abuse victims: http://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Blue-flags-honor-young-abuse-victims-11058911.php
TX: Gay and lesbian parents are an untapped resource for Texas foster youth (Opinion)
Dallas Morning News – April 06, 2017
The backlog of children in the Texas foster care system awaiting placement with a foster family has been front-and-center in recent debates about how to best reform the state’s child welfare system. Gay and lesbian foster and adoptive parents make exceptional parents and research overwhelmingly suggests that children raised by gays and lesbians are just as healthy, happy and successful as children raised by straight parents.
WA: Foster care ‘on the cheap’ – Washington’s recipe for failure
InvestigateWest – April 07, 2017
A recent report by the Children’s Administration shows how many of the highest-needs foster children in its custody are falling through the cracks. The state faces a perpetual shortage of foster homes, and options to care for children with severe behavioral, mental health and medical challenges are stretched even thinner. As a result, children can wait up to two months to get the sort of intensive help Austin did through programs the state calls behavioral rehabilitation services, or BRS.
Report: Transforming Lives: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3513201-DSHS-Continuum-of-Care-Report-2017.html
http://crosscut.com/2017/04/foster-care-on-the-cheap-washingtons-recipe-for-failure/
WA: Advocates back effort to aid foster children
Western Recorder – April 04, 2017
Advocates for children needing families voiced their approval of new federal legislation designed to improve the placement of children in quality foster care families at a time of increased demand for such homes.
http://www.westernrecorder.org/1626.article
WV: Need for Child Advocacy Network Continues After 10 Years
State Journal – April 10, 2017
For a decade now, the West Virginia Children’s Advocacy Network, or WVCAN, has grown and stretched across the state to form a safety net to ensure a gentler landing for children and their families caught in a web of abuse. The network grew from a not-so-radical movement founded in the idea that children and families needed an easier way to make their voices heard and to heal.
WV: ‘Emmaleigh’s Law’ Passed in WV House, Would Increase Child Abuse Penalties (Includes video)
WOWK – April 07, 2017
‘Emmaleigh’s Law’, also known as Senate Bill 288, would increase the penalties for crimes of child abuse causing death by parent, guardian, custodian or other person in West Virginia has passed the House of Delegates.
US: Fostering a better relationship between foster kids and the media
University Star – April 09, 2017
Foster children have been portrayed in movies and television shows as rogue, mysterious and badass. Often, these kids are branded heroes for disobeying the status quo and making their own rules as they go along. Not only does this paint a bad image for the community, but propagates a false narrative of what foster care is really like.
US: How foster care turns into hell (Opinion)
New York Post – April 07, 2017
Indeed, maintaining children’s connections with other adults may be the first step not only to preventing abuse but to improving the foster system in general. In recent years, church-based programs like Faithbridge in Georgia search for foster parents in the immediate vicinity of kids in need. Co-founder Bill Hancock recalls going to a church and announcing that there were 11 kids in his own ZIP code in need of foster families. Four dozen people showed up to volunteer.
http://nypost.com/2017/04/07/how-foster-care-turns-into-hell/
US: How Government Is Reforming IT Procurement and What it Means for Vendors
Government Technology – April 06, 2017
In California, it first took the form of a request for a new case management system from Child Welfare Services (CWS) – an important tool, since it’s the nexus through which the state checks in on tens of thousands of children suffering abuse and neglect each year. The agency took years crafting exactly the kind of RFP everybody complains about. Those familiar with the project say even the people who wrote the RFP didn’t think it would end with a good system.
US: NCJFCJ Recognizes Child Abuse Prevention Month (Press release)
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges – April 06, 2017
The work of the NCJFCJ has several initiatives and programs so that judges in their communities can oversee positive outcomes in child welfare matters. The Child Abuse and Neglect Institute, created in 1996, provides training in dependency court best practices for judicial officers. This week-long program brings together national and local faculty to teach on core topics including hearing practice, child development, substance abuse, and cutting-edge court improvement developments, among other topics.
http://www.einpresswire.com/article/374674396/ncjfcj-recognizes-child-abuse-prevention-month
INTERNATIONAL
Hungary: Government to continue revamping foster-care system in Hungary
Daily News Hungary – April 08, 2017
Hungary’s government will implement further measures as part of an overall revamp of the country’s foster care system, the human resources ministry said on Friday.
https://dailynewshungary.com/government-continue-revamping-foster-care-system-hungary/
Ukraine: Over 200,000 children in E. Ukraine need urgent support to overcome trauma of conflict: UNICEF
China.org.cn – April 07, 2017
More than 200,000 children, or one in four, in the two regions most severely affected by ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine require urgent and sustained psychosocial support to address the trauma of living through more than three years of violence, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2017-04/07/content_40580507.htm
CO: Preventing Child Abuse: We all play a role in preventing child abuse and neglect (Press release)
Denver Department of Human Services – April 06, 2017
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. We all play a role in preventing child abuse and neglect, and Denver Human Services invites all of Denver to take part in activities and raise awareness and promote child safety and family wellness.
FL: DCF data shows spike in child deaths in Jacksonville (Includes video)
WJXT – April 06, 2017
Data from the Department of Children and Families reveals a sudden spike in child fatalities in the first three months of 2017, including one in January, three in February and seven in March.
FL: Bill Requiring Fla. Schools Teach About Human Trafficking Dangers Passes First Senate Panel (Includes audio)
WLRN – April 03, 2017
A bill requiring Florida schools to teach about the dangers of human trafficking is starting to advance in the Senate.
GA: Legislature missed opportunities to do good (Opinion)
Newnan Times-Herald – April 06, 2017
Including a much-needed boost to salaries of child welfare workers by 19 percent is $26 million of the governor’s 2018 budget proposal.
http://times-herald.com/news/2017/04/legislature-missed-opportunities-to-do-good
MD: Bishops join fight against human trafficking
Catholic News Agency – April 05, 2017
Maryland’s bishops united in voicing their concerns over the evils of human trafficking, announcing their sponsorship of a statewide initiative aimed at raising awareness of the issue.
Related: Ending the ‘scourge’ of human trafficking is the focus for U.S. bishops: http://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/04/06/ending-scourge-human-trafficking-focus-us-bishops
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/maryland-bishops-join-fight-against-human-trafficking-13695/
MI: Attorney General Schuette recognizes April as Child Abuse Prevention Month
News-Herald – April 06, 2017
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has recognized April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. As part of creating awareness, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners recognized CARE House of Oakland County for their years of dedication to and work in preventing child abuse in Oakland County.
MI: Stamas’ child advocacy bill signed into law
Midland Daily News – April 06, 2017
Sen. Jim Stamas joined child protection leaders recently when Gov. Rick Snyder signed Stamas’ legislation designed to help children’s advocacy centers protect Michigan children.
http://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Stamas-child-advocacy-bill-signed-into-law-11052993.php
MN: April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month (Correction)
Wahpeton Daily News – April 06, 2017
Nicole Loehr, family community support worker with Wilkin County Family Services, says child abuse and neglect happens every day and happens in our community. “We want people to know it’s OK to come forward and make those reports if there’s any suspicion of child abuse or neglect,” she said. “Contact our office and you can remain anonymous. The person doesn’t have to know who reported it.”
