Current Kids At Risk News

Dec12023

CASA MN Newsletter (Guardian ad Litem News & Updates)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, Guest Posts, Mikes Favorite Posts, Reporting and News - MN SpecificBy Mike Tikkanen December 1, 2023

CASA MN Newsletter (Guardian ad Litem News & Updates)

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Nov242023

Have Governor Walz State