KARA (Kids At Risk Action) tracks current news about at risk children

bringing transparency and  attention to our youngest and most vulnerable  citizens.

The COVID pandemic has reduced mandated reporting and almost ended media reporting of child abuse issues.

Reporting on this site is made possible by

KARA staff and college interns and volunteers from

Arizona State U, Capella, RMIT, U of MN, U of ND,

Cambrian College, and MacEwan University (research and writing).

It is only sampling of what should be reported 

The majority of child trauma & abuse is never known.

 

37% of children overall and 44% of Black children are reported to child protection services in America

by the time they turn 18.  (American Journal of Public Health 1.17)

6 to 12 million children a year are reported to child protection services

In many states, 1/3 of foster children are required to take psychotropic medicines

Sign Up Here For KARA’s Free Friday Morning Real Story Updates 

ALL ADULTS ARE THE PROTECTORS OF ALL CHILDREN

KARA LIBRARY OF CHILD ABUSE REPORTING;

 

She never saw her foster children again: Inside a Tennessee mom’s four-year legal fight against DCS

tennessean.com

The Cleveland, Tennessee woman thinks foster parents should have a … to house in Tennessee’s foster care system and beatings and sexual abuse in …

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Report: More children abused or revictimized after entering Texas foster care – KXAN

KXAN

It is the fourth report filed by the court monitors — two people appointed to oversee the state’s child welfare system as the lawsuit proceeds. The …

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Texas may face “substantial fines” over its troubled foster care system

The Texas Tribune

State-licensed facilities are also failing to properly report instances of abuse or neglect to DFPS despite “horrible things happening in these …

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Judge threatens Texas with huge fines over foster care failures – Dallas Morning News

Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN — A federal judge in the long-running Texas foster care lawsuit said … for the children are trained to recognize and report sexual abuse, …

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Court monitors call for investigation into ‘problem’ of child runaways from Bastrop facility

KXAN

Court monitors call for investigation into ‘problem’ of child runaways from Bastrop … Report: More children abused after foster care entry.

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Report: More children abused or revictimized after entering Texas foster care – YouTube

YouTube

The Monitors’ latest report identifies areas of progress, but also areas where they say “the State continues to struggle” with implementing the …

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Oregon Department of Human Services to End Its Use of Child Abuse Risk Algorithm

Willamette Week

The algorithm, first used by Oregon officials in 2018, was inspired by a screening tool developed for child welfare officials in Allegheny County, …

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Grieving foster parents keep promise to adopt daughter – USA Today

USA Today

Mark and Tina said child welfare officials had told them Becca suffered physical, sexual and emotional abuse before moving into their home.

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Judge dismisses child abuse charge against Clinton County couple – Lansing State Journal

Lansing State Journal

The Browns sent their adopted daughter to live with close friends Tamal and Jerry Flore, who are also foster parents, in 2019 for respite care, said …

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New Zealand woman placed in abusive foster care wins appeal against deportation from Australia

RNZ

She went into foster care where she was sexually abused and ran away one day before school at the age of 15. Her daughter committed suicide and she …

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Foster Children Held in Jails, Shelters — Workers Threatened, Attacked: A State Agency in Crisis

Better Government Association

One juvenile court judge asked: “What does a judge do when the department basically abuses a child?” Besieged Illinois child welfare director Marc …

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Shortage of licensed foster care homes in Southwest Florida – WINK News

WINK News

When children are removed from their homes due to neglect or abuse, Collier County has one emergency shelter, Youth Haven, where they can go to heal …

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Bend teen in foster care again missing, ‘believed to be in danger,’ DHS says – KTVZ

KTVZ

Report child abuse to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233). This toll-free number allows you to report abuse of any …

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‘A Lot of Beatings’: Twins Born Into Foster Care Walk Over 90 Miles from Georgia to Florida …

Atlanta Black Star

Twin brothers adopted from foster care at 2 years old embarked on a … to ‘Shine Light’ on Abuse In System and Lack of Protection After Adoption.

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Mother and her boyfriend charged in starvation, torture of 8-year-old twins, resulting in … – WJHG

WJHG

A mother and her boyfriend are accused of abusing twin girls for years prior to … the surviving twin and a newborn, were all put in foster care.