Information Gateway resource: National Child Abuse Prevention Month 2017: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/?utm_source=Gateway&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=NCAPM17
NC: Lawmakers look to fast-track overhaul of NC child welfare system
News & Observer – April 06, 2017
Sponsors of a bill filed to overhaul the state’s child welfare system say they hope to address a “child welfare crisis” and tackle a number of problems in the state’s foster care system.
NE: KVC Health Systems Launches Campaign on Brain Development, Toxic Stress & Resilience (Press release)(Correction)
PRWeb – April 06, 2017
KVC Health Systems, a leader in behavioral healthcare and child welfare, has launched a public awareness campaign on healthy brain development in children. Watch the three ads at http://www.kvc.org/brain.
http://business.dailytimesleader.com/dailytimesleader/news/read?GUID=34033364
NE: Lawmakers give first-round OK to bill to end childhood sex abuse victims’ deadline for filing civil suits
Omaha World-Herald – April 06, 2017
Current law requires victims to file lawsuits by the time they turn 33 years old. The State Legislature voted 29-3 Wednesday to give initial approval to a bill that would not only remove the statute of limitations, it would apply retroactively to many past cases of abuse.
NJ: DCPP failed to protect Trenton child who took drugs to school, docs reveal
Trentonian – April 06, 2017
A state agency entrusted with making sure children are protected in New Jersey “dropped the ball” by allowing a city boy to remain with relatives after the first time he was found with drugs at school last year, legal experts said.
Also: AG’s office efforts to squash story ‘needs to be questioned,’ attorney says: http://www.trentonian.com/general-news/20170406/nj-ags-office-efforts-to-squash-story-needs-to-be-questioned-attorney-says
RI: DCYF report prompts new hires, demotion of director
Providence Journal – April 06, 2017
Eighteen front-line workers were hired at the state Department of Children, Youth and Families this week following a report into four recent child deaths that suggested inadequate staffing might have played a role. Meanwhile, Ernest Watson, the agency’s acting assistant director whose qualifications have been questioned, has been removed and reverted to a lower level position.
Also: Editorial: Working to save at-risk children: http://www.providencejournal.com/opinion/20170406/editorial-working-to-save-at-risk-children?rssfeed=true
TX: House passes budget after more than 15-hour debate, Springer-Stickland confrontation
Texas Tribune – April 07, 2017
On the winning side of the House budget debate were child welfare advocates, who saw funding for foster care and Child Protective Services tentatively boosted; social conservatives and the lieutenants of House Speaker Joe Straus’ leadership team who, in a display of unity, easily brushed aside most challenges from far-right Republicans.
Also: House nixes school vouchers: https://www.news-journal.com/news/2017/apr/06/house-nixes-school-vouchers/
UT: Utahns need to do more to prevent child abuse (Opinion)(Includes video)
Standard-Examiner – April 06, 2017
In many ways, Utah is progressive. Yet not enough done to protect our children from irresponsible parents. As a grandparent, I was introduced to the Utah Division of Child and Family Services and Child Protective Services. I respect their interests in all cases. Yet children are not just case numbers. They are little girls and little boys being mistreated, in every sad way.
http://www.standard.net/Letters/2017/04/06/child-abuse-Utah-DCFS-CPS-letter-Lopez-Jarvis.html
WV: Healthy Habits: Help prevent child abuse through the community
Herald-Dispatch – April 06, 2017
Preventing child abuse isn’t just a family issue, it’s a community issue. April marks National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month, an effort to bring attention to improving the health and well-being of children. Federal legislation, known as the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, was first enacted in 1974 and the first National Child Abuse Prevention Week was marked in 1982.
US: How Organized Sexual Abuse Has Stayed Under The Radar For So Long
Collective Evolution – April 05, 2017
Many people who live through sexual /sadistic abuse cannot bring themselves to talk about what happened because they fear no-one would believe them. How has this widespread problem existed in relative secrecy for so long?
US: Cities are taking a new approach to homelessness
Curbed – April 04, 2017
Especially as the future of Housing and Urban Development funding is up in the air due to budget cuts proposed by the new administration that would specifically limit low-income vouchers, cities won’t be able to rely on federal housing dollars. While funneling energy toward building more residential units is important, what cities need to focus on are ways to provide immediate stability to their residents, whether it’s a safe place to park an RV, or a storage locker for valuables, so homeless residents can focus on their jobs, their families, their lives.
Information Gateway resources: Housing Services: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/service-array/housing/
http://www.curbed.com/2017/4/4/15112866/homeless-affordable-housing-crisis-hud
US: New deportation policy proposals place kids at risk
Child Trends – March 29, 2017
An estimated 5.1 million children in the United States live with at least one unauthorized immigrant parent, and nearly 80 percent of those children are U.S. citizens. Though recent changes to immigration policy and enforcement announced by the Trump administration more directly target adults, they threaten these children’s well-being.
https://www.childtrends.org/new-deportation-policies-place-kids-risk
INTERNATIONAL
Ireland: Congregations’ child abuse apologies lack credibility (Opinion)
Irish Times – April 05, 2017
It is practice when reviews of child protection standards are published by the Catholic Church’s National Board for Safeguarding Children that these are followed by many apologies from the institutions concerned. These follow a usual formula welcoming the review, apologising for what was uncovered, and assurances that such will never, ever happen again. Yesterday, the De La Salle Brothers, the Norbertines, the Nazareth Sisters and the Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd congregations followed suit.
CA: Inyo HHS Director Jean Turner to retire (Press release)
Inyo County Health and Human Services – April 05, 2017
Jean Turner, longtime Director of Inyo County Health and Human Services, has announced she will be retiring in June after three decades with the department. She has served as HHS Director for the past 14 years.
http://www.sierrawave.net/inyo-hhs-director-jean-turner-retire/
CO: Summit Child Welfare adopts “kinder, gentler” approach to investigating abuse and neglect (Opinion)
Summit Daily – April 05, 2017
Social Services can sometimes have a bit of an image problem. Seen as the agency that swoops in and shuttles kids off to foster care, in the past it has had difficulty getting parents to cooperate with its investigations into possible child abuse and neglect. That has started to change, however, with a paradigm shift gradually sweeping across the state that emphasizes a more flexible and collaborative approach to reports of abuse.
FL: Bill to help foster children get drivers’ licenses
Associated Press – April 05, 2017
Children in Florida foster care will get help obtaining a driver’s license and auto insurance under a bill heading to Gov. Rick Scott.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article142930794.html
FL: Shortage of Child Protection Investigators puts children in danger (Includes video)
Associated Press – April 05, 2017
A tragic case of child abuse is shedding some light on a serious problem across the state of Florida, putting children in real danger. The issue, a shortage of child protection investigators resulting in overworked CPIs.
HI: State reaches settlement in case where 4 year-old was stomped to death (Includes video)
KFVE – April 05, 2017
The state legislature is preparing to approve an $875,000 settlement in a lawsuit in the case of a boy who was allegedly stomped to death by his father on Maui.
