Vulnerabilities in the Foster Care System (podcast)

In this episode of Kids at Risk Action, hosts Ashley and Alex discuss a heartbreaking case in which a 7-week-old infant suffered 13 fractures while in foster care, allegedly inflicted by the foster mother. This case highlights the systemic issues within the foster care system, including inadequate resources, lack of oversight, and insufficient training and support for foster parents.

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Links to Facts and Happenings in Child Protection and Public Health

This is a snapshot of changes being made to the safety net for child protection, public health and education. Please take a few minutes and show your support for those programs and policies you know to be of value to the weakest and most vulnerable among us.

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The Critical Need for Child Advocacy Centers (podcast)

Kids at Risk Action, the hosts discuss the critical issue of funding cuts to Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) in Minnesota, which are essential in providing support for abused and neglected children. CACs offer services like forensic interviews, victim advocacy, and medical exams, but with the loss of 80% of their federal funding, these centers could be forced to close, leaving thousands of children without protection.

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List of Current Federal Policies Impacting Children

Funding cuts to programs for education, healthcare, poverty, hunger, disabilities, insurance, civil rights, nutrition, homelessness, discrimination, early childhood programs, child labor, and child abuse are all disappearing.

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Child Death and Public Non Disclosure (podcast)

Kids at Risk Action, Alan and Lauren address the critical issue of the lack of transparency within child welfare systems and its devastating impact on vulnerable children. Despite efforts to raise awareness, many cases of child maltreatment, near-fatalities, and deaths remain hidden from public view due to the absence of standardized reporting and privacy laws that can shield institutions from scrutiny.

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Terminating the CASA Volunteer GAL Program Will Cost Children’s Lives and Taxpayers Money

On Tuesday, 4.22.25 National CASA/GAL received notice that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has terminated (CASA National) federal grant awards – among 360 notices of termination the DOJ issued this week. All 12 million dollars.

In this fast moving effort to “cut waste” and “save money”

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77 Years of Child Abuse (podcast)

Kids at Risk Action, Katie and Jenna explore the deep, lasting effects of childhood trauma through the lens of a survivor’s 77-year journey. They discuss how childhood abuse, often unrecognized, rewires the brain and shapes a lifetime of emotional struggles, relationships, and self-worth issues.

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Tip of the Mental Health Iceberg (podcast)

Kids at Risk Action, the hosts address the growing mental health crisis in child welfare, particularly in emergency rooms and foster care systems. They reveal alarming statistics, such as the significant rise in ER visits for children’s mental health crises and the systemic failures that leave many without proper care.

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ACES Economic HealthCare Burden 14 Trillion Annually (Cape Breton University Project)

The Invisible Cost: The Long Term Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences On The   Healthcare System. Below is the thorough work of Cape Breton students from Dr. Philip Eappen’s, Understanding Child Protection Systems: Metrics and Politics class submitted March 25, 2025. KARA argues that America’s decades of failure to interrupt generational child abuse and heal traumatized…

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