12 Year Old Wisconsin Girls Charged As Adults (what this says about justice in Wisconsin)
28 states place children in the adult criminal justice system, 25% of pit youth are charged as adults, 30% of our youth are arrested by 23rd birthday
Policing Abused Children & Why It Can’t Be Done
Teachers, social workers, law enforcement and foster/adoptive parents dealing with State Ward children are often the last chance that a child has to grow up to lead a normal life.
Giving Voice to At Risk Children – it’s easy
Imagine as a child, living in a home where every day there is forced sex or beatings by adults. Mom is a teen or preteen parent with a violent boyfriend, mental health issues and no parenting skills.
This is America’s generational child abuse problem.
Mom, and mom’s mom also came from abusive homes. It’s their normal.
Being a Voice For an Abused Child – CASA guardian ad Litems speak for the child
In America today, children have no federal rights except under the “doctrine of imminent harm” which allows the child to be taken from the family if the child’s life is endangered by the parent. For the most part, being responsible for killing your own child, unless it’s for religious reasons it is against the law.
At least 30 states still allow parents to withhold lifesaving medical care to their children for religious reasons and children do die because of it. This may sound hyperbolic, but if you did withhold lifesaving medical care in a state that did not allow it for religious reasons, you’d be charged with killing your child. Parents have all the rights and children have no voice except for the guardian ad litem that speaks for them.
COVID and Foster Care
The COVID crisis is stretching all of our community resources. Every state is struggling to provide safe homes for foster children.
Fixing the problems this article brings to light will require an informed and involved community and government…
Click here to find out how to begin to make this happen where you live.
KARA Is Unable To Provide Direct Services
Dear Readers,
KARA regularly receives requests for help from families and children about child abuse issues.
We do not have staff and ask you to use our Links Button to find the services you need.
Contact your State Representatives and let them know your story and engage them in this conversation. Give them ideas for what needs to change.
Use articles from KARA to educate them and support your argument – you will find over 1200 articles at this site (they are searchable by category)
The Pandemic Impacting Child Abuse and Foster Care (state by state)
Because schools are closed, after-school activities are canceled and churches aren’t having youth groups and community activity with trusted adults outside the home have evaporated – the chances an abused child can find help to interrupt abuse in the home are dramatically reduced.
Add to that, families living with troubled children are finding the COVID environment much harder now.
More anxiety, substance abuse and family violence are happening because of lost jobs and the 24/7 close quarters of people locked into toxic homes because of the pandemic.
Every state is struggling with child protection, domestic violence and foster care. What’s it like to be a foster child or a foster parent in your state? The following articles are arranged by state. Check out your state here;
Poverty, Structural Racism and Children (thank you Safe Passage for Children of MN)
Today’s Safe Passage short post about the impact of poverty and racism on children hits the nail on the head. Decades and generations of children living without enough to eat, access to health and mental health care and all the stress that accompanies people in fear of homelessness and hunger.
Does you community accept young children being expelled from daycare and elementary school? The violence and trauma visited upon us at this time is a direct result of how America treats its children. Life would be way better for all of us if we cared more for other people’s children.
You’re Hurting Me – Children Living In Toxic Homes During The Covid Lockdown (domestic violence statistics)
TThe absence of reports of violence against children in the media does not reflect the amount of trauma and suffering of children in toxic homes in our communities today.
The COVID lockdown has almost ended domestic violence abuse reporting in the media and for children, there are no classrooms to escape to. Social workers can’t get into the homes to talk to or look at children to hear their stories and see their bruises.