IL: Effort Under Way to Raise Minimum Age for Misdemeanors in Illinois (Includes audio)
Public News Service – April 06, 2017
Legislation is pending in Illinois to send those younger than age 21 to juvenile court rather than adult court. Researchers support it, saying it benefits the kids and society as a whole.
MO: Preferred Family Healthcare, ‘a good family to know’
West Plains Daily Quill – April 06, 2017
PFH is a community-based organization that offers a range of services in over 145 locations, including West Plains. Previously doing business as Alternative Opportunities Inc., the company merged with PFH in May, 2015, to expand and offer additional services to the community such as mental and behavioral health services, substance use treatment programs, child welfare and medical services.
NC: Senate Bill looks to address foster child care problems (Includes video)
WTVD – April 05, 2017
In December 2015, a report by the US Department of Health & Human Services found North Carolina to not be in “substantial conformity” when it came to safety and quality of children in the social services system. On Wednesday, Republican State Sen. Tamara Barringer stood before members of the press, and flanked by supporters and other lawmakers, introduced Senate Bill 594, the Child/Family Protection and Accountability Act.
Also: NC legislators eye improvements to beleaguered foster care system (Includes video): http://wncn.com/2017/04/05/nc-legislators-eye-improvements-to-beleaguered-foster-care-system/
Also: Wake senator leading charge to overhaul NC child welfare system: http://www.wral.com/wake-senator-leading-charge-to-overhaul-nc-child-welfare-system/16627668/
http://abc11.com/politics/nc-senate-bill-looks-to-address-foster-child-care-problems/1840290/
ND: April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Wahpeton Daily News – April 06, 2017
Nicole Loehr, family community support worker with Wilkin County Family Services, says child abuse and neglect happens every day and happens in our community. “We want people to know it’s OK to come forward and make those reports if there’s any suspicion of child abuse or neglect,” she said. “Contact our office and you can remain anonymous. The person doesn’t have to know who reported it.”
Information Gateway resource: National Child Abuse Prevention Month 2017: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/?utm_source=Gateway&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=NCAPM17
ND: KVC Health Systems Launches Campaign on Brain Development, Toxic Stress & Resilience (Press release)
PRWeb – April 06, 2017
KVC Health Systems, a leader in behavioral healthcare and child welfare, has launched a public awareness campaign on healthy brain development in children. Watch the three ads at http://www.kvc.org/brain.
http://business.dailytimesleader.com/dailytimesleader/news/read?GUID=34033364
NJ: State wants court to again block newspaper
Asbury Park Press – April 05, 2017
New Jersey wants an appeals court to again block a newspaper from reporting on a child services complaint involving a kindergarten student who brought drugs to school twice. A spokesman for the state attorney general’s office said Wednesday that it had appealed a judge’s order from last week that lifted the ban on the Trentonian reporting on the case.
Also: Guest Oped: Suppressing the Rights of Parents and Criminalizing Journalism; a statement from NJ SPJ (By New Jersey chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists): http://www.trentonian.com/opinion/20170405/guest-oped-suppressing-the-rights-of-parents-and-criminalizing-journalism-a-statement-from-nj-spj
http://www.app.com/story/news/local/courts/2017/04/05/nj-wants-court-block-newspaper/100096976/
NV: Legislature passes bill for transgender ID in foster care
Las Vegas Sun – April 05, 2017
Lawmakers have passed a bill that would set up requirements for the treatment of LGBTQ foster kids. Sponsored by Assemblyman Nelson Araujo, D-Las Vegas, the bill requires foster parents to ensure children in their care are treated according to their gender identity and expression. Assembly Bill 99 also stipulates that foster parents and agency officials who have direct contact with children receive training in working with LGBTQ minors, among other requirements.
Also: LGBTQ protection bill headed to Nevada governor’s desk: https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/lgbtq-protection-bill-headed-to-nevada-governors-desk/
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/apr/05/legislature-passes-bill-transgender-id-foster-care/
OH: Everyone can help end child abuse
Telegraph-Forum – April 05, 2017
A child is abused in Ohio every 30 minutes. Everyone plays a role in helping end child abuse and neglect. Holtzmann said the children cannot be helped until law enforcement, teachers, neighbors or random stranger notice the warning signs and call the agency.
OH: Ohio START to help families (By Attorney General Mike DeWine)
Fairborn Daily Herald – April 05, 2017
I announced a new pilot program called Ohio START (Sobriety, Treatment, and Reducing Trauma-that will serve families harmed by parental opioid abuse. The pilot will begin in fourteen southern Ohio counties: Athens, Clermont, Clinton, Fairfield, Fayette, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Hocking, Ross, and Vinton.
http://fairborndailyherald.com/opinion/16293/ohio-start-to-help-families
OR: ‘It’s sad we had to offer 331 services last year, but it’s also … kind of gratifying’ (Includes video)
KCBY – April 05, 2017
Pinwheels were planted Wednesday in recognition of Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. 331 pinwheels were planted outside the Kids’ Hope Center. Each one represents a child that was helped by the center in the last year.
PA: Officials: County programs at risk due to state cuts
Sun-Gazette – April 06, 2017
A reduction in mental health services in the county will cut down on crime prevention measures, increasing the crime rate in the county. Wagner is looking at specifically reducing services such as personal care homes, a contract for psychologist services and billing for case management services.
http://www.sungazette.com/news/top-news/2017/04/officials-county-programs-at-risk-due-to-state-cuts/
PA: ChildLine Staff Recognized for Child Abuse Prevention Efforts (Press release)
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services – April 05, 2017
Today, in acknowledgement of Child Abuse Prevention Month, members of the Wolf Administration joined commonwealth representatives and community advocacy groups in the capitol rotunda the first annual PA Blue Ribbon Champion Awards Ceremony and Rally for Kids. The event was part of a campaign to encourage individuals to recognize and report suspected cases of child abuse.
http://business.dailytimesleader.com/dailytimesleader/news/read?GUID=34030502
PA: OP: The infamous Penn State scandal may have finally reached its concluding chapter
Western Herald – April 05, 2017
This case may never reveal the full-hearted truth as Sandusky remains behind his claim to innocence, not to mention Paterno’s own death in 2012 due to complications with cancer. The last hope for justice seemed to be Spanier’s trial, who was eventually found guilty of one misdemeanor count for child endangerment in reference to his handling of a complaint against Sandusky in 2001, according to Times Union.
http://www.westernherald.com/opinion/article_9cd71d94-1a2c-11e7-84a5-43cc72973e8f.html
TX: We must help the least among us (Editorial)
Denton Record-Chronicle – April 05, 2017
None of the crucial life-and-death issues matches the importance of reforming our tragically broken Child Protective Services division of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The world is watching as state government — represented by Attorney General Ken Paxton — squirms and struggles under pressure from U.S. District Judge Janis Jack, who is forcing CPS to do a better job protecting the health, safety and welfare of unfortunate children who’ve fallen into foster care.
http://www.dentonrc.com/opinion/editorial/2017/04/05/must-help-least-among-us
WI: Protecting Wisconsin’s most vulnerable: Governor Walker’s budget proposal bolsters funding for children and families in need (Press release)
Wisconsin Health News – April 05, 2017
Governor Scott Walker highlighted efforts included in his 2017-2019 Biennial Budget proposal to support Wisconsin children and families in need today at the Together for Children Conference in Milwaukee. The Together for Children Conference is held in conjunction with the International Family Justice Center Conference, thus allowing participants to attend workshop sessions at both.