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Opinion | Virginia can provide more hope for foster children – The Washington Post

The Washington Post

Foster youths leaving the system are vulnerable to homelessness, substance abuse addictions, trafficking and unwanted pregnancies. Although Virginia …

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Mother and her boyfriend charged in starvation, torture 8-year-old twins, resulting in one’s death

WIFR

A mother and her boyfriend are accused of abusing twin girls for years prior to … the surviving twin and a newborn were all put in foster care.

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KS man accused of recording himself molesting foster brother, then sharing images online

The Wichita Eagle

The child was in foster care at the time. … A Kansas man photographed and filmed himself sexually abusing his young foster brother then uploaded …

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Two USC Alums, Journalist Sara Corcoran and Public Affairs Specialist Christina Ruiz Talk …

CityWatch Los Angeles

Children within the foster care system who have survived child abuse are extremely vulnerable and subjected to continuous abuse such as human …

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High-needs foster kids sometimes have to sleep in hotels or offices. The pandemic made the …

PBS

Some foster children with complex mental, behavioral, and physical … up by their parents voluntarily or removed from their homes due to abuse, …

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Foster care breakdown: $3M settlement in deaths of 3-year-old Georgia twins

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The state of Georgia settled a lawsuit related to the deaths of foster care twins Raelynn and Payton Keyes, agreeing to pay $3 million to the …

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Grieving foster parents keep promise to adopt daughter – USA Today

USA Today

‘You don’t give up on family’: Adoptive parents’ quest to help foster … A couple OF months after Becca’s death, Mark and Tina’s adoption …

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South Carolina: Man sentenced in foster child’s death – WYFF 4

WYFF 4

South Carolina man sentenced in death of his 3-year-old foster child. Jerry Austin Robinson appeared before a judge Friday morning in Greenville …

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After her friend’s death, their families were combined into one – NPR

NPR

But my fear was, when my dad died, that I was going to probably end up in foster care, and I didn’t want that to happen to me.

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Husband of SC Food Network star sent to prison in death of 3-year-old foster daughter

Charlotte Observer

Judge Letitia Verdin said Austin Robinson deserved the maximum sentence for aiding and abetting homicide by child abuse in what she called the worst …

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Oregon dropping artificial intelligence tool used in child abuse cases – OPB

OPB

Child welfare officials in Oregon will stop using an algorithm to help … that sought to assess a child’s risk for death and severe injury, …

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Children Services moves to dismiss parent lawsuit after 4-month-old dies – Toledo Blade

Toledo Blade

A federal judge will decide if a lawsuit filed by the parents of a 4-month-old child who died in foster care has the merits to proceed, …

More Than 100 Ohio Youth Died in Foster Care Since 2015 – The Imprint – The Imprint

Full Coverage

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Man convicted in death of 3-year-old foster child has first parole hearing next month – WLWT

WLWT

Liz and David Carroll are each serving prison sentences. In the wake of his death, there have been a lot of changes to the foster care system, …

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‘It shocks me:’ Parole hearing resurrects trauma of young Tri-State boy’s murder – Fox 19

Fox 19

Changes have been made to the foster care system after Fiesel’s death. Local agencies started doing tougher background checks on foster parents as …

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Boulder County Commissioners to declare June as Gun Violence Awareness and …

Boulder County

WHEREAS, firearm-related deaths, are now the leading cause of death among … 2021 in Boulder, the recent tragic deaths of 19 children and two …

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Families have more questions after teen’s death ruled suicide | firstcoastnews.com

First Coast News

What happened to Rosie? That’s the question two foster families asked for more than a month after a young woman they helped raise died.

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Foster mother who shook baby to death films herself pulling faces as distressed child cries

The Independent

Laura Castle, 38, found guilty of murdering 13-month-old Leiland-James Corkill who died five months after being placed in her care.

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At least 19 children, 2 teachers killed at Texas elementary school – The Washington Post

The Washington Post

Silvia Foster-Frau … The shooter opened fire in a fourth-grade classroom, a parent said, sending children fleeing for their lives.

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Child’s death triggers new state response to Cherokee County DSS – Carolina Public Press

Carolina Public Press

“The director’s leadership over child welfare services is at best described as inactive.” Dozens of parents and children sued Cherokee County, and in …

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Coroner: Sangamon Co. inmate dies of natural causes | Top Stories | wandtv.com

Wand TV

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – No evidence of trauma was found in an autopsy after a Sangamon County inmate recently died in hospital care.

