What’s it like for a two or five year child old watching mom or dad beaten or murdered in a drug fueled bout of domestic violence? How long does childhood trauma last? What happens to a child after being removed from the home and placed in foster care (podcast)?
Safe Passage for Children on Minnesota recounts facts about two parental murders in front of their very young children and points out that more than half the children murdered by their parents while in Child Protection Services had domestic violence play a role in their deaths.
This post relies heavily on the hard work of SAFE Passage For Children of Minnesota. Click here for a deep dive into their investigations of child death at the hands of caregivers while in Child Protective Services.
Today, there are over 250 Minnesota children without a Guardian ad Litem in the system to speak for them in Child Protective Services. It’s a lonely and frightening place to be for all children but especially terrible for very young children.
A big part of why 250 children do not have a Court Appointed Special Advocate speaking for them in Child Protection in MN today is that current program management eliminated 250 Community volunteers in a poorly planned revamping of Guardian ad LItem staff. Turnover of paid staff is high and replacing them in this tight job market is not going well. The program needs volunteers.