US: Childhood sex abuse could accelerate puberty in girls, study finds
CBS News – April 05, 2017
Researchers who’ve carefully tracked a small cohort of child sex abuse survivors over three decades say they’ve observed another phenomenon: that child sex abuse accelerates the timeline of puberty in adolescent girls. The Pennsylvania State University researchers shared their findings in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Study: Childhood Sexual Abuse and Early Timing of Puberty: http://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(16)30352-4/fulltext
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sexual-abuse-accelerates-puberty-girls/
US: Senators Lankford, Inhofe Co-Sponsor Bill to Protect Rights of Child Welfare Charities (Press release)
Public Now – April 05, 2017
Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) have cosponsored the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, a bill to protect the rights of child welfare charities to operate without the fear of discrimination based on religious beliefs. The bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) and in the House by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA).
http://publicnow.com/view/10910FE3A94722E04270E4DC5018F393A21F766C
US: States Seek Medicaid Dollars for Addiction Treatment Beds
Pew Charitable Trusts – April 05, 2017
The federal government is encouraging all states to seek a waiver of Medicaid’s residential treatment rule, but only if the care is offered as part of a comprehensive set of addiction services for low-income people.
INTERNATIONAL
Japan: Japan has officially recognised a same-sex couple as foster parents
Mashable – April 06, 2017
Japan has officially recognised a same-sex couple as foster parents, marking a first for the country and signalling a growing recognition of LGBTQ rights in Japan.
AL: Child Protect expands to meet demand (Includes video)
WSFA – April 04, 2017
Child Protect is an advocacy group that serves children who are victims of sexual and physical abuse and negligence. Trained forensic interviews are conducted with the children to build the criminal case against the abuser, and a case worker will stay with the victim throughout the trial.
http://www.wsfa.com/story/35069893/child-protect-expands-to-meet-demand
AR: Adopted Teen Says New The Call Home Will Bring Hope to Others in Foster System (Includes video)
KARK TV – April 04, 2017
They said they found him through The CALL. The Christian based group that tries to bring families back together, but if not trains and unifies foster parents with kids, in hopes of adoption. The CALL in Saline County just opened a new home, that will allow foster parents to be trained, file paperwork, and meet with kids all in one place. As opposed to meeting in a restaurant or DHS, they can meet in a cozy room and play and talk with kids.
AR: More foster homes needed in Miller County, statewide in AR
KSLA – April 04, 2017
The Arkansas Human Services Department hopes state lawmakers will provide nearly $163 million to help address several issues, including finding homes for children in the system.
http://www.ksla.com/story/35066231/more-foster-homes-needed-in-miller-county-statewide-in-ar
LA: Analysis: What does mandatory reporter law mean?
Monroe News Star – April 04, 2017
Louisiana requires mandatory reporters to notify law enforcement, but what does being a mandatory reporter in Louisiana mean? And how could this affect administrators?
MD: Hogan signs bill giving sexual abuse victims longer to file suits, ending a delegate’s quest
Baltimore Sun – April 04, 2017
Wilson’s bill was one among a number dealing with sexual assault that has advanced in the General Assembly this year. Victim advocates say that passage of the measures makes this year’s legislative session unusually significant.
NH: New policies seek to protect children hurt by drug crisis
WSLS – April 04, 2017
The number of New Hampshire babies born exposed to drugs has increased significantly in the last few years. Last year, there were 467 such births reported to the Division of Children, Youth and Families, roughly one every 19 hours. That number was down slightly from the year before but was a 42 percent increase compared with a couple of years before that.
http://wsls.com/ap/new-policies-seek-to-protect-children-hurt-by-drug-crisis/
NH: Working Together to Take on the Opioid Crisis
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – March 29, 2017
A Manchester paramedic, Chris Hickey, came up with the plan to turn our city’s fire stations into “safe stations,” where people now come before they get to the point of overdosing. No questions are asked, and if they are not in medical distress (in which case they get immediate medical attention), the firefighters promptly refer them to treatment at a nearby addiction services nonprofit. Since the Safe Station program launched last May, there have been nearly 1,400 visits to the fire station by people seeking help for addiction-most often for opioids.
http://www.rwjf.org/en/culture-of-health/2017/03/working_togetherto0.html
NV: Bill for transgender ID in foster care, youth court advances
Associated Press – April 04, 2017
Nevada lawmakers are advancing a measure that would mandate foster care facilities and juvenile courts treat transgender children as their identifying gender.
Also: Equity Day votes in Nevada Legislature protect LGBTQ youth: https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/equity-day-votes-in-nevada-legislature-protect-lgbtq-youth/
http://www.centredaily.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article142632794.html
NY: ‘Raise the Age’ bill concerns counties
Press-Republican – April 04, 2017
Such a shift would put the responsibility of dealing with more younger people who are arrested with county Social Services systems instead of the courts.
OR: DHS halts ‘differential response’ tack in new counties
Statesman Journal – April 04, 2017
The state agency in charge of child welfare services is pausing the roll-out of a strategy that aims to keep children with their troubled families and out of foster care.
SD: New Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment launched, director begins work
Volante – April 04, 2017
Carrie Sanderson, a USD alumna who previously worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, has been named the first director of USD’s Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment. The center is housed in the health sciences department.
TN: A Reformed Tennessee Foster Care System To Exit Lawsuit After ‘Systemic Reform’ (Includes audio)
Nashville Public Radio – April 04, 2017
Tennessee’s foster care system has reached what Children’s Rights describes as a “massive milestone” of “top to bottom” reform. To reach this moment has taken 16 years of court oversight, which followed a class-action lawsuit named after a little boy in Shelby County, known as Brian A., who became the namesake of the case.
TX: Child advocates hope money for state’s sex trafficking team continues (Includes video)
KXAN – April 04, 2017
This team has asked the legislature to continue the $5.7 million program. Currently, the Texas House and Senate budgets both propose putting $4.4 million towards the team. Another $8 million are available for matching grants from the federal government.
http://kxan.com/2017/04/04/child-advocates-hope-money-for-states-sex-trafficking-team-continues/
TX: Critics say lawmakers are trying to license ‘little jails’ to hold immigrant families
Dallas Morning News – April 04, 2017
On Wednesday, committees in both legislative chambers will address bills that would allow the Department of Family and Protective Services to license Texas facilities that house unauthorized mothers and children while they await their immigration hearings.
US: Author Ties ‘Whupping’ of Black Kids to the Days of Slavery in ‘Spare the Kids’
Chronicle of Social Change – April 04, 2017
With the end of slavery, Patton states that “whupping was used as a survival tactic to teach black children proper racial etiquette so they would not risk being beaten or lynched by whites.” Even today, black parents justify whupping their children as the only way to prevent them from being shot or locked up.
US: State-sanctioned Ransom Should Have No Place in Child Welfare (Opinion)
Youth Today – April 04, 2017
The Orwellian term typically used for these payments is “child support.” But these payments from parents do not go to supporting their own children. Rather, the money is used to keep the foster care system running. When someone’s child is taken away and the parent has to pay to get the child back, that money is not child support. It’s ransom.
http://youthtoday.org/2017/04/state-sanctioned-ransom-should-have-no-place-in-child-welfare/
US: Tsunami of UACs May Be Nearing an End
Center for Immigration Studies – April 03, 2017
The crisis of unaccompanied minors (UACs) and family units being apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol is showing signs of going from a tsunami to a steady and more manageable flow, providing cause for cautious optimism and relief for communities inundated by unaccompanied minors and the horrific crimes that have recently occurred.
Also: The Sorry State of How Unaccompanied Kids Are Handled at the Border (Opinion): http://www.signature-reads.com/2017/04/sorry-state-of-how-unaccompanied-kids-are-handled-at-the-border/
Also: Information Gateway resource: Permanency for Immigrant Children and Youth: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/permanency/specific/immigrant/
http://cis.org/kolb/tsunami-uacs-may-be-nearing-end
INTERNATIONAL
Mexico & US: In Mexico, a program attempts to help U.S. citizen kids deported with their undocumented parents
Daily Kos – April 04, 2017
An educational program is helping some of the U.S. citizen children who have essentially been deported along with their undocumented immigrant parents back to Mexico cope with a new language, a new school system, and a new home.
CA: Bill to Ban Prosecution of Kids Under 12 Gets Hearing Today (Includes audio)
Public News Service – April 04, 2017
A bill to keep children under 12 out of the juvenile court system gets a hearing before the state Senate Public Safety Committee today. SB 439 would instead require that children 11 or younger be referred to child protective services and thus be spared time in juvenile hall and have no criminal record.
CA: L.A. Board of Supes Considers Greater Accountability of Social Workers and Probation Officers
Chronicle of Social Change – April 03, 2017
Tomorrow the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will consider a change to the county’s disciplinary review process that they hope will hold county employees who work with vulnerable children to a higher standard.
CA: Pinwheels put child abuse back under spotlight
Santa Maria Times – April 03, 2017
For the second straight year, child safety advocates are attempting to raise awareness about child abuse with a glittery garden, of sorts, on a section of lawn outside Lompoc’s City Hall.
FL: Can analytics help disrupt vicious cycles of drugs, child abuse and crime? (Press release)
SAS Institute – April 03, 2017
The tragic patterns of child abuse, opioid addiction and other crimes are also the key to conquering them. Organizations armed with SAS® Visual Investigator can uncover hidden trends and behaviors that flag danger to a child, drug abuse and trafficking, fraud, financial crimes and insider threats and point organizations toward answers.
http://business.dailytimesleader.com/dailytimesleader/news/read?GUID=34012913
FL: One foster child hanging stirs anguish; the other is barely noticed
Miami Herald – April 01, 2017
A “child fatality summary” by the Department of Children & Families on Lauryn’s short life and unexpected death is less than three pages long. Only four paragraphs are devoted to her eight-year odyssey through the state’s child welfare system. A website DCF developed three years ago to bring transparency to the grim business of child death makes no reference to Lauryn Martin-Everett.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article142036054.html
IA: Washington’s school district & police chief see effects of fewer DHS resources (Includes video)
KGAN – April 03, 2017
“When we had problems with children, DHS was always there to provide assistance with us,” he said. “Whether it was a school incident or out of school incident.” “Just in the last month alone, we made four DHS calls and at the moment they’re currently unfounded and I don’t know what’s going to happen with those,” she said.
Also: Lawmakers Hear Superintendent’s Thoughts About DHS Staffing Shortage: http://whotv.com/2017/04/03/lawmakers-hear-superintendents-thoughts-about-dhs-staffing-shortages/
ID: Child neglect, abuse, drug culture overwhelm Idaho’s foster system
Times-News – April 03, 2017
For Josiah and other neglected, abused or abandoned children, Idaho needs a foster care system. But it’s an overburdened system with a shortage of foster parents, overworked social workers, a lack of systemwide oversight and a culture “undercut by a constant feeling of crisis,” said a February report by the Legislature’s Office of Performance Evaluations.
Also: How Idaho intervenes for endangered children: http://magicvalley.com/news/local/how-idaho-intervenes-for-endangered-children/article_4a26abb4-52fd-5d48-832c-42f587037f06.html
ID: Pocatello and Chubbuck communities promote child abuse awareness
Local News 8 – April 01, 2017
In an effort to help raise awareness and prevention of abuse, April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. On Saturday, the Pocatello/Chubbuck communities decided to take action to help further awareness locally.
IL: Help Is Here: Center for Youth and Family Solutions steps up after abuse or trauma
Journal Star – April 01, 2017
The school contacted the Center for Youth and Family Solutions. The social service agency has a special program that works with teens like Angela called the Youth, Family and Community Outreach. They immediately began to work with Angela and her entire family.
IN: Huntington kicks off Child Abuse Prevention Month with balloon toss (Includes video)
WANE TV – April 01, 2017
Huntington Mayor Brooks Fetters kicked off Child Abuse Prevention Month Saturday morning with a proclamation and balloon toss at Sunken Gardens park. During the event, 104 blue balloons were released to represent the 104 children that the Huntington County Department of Child Services supported on last year. Circuit Court Judge Thomas Hakes spoke about how to prevent child abuse and neglect.
Also: Blue and white pinwheels at CAPS symbols for Child Abuse Prevention Month: http://www.elkharttruth.com/hometown/elkhart/blue-and-white-pinwheels-at-caps-symbols-for-child-abuse/article_08e50b0a-4989-5c0a-8799-e7494a798792.html
http://wane.com/2017/04/01/huntington-kicks-off-child-abuse-prevention-month-with-balloon-toss/
KY: Governor, First Lady talk about raising nine kids, and overhauling state foster care system (Includes video)
WKYT – April 03, 2017
The Bevins now have nine children; four were adopted. Their struggle to adopt children in Kentucky drove them to adopt their children from another country. It also drove them to try to make sweeping changes to the current foster care system in the state.
MA: Opioid problem creates spike in foster care
Salem News – April 04, 2017
The cost of Columbiana County’s foster care program increased by nearly 40 percent between 2015 and 2016, with the growing opioid problem largely to blame. That was the message delivered when Columbiana County Department of Job and Family Services Director Eileen Dray-Bardon met this week with county commissioners to ask they adopt a proclamation declaring April Child Abuse Prevention Month.
http://www.salemnews.net/news/local-news/2017/04/opiod-problem-creates-spike-in-foster-care/
ME: Newspaper puts powerful lens on ‘killer grip’ of opioid epidemic
Boston.com – March 31, 2017
The Portland Press Herald is delving into Maine’s opioid epidemic with a 10-part series focusing on the public health crisis and its devastating effect on families and communities across the state.