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Search continues for Texas woman accused in cyclist’s death – Huron Daily Tribune

Huron Daily Tribune

Former foster care worker from Midland charged with 5 felony CSC counts … Search continues for Texas woman accused in cyclist’s death.

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Woman to serve minimum 18 years in jail for murder of baby she was adopting – The Guardian

The Guardian

The baby’s foster carer said the death had affected her entire family. … Lesley Walker, the chair of the Cumbria Safeguarding Children …

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Eli Hart, Mound, MN: Minnesota mom charged with killing son; body found in trunk of bloodied car

ABC7 Chicago

MINNEAPOLIS — A mother was charged Monday in the death of her 6-year-old … a year in foster care because she failed to properly care for him, …

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Mother and her boyfriend charged in starvation, torture of 8-year-old twins, resulting in one’s death

KBTX

… of abusing twin girls for years prior to one of the children’s death. … the surviving twin and a newborn, were all put in foster care.

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Lack of emergency foster care means some North Dakota kids must stay in hotels, offices

InForum

North Dakota’s needs for emergency shelter spaces for foster children are … Minnesota’s emergency placements also have gone down from 4,430 in …

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It’s Karen’s Turn column: Following a child’s murder, Minnesota needs to open CPS records …

Echo Press

His mother has been charged with second-degree murder. For the last year of his life, he had been in foster care, and those caring for him reported …

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Heather Kirsebom is Fostering a Sea Change – Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine

From organizing a sailing program for at-risk foster youth to returning to her #lakelife roots in Minnesota, Heather Kirsebom tends to dive in …

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5 Things to Know About New Vikings WR Albert Wilson

Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings Latest News. … Andy Kenutis/Minnesota Vikings … Wilson knows the challenges facing the foster care system because he grew up …

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Robert S. Foster – The Brookings Register

The Brookings Register

Robert was born in Pipestone, MN, on March 11, 1929, to Earl (Butch) and Ann (Peggy) (Knott) Foster, the second child of six boys.

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Sharon Appelget Obituary (2022) – Grand Rapids, MN – Legacy.com

Legacy.com

She thanks all the staff at Brookstone Manor for the loving care she … Minnesota, Sharon was the foster mother to more than twenty children over …

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Oregon dropping AI tool used in child abuse cases – KSTP.com Eyewitness News

KSTP-TV

Child welfare officials in Oregon will stop using an algorithm to help decide which families are investigated by social workers, opting instead …

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Mankato man accused of throwing knife during argument | Minnesota | kimt.com

KIMT

Foster Care Awareness Month: how to help locally. Updated May 3, 2022. Homeless man arrested in connection to Rochester burglaries.

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KARE 11 Investigates: Minnesota’s justice system has failed kids and the public

KARE 11

She grew up in poverty, pulling herself and her younger siblings up through the foster care system. Jalen also grew up in poverty, homeless for a …

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Examiner Releases Report On Boy, 6, Found Shot To Death In Mound – Patch

Patch

MOUND, MN — The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has identified the … Hart had been in Dakota County foster care for almost a year because his …

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Boy Found Dead in Minnesota Days After Mom Awarded Full Parental Custody – NTD News

NTD News

The mother of a 6-year-old Minnesota boy was arrested over the weekend for allegedly … The boy then spent 11 months living in foster care.

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Kurt Daniel Lubahn – Post Bulletin | Rochester Minnesota news, weather, sports

Post Bulletin

Kurt grew up in Rochester MN and graduated from Mayo High School in 1987 … Was a foster parent and enjoyed teaching skills to many children as …

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Nonprofit holds fishing tournament to raise money for kids in foster care – KSLA

KSLA

All proceeds from the tournament will help both children who are in foster care and those who have aged out of the system. Founder Jamie Jett said she …

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8 Great Danes Rescued From Minivan In Western Minnesota: ‘The Worst We’ve Seen In A Long Time’

WCCO | CBS Minnesota

The Great Dane Rescue of Minnesota and Wisconsin says its volunteers rescued the dogs … The dogs are currently recovering in foster homes.

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Nearly 8,000-year-old skull found in Minnesota River | News | cherokeephoenix.org

Cherokee Phoenix

The kayakers found the skull in the drought-depleted Minnesota River about … OPINION: New funds support Cherokee foster children and families …

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Julissa Thaler Allegedly Shot Son Eli Hart Nine Times | Crime News – Oxygen

Oxygen

Minnesota Mom Allegedly Shot Young Son Nine Times, Hid Body In Car Trunk … relationship in January 2021, after Eli Hart entered foster care.