Series: “Lost: Heroin’s killer grip on Maine’s people”: http://specialprojects.pressherald.com/lost/
NM: Agency enlists NM schools in fight against abuse
Las Cruces Sun-News – April 03, 2017
New Mexico’s child welfare agency is reaching out to school administrators and teachers around the state as part of its Pull Together campaign in hopes of curbing child abuse.
NY: Are the kids safe? Child welfare cases up sharply in last 6 months
Staten Island Live – April 03, 2017
The number of child welfare investigations juggled by Staten Island caseworkers has gone up in the last six months despite recent deaths and the city’s efforts to reduce caseloads.
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/04/staten_island_child_welfare_ca.html
NY: Eye on NY: With direct care workers getting a raise, NY human services workers want one too
Auburn Citizen – April 02, 2017
With the concerns raised by direct care workers addressed, human services organizations feel they should be next in line. The Restore Opportunity Now coalition is urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state legislative leaders to allocate necessary funding that will allow human services workers – employees who provide child care, assist the homeless, handle foster care and direct legal services – to earn a living wage. Like direct care workers, human services workers feel they are “underpaid and undervalued,” the coalition said. The main reason they’re seeking support from the state, though, is because of the $15 minimum wage adopted last year.
OH: Program to help kids hurt by parents’ drug abuse
Star Beacon – April 01, 2017
According to the Public Children Services Association of Ohio, 50 percent of the children placed in foster care in 2015 were there as a consequence of parental drug use. In the years since the opioid crisis erupted in Ohio, the number of children taken into agency custody has jumped 11 percent and their stays in foster care have lengthened by 19 percent.
Also: Need for foster families grows as Ohio’s heroin epidemic continues (Includes video): http://www.cleveland19.com/story/35059041/need-for-foster-families-grows-as-ohios-heroin-epidemic-continues
OK: DHS group homes are riddled with assault, crime and chaos, officials claim
Oklahoman – April 02, 2017
DHS says the problems at the group homes are part of a transition the agency is going through – the Pinnacle Plan – and that they’ve been focused for the past four years on reducing the numbers of allegations of abuse of children in state care.
OR: Our View: State system is failing at-risk children
Mail Tribune – April 02, 2017
A newly released report indicating state child welfare workers failed to identify threats to the safety of children is just the latest in a long string of alarming findings about the state’s dysfunctional child welfare system. Legislators now meeting in Salem must get a handle on that system, and must give it the resources needed to adequately monitor at-risk children and keep them safe.
SC: Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault raising awareness of child abuse
Florence News – April 03, 2017
April is nationally recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault has a month full of activities to bring awareness. One of the biggest events to be hosted is a training program, Protective Factors Training. It is hosted by the Durant Children’s Center that assists child welfare systems, early education and other programs that help parents who are at risk of abusing their children find help. They want to educate parents on coping strategies that help them parent more effectively, even under stress.
http://www.scnow.com/news/local/article_1738cc30-18bc-11e7-82c2-1703cbab3412.html
TX: Houston foster child death spurs concerns over placement shortages
Texas Tribune – April 03, 2017
The death of a 15-year-old girl who ran away from a Houston Child Protective Services office on Sunday has advocates and legislators grappling with the worst-case scenario of the state’s shortage of homes for abused and neglected children.
TX: New Lawmakers Take Up Bill to Outsource CPS to Non-profits (Includes video)
KTAB – April 03, 2017
Lawmakers took up a bill Monday that would pass a large part of the state’s responsibility to watch over Texas’ most vulnerable population over to non-profit organizations. House Bill 6 looks to privatize much of the state’s embattled Child Protective Services to implement what’s known as “community-based care.”
TX: Lawmakers begin to reform Child Protective Services
University Star – April 01, 2017
The Texas Senate and House of Representatives unanimously voted to pass bills for reform of Child Protective Services. During the State of the State address, Gov. Greg Abbott noted “over one hundred deaths” of children in foster care services within the last year.
http://star.txstate.edu/2017/04/01/texas-lawmakers-begin-to-reform-child-protective-services/
WI: New School Social Worker License for UWGB (Press release)
University of Wisconsin — Green Bay – April 03, 2017
Green Bay Social Work Professional Programs recently received approval from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to provide a school social work licensure program for Master of Social Work (MSW) students and practitioners.
http://publicnow.com/view/B842DB742E3A8980B74DD6B07BFC18F3006B4282
US: How Policymakers Prioritize Evidence-Based Programs Through Law
Pew Charitable Trusts – April 03, 2017
Policymakers seeking the best return on taxpayer dollars are increasingly focusing on cost-effective programs that have been proven to achieve desired outcomes. Evidence-based policymaking, which relies on rigorous analysis of program results to inform budget, policy, and management decisions, is one strategy gaining support among public leaders who want to reduce wasteful spending, expand successful programs, and strengthen accountability.
Information Gateway resource: Evidence-Based Practice in Family Support and Preservation Services: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/supporting/resources-for-managers-of-family-support-and-preservation-services/evidence/
US: Stress of child abuse impacts the physical growth and maturation of adolescents
Science Daily – March 28, 2017
“We found that young women with sexual abuse histories were far more likely to transition into higher puberty stages an entire year before their non-abused counterparts when it came to pubic hair growth, and a full 8 months earlier in regards to breast development,” Noll stated. “Due to increased exposure to estrogens over a longer period of time, premature physical development such as this has been linked to breast and ovarian cancers. Additionally, early puberty is seen as a potential contributor to increased rates of depression, substance abuse, sexual risk taking and teenage pregnancy.”
INTERNATIONAL
India: 24 children in foster care
Hindu – April 01, 2017
Twenty-four destitute children from various children’s homes in the district now have a family to go home to, with the District Child Protection Unit’s (DCPU) Sanatha Balyam foster care project taking off on Friday.
South Africa: Alberton Child Welfare holds AGM (Annual General Meeting)
Alberton Record – April 02, 2017
Workers from the Department of Social Development have been on strike for several weeks, which means that no children could be removed from unsafe or abusive homes or environments.
http://albertonrecord.co.za/139871/alberton-child-welfare-holds-agm/
United Kingdom: The football child abuse scandal just keeps on growing
Guardian – April 02, 2017
After everything that has emerged about football’s sexual-abuse scandal – including some extraordinary new details that can be reported today about the lack of co-operation from a number of high-ranking Football Association officials – it can come as a jolt to realise that the problem is not just restricted to what used to be known as the good old days.
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/football-child-abuse-scandal-just-080048313.html
AK: Southeast tribal court builds on its experience (Includes audio)
Alaska Public Media – March 31, 2017
It started with child support and paternity cases and branched out to include domestic violence protection orders, custody disputes and adoptions. Now, it’s planning to further expand the kind of cases it handles.
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2017/03/31/southeast-tribal-court-builds-on-its-experience/
AL: For parents grappling with addiction, Family Drug Court offers a way out
AL.com – April 02, 2017
“At first I thought, how am I going to do this?” Millner said. “Then I realized, this is your second chance. You might as well take it.” Millner enrolled in Jefferson County Family Drug Court, which is administered by Judge Alan Summers. The program provides support for parents battling addiction and trying to win back custody of their children.