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Kansas foster children are still sleeping in offices years after promises that would end

KCUR

A lawsuit settlement said children need to be placed in foster homes rather than offices. Foster agencies have spent years trying to prevent children …

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Foster care breakdown: $3M settlement in deaths of 3-year-old Georgia twins

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

On March 21, 2019, they were placed in the care of a foster parent, Claudette Foster, by a private child placement agency, Morningstar Children and …

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‘Desperate situation’: States are housing high-needs foster kids in offices and hotels

News-Medical

Like Perez, foster kids across the country — many with complex mental, … Foster families hesitated to take in children because of heightened …

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Officials urge families to foster as numbers of babies in protective custody spikes

The Nevada Independent

The ultimate goal of the Department of Family Services is to reunite children with their birth parents (Nevada has a 67 percent reunification rate) …

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Texoma children experiencing foster care outpacing available local homes – KXII

KXII

In Grayson County, more than 76 percent of children experiencing foster care do not get to stay local when placed in a home.

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High-needs foster kids sometimes have to sleep in hotels or offices. The pandemic made the …

PBS

Perez estimates she moved more than 20 times among group homes, mental health facilities, and foster families. “A lot of foster parents didn’t know …

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North Dakota foster care workers say good foster families are always needed – KFYR

KFYR

Burleigh County Foster Care Supervisor Nicole Delaplane has worked to help children find temporary homes in Burleigh County for the last five years. “ …

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Family shares fostering and adoption story as state seeks more foster families

News Channel 5

A Mt. Juliet family adopted their teenage son after several years of fostering children through the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.

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DCF calls on LGBTQ+ families to foster amid shortage – WCAX

WCAX

(WCAX) – The Vermont Department for Children and Families says they are facing a shortage of foster homes. Now, they’re partnering with the Pride …

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More fosters needed for children in northwest Ohio | wtol.com

WTOL

National Youth Advocate Program official said the goal is to triple the number of foster homes in Toledo.

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Missing foster children are often gone for over a month, report says – The Washington Post

The Washington Post

Children who go missing from foster care in the United States are typically gone for more than a month before being found, according to a new …

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Program helping Oklahoma foster kids find homes – KRMG

KRMG

Kids who age out of foster care are more at risk for unemployment, homelessness, substance abuse, early parenthood and re-entering government systems.

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Detroit’s The Children’s Center provides “one-stop-shop” resources for foster care – WDET 101.9 FM

WDET 101.9 FM

Officials say there are nearly 14,000 kids waiting to be placed into foster care homes in Michigan. Lynda Dandridge is the director of child welfare …

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7’s HERO: Boise woman who adopted five children starts nonprofit | ktvb.com

KTVB

There is a shortage of qualified foster homes in Idaho. Foster + Heart is dedicated to giving kids a safe space while they wait for placement.

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Tennessee needs thousands of foster families, how you can help – WVLT

WVLT

There was about 9,000 children in the system and about 4,000 foster homes as of Monday, according to Youth Villages. In Knox County, there was about …

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More than 100 kids need foster homes in Sullivan County – Spectrum News

Spectrum News

Even in mostly rural Sullivan County, 110 kids are seeking to join foster families. Stacie Dube is a foster parent who chose to open up her family’s …

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Foster Children Held in Jails, Shelters — Workers Threatened, Attacked: A State Agency in Crisis

Better Government Association

Besieged Illinois child welfare director Marc Smith speaks out in a … more than 20 foster homes, shelters and residential treatment centers.

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Mecklenburg County says more families are needed for foster children | WFAE 90.7

WFAE

More children are entering Mecklenburg County’s foster care system, and the county says it needs more foster families to care for them.

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Woman Draws On Her Experience In Foster Care To Help Others – YouTube

YouTube

There are over 400000 children and youth currently in the foster system, who live in an average of eight homes during their childhood.

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Foster Florida plans to rapidly increase the number of eligible homes for vulnerable children

Gainesville Sun

May is National Foster Care Month and at least 76 foster children in Gainesville have been locked out of stable households due to several hurdles.

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#childabuse

#childwellfare

#statistics

#foster

#mentalhealth

#sexabuse