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/04/post_314.html
CO: New Program Offers Mentor Relationships To Foster Teens
CBS Denver – April 02, 2017
One of the main missions of the Adoption Exchange is to make sure that teens who are aging out of the foster care system have some sort of support. To that end, the organization has started a new program which allows foster care youth to develop friendships with adults who could one day be mentors.
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2017/04/02/new-program-offers-mentor-relationships-to-foster-teens/
DC: Girls In DC Are Not Missing — They Are Being Disappeared
Huffington Post – March 31, 2017
Girls in the child welfare system often experience abuse, neglect, and sexual violence at the hands of foster care providers who are charged with their protection. Girls of color and LBT/GNC girls are also more likely to be funneled through an “Abuse to Prison Pipeline” that criminalizes them for suffering violence rather than understanding their behavior as a response to layered and complex trauma. We cannot talk about missing girls without talking about the conditions that render our girls unsafe in their homes, their schools, and their communities.
Also: The Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline: https://rights4girls.org/wp-content/uploads/r4g/2015/02/2015_COP_sexual-abuse_layout_web-1.pdf
FL: Commentary: Guardians ad litem vital voice for children
Naples Daily News – April 02, 2017
Every day, Florida Guardian ad Litem Program volunteers work diligently to represent the best interest of our state’s most fragile and vulnerable children. Guardian volunteers advocate in court by bringing important information to judges about the children they serve. Guardians help guide vital decisions about proper planning and safe placements which meet the individual needs of each child.
GA: Preventing child abuse: What you can do to help a child you suspect is in danger (first of a series)
Hometown Headlines – April 03, 2017
This is the first of four articles posting each Monday in April about Child Abuse Prevention Month authored by Kaitlyn Bailey, a school school worker with Floyd County.
IL: Education, involvement the keys to prevent child abuse/neglect
Alton Telegraph – March 31, 2017
Education and involvement – whether it is teaching parents how to cope or recognizing and reporting signs of abuse – is the key when it comes to protecting children. That was one of the main messages of the annual kickoff of Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, held Friday morning at the Madison County Administration Building.
http://thetelegraph.com/news/99390/education-involvement-the-keys-to-prevent-child-abuseneglect
IN: Pinwheels, program to increase abuse awareness
Pantagraph – March 31, 2017
A child’s toy will be used throughout April to inspire thought and emotion regarding child abuse – a crime that no one wants to think about but everyone should recognize. Pinwheels – the sticks with colored vanes that twirl in the wind – will be planted outside the McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington and the Children’s Discovery Museum in uptown Normal beginning 1 p.m. Sunday.
ME: Another shocking statistic about the opioid epidemic (Video)
Vox – March 31, 2017
Last year, the Department of Health and Human Services removed 411 children from Maine homes where a parent’s drug use put them at risk. That’s a 45 percent increase from 2009, and Jim Martin, the director of the Office of Child and Family Services, said the prevalence of drug use is likely underreported by caseworkers.
http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/3/31/15136326/opioid-epidemic-grandparents-children
MS: Sun Herald wins prestigious award for child-welfare investigation
Sun Herald – April 01, 2017
Two Sun Herald staffers have been honored with the prestigious President’s Award for their investigation into Mississippi’s child-welfare system. McClatchy Newspapers announced Friday reporter Wesley Muller and photojournalist John Fitzhugh received the award for “Fostering Secrets,” “a series of powerful stories that shined a light on a government agency that took children from their families based on falsified records and exaggerated claims,” the media company said in a press release.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/article142097844.html
MT: MISSOULIAN EDITORIAL: Breaking the cycle of abuse
Missoulian – April 02, 2017
The numbers tell a story of rising horror: In 2015 there were more than 2,700 children in foster care in Montana. Last year that number increased to more than 3,000 – the highest ever. Now, there are more than 3,400 children in foster care in Montana.
NC: April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention month, advocacy events announced (Press release)
Mountain Xpress – March 31, 2017
The month of April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention month. In 2016, Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS) received over 4,820 reports of child abuse or neglect. Over 68% of the children found to be abused or neglected were under the age of six. To build a stronger future, it is critical that we all realize the role that we have in the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
ND: Proposed task force to identify needs for trauma services
Bismarck Tribune – April 03, 2017
In North Dakota, trauma-focused therapy is hard to get. Often, children who have suffered adverse experiences, many times Native American, are misunderstood in their communities and may fall through the cracks in their schools and into the criminal justice system.
NE: Senators question HHS plan to take over relative foster care placement
Lincoln Journal Star – March 31, 2017
Questions came up this week about Gov. Pete Ricketts’ recommendation to reduce contract funding to providers of services for foster care and adoptive and guardianship support via the Department of Health and Human Services. Ricketts has recommended reducing by half the contracts with agencies to support foster care that is provided by a child’s relative. The reduction would save $3.8 million each year.
NJ: Go Blue for CASA This April and Show Your Support of National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Cape May County Herald – April 02, 2017
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children is recognizing National Child Abuse Prevention Month with a Go Blue for CASA theme throughout the month.
http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/community/article_6e101c90-1752-11e7-88ba-57a11a3f6e4e.html
NY: Monroe County legislators call for formal legislative review of county Child Protective Services
Rochester First – March 31, 2017
Monroe County ranks 54th out of 64 NY counties for overdue investigations.
Also: Short-staffed Child Protective Services lags on investigations: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2017/03/31/short-staffed-child-protective-services-falling-behind-investigations/99772930/
OH: More Valley kids are in foster care as child abuse rises (Includes video)
WKBN – April 02, 2017
April is National Child Abuse Awareness month – and for an idea of how big of a problem it is in the Valley – Trumbull County Children Services has seen 55 percent more kids in their care within the last two years.
http://wkbn.com/2017/04/02/more-valley-kids-are-in-foster-care-as-child-abuse-rises/
OH: Child abuse victim: If you don’t talk about it ‘you’ll die from the inside out’
Cincinnati Enquirer – March 31, 2017
The pain, shame and guilt that 6-year-old Mike Pistorino felt as he was sexually abused by a neighbor stayed with him through his adult years. “I carried it with me,” he said. “I kept it deep, deep down in my belly. I didn’t deal with the pain. I didn’t tell. But, if you don’t talk about what happened to you, you’ll die from the inside out.”
OH: Kasich Cracks Down On Opioid Prescriptions With Strict Limit
Daily Caller – March 31, 2017
Ohio is being hit particularly hard by the national opioid epidemic, which claimed a record 33,000 lives in the U.S. in 2015. The opioid death rate in the state spiked 13 percent between 2014 and 2015, among the largest increases in the country. Heroin deaths increased by nearly 20 percent over the same period, claiming 1,444 lives. The epidemic is posing risks to kids who are exposed to the drugs and other dangers by their parents. Officials in Ohio say opioids are the main driver of a 19 percent spike in the number of kids removed from parental custody to foster care since 2010.
http://dailycaller.com/2017/03/31/kasich-cracks-down-on-opioid-prescriptions-with-strict-limit/
OH: Pinwheels for Prevention returning to courthouse steps Monday
New Philadelphia Times-Reporter – March 31, 2017
Colorful pinwheels will be twirling in the breeze on the Tuscarawas County courthouse steps through the end of April. The pinwheels will be put in place on Monday. The pinwheels display is in conjunction with Pinwheels for Prevention, Prevent Child Abuse, Ohio’s statewide public awareness campaign. Volunteers will place the pinwheels at the courthouse.
OH: Their View: Opioid pilot program leaves some victims out (Opinion)
Youngstown, Ohio Vindicator – March 31, 2017
Good news and bad news flowed directly out of Columbus this week about the war on opiate abuse and its destructive and anguishing impact on children and families.
OK: Social worker receives $225,000 judgment against city of Tulsa for malicious prosecution claim
Tulsa World – April 01, 2017
A social worker who says she was falsely charged with failing to report child neglect has been awarded $225,000 from the city of Tulsa in a malicious prosecution case.
OR: State of Oregon, child welfare sued over alleged child abuse
Seymour Tribune – March 31, 2017
A $15.3 million lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Human Services and child welfare workers accuses them of allowing two girls to live with a known registered sex offender.
http://www.tribtown.com/2017/03/31/or-child-abuse-lawsuit/
RI: After Four Infant Deaths, DCYF Director Says Agency Will Increase Vigilance
Rhode Island Public Radio – March 31, 2017
Four infants known to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families died over the past few months. A new report from the Office of the Child Advocate says DCYF missed opportunities to prevent those deaths.
http://ripr.org/post/after-four-infant-deaths-dcyf-director-says-agency-will-increase-vigilance
RI: Child advocate finds DCYF twice promoted official who lacked qualifications
Providence Journal – March 31, 2017
The supervisor who led state investigators looking into accusations of child abuse and neglect was removed from the position in October after an arbitrator found he was not qualified for his job. Following that arbitration ruling, the same supervisor was elevated to an administrative post at the Department of Children, Youth and Families – a higher position, with higher pay, in the Division of Child Protective Services.
SC: Church, group homes find ways to address foster care needs
Associated Press – March 31, 2017
Foster care in South Carolina is in a crisis with the demand for housing outstripping availability more than two to one, local agencies who oversee foster care programs say. The problem, they believe, has gotten more dire for the first time in recent years. A 2016 report from the Children’s Bureau shows a similar trend.
TX: Its the Invasion of the Cardboard Kids!
WOAI – March 31, 2017
The non-profit ‘ChildSafe’ says it will place some 72,000 small cardboard cutouts of children all over the county over the coming months. The group’s Randy McGibrey says it is a way to point out how common child abuse and child neglect are in this county. McGibrey says ChildSafe is encouraging companies, families, individuals, and groups like Rotary Clubs and fraternal organizations to make up the cardboard kids, and make a donation to ChildSafe as part of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April.
Also: Activities observing Child Abuse Prevention Month begin in Amarillo April 1: http://amarillo.com/local-news/news/2017-03-31/activities-observing-child-abuse-prevention-month-begin-amarillo-april-1
http://woai.iheart.com/articles/local-news-119078/its-the-invasion-of-the-cardboard-15697807/
TX: Profiles in Prevention: Anne Heiligenstein (Press release)
Texas Association for the Protection of Children (Texprotects) – March 31, 2017
I work with Casey Family Programs and we partner with child welfare agencies, families, policymakers and courts to help reduce the need for foster care, increase the safety and success of children and strengthen the resilience of families.
http://publicnow.com/view/F3D1B483CB6A038DC592EA2F6ED92B92839C2C2B
TX: Religious liberty bills discriminate, not liberate (Opinion)
Star-Telegram – March 31, 2017
Organizations like the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops are worried about litigation and hesitant to continue in the child welfare system without religious liberty protections. But “sincerely held religious beliefs” is so vague that it could open up some worrisome doors.
http://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/editorials/article142061369.html
VA: Richmond camp for grieving children expands focus to foster care system
Richmond Times-Dispatch – April 01, 2017
This weekend, Sonya and her 16-year-old sister, Victoria, are participating in a first-of-its kind camp designed to help youths who have been through the foster care system cope with grief and connect with others who have lost their birth families.
WI: “A striking image:” Nearly 400 pinwheels planted in Racine hope to raise awareness of child abuse (Includes video)
Fox 6 – April 01, 2017
In Racine, a beautiful spot represents an ugly statistic. Nearly 400 pinwheels were planted on Saturday, April 1st with a very important message.
WI: Social worker: Suicide prevention is like CPR (Includes video)
USA Today Network – Wisconsin – March 31, 2017
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin is hosting suicide prevention trainings throughout the state this year as part its Kids in Crisis series, which puts a spotlight on the mental health needs of Wisconsin youth.
US: Hundreds of pinwheels planted to raise awareness on child abuse (Includes video)
WCBY – April 02, 2017
The month of April marks Child Abuse Awareness month. According to the National Children’s Alliance, in 2015, more than 1,600 children died from abuse and neglect in the U.S.
US: Trump Proclaims April 2017 As National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Inquisitr – April 02, 2017
National Child Abuse Prevention Month was first observed in 1983 by proclamation by President Ronald Reagan. Since then, the office on Child Abuse and Neglect has continued to annually coordinate activities, host multidisciplinary forums focused on prevention, awareness, and education. Following in Regan’s footsteps, and several other presidents before him, President Donald Trump also proclaimed April National Child Abuse Prevention Month on March 31, 2017.
US: April awareness month highlights dentists’ role in reporting child abuse (Press release)
American Dental Association – March 31, 2017
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and an apt time for dentists to consider their role in reporting child abuse, neglect and other forms of maltreatment. In 2015 nationwide, there were a reported 683,000 victims of child abuse and neglect, including 1,670 deaths, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
US: Psychologist: We must not harm children as a deterrent to immigrants | Opinion
NJ.com – March 30, 2017
As a social worker and developmental psychologist, I am shocked that Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly is considering separating undocumented children from their mothers — including those seeking asylum – at the U.S. border.
http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/03/we_must_not_harm_children_as_a_deterrent_to_immigr.html
US: Nearly Four in 10 Kids Are Involved in Maltreatment Investigations by Age 18
Annie E. Casey Foundation – March 28, 2017
By the time kids in the United States reach adulthood, 37% have crossed paths with Child Protective Services as potential victims of maltreatment, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health.
Information Gateway resource: Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/statistics/can/
INTERNATIONAL
Canada: Manitoba government under fire for keeping millions meant for kids in care
CBC News – March 31, 2017
Government kept $32M from federal allowance intended for child welfare agencies.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-fielding-cfs-money-1.4050901
Canada: B.C. youth advocate slams funding models for Indigenous youth services
CBC News – March 30, 2017
New report says ‘flawed and discriminatory’ funding makes Indigenous children more likely to end up in care.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/daa-report-1.4047903
Canada: Ottawa gives Manitoba chiefs money to study reforming child welfare system (Includes video)
APTN National News – March 27, 2017
Bennett says the $550,000 will help First Nations consult with elders, social workers and youth to figure out how to better address their needs. Grand Chief Derek Nepinak says putting more money into child welfare doesn’t make sense until the system stops rewarding the apprehension of kids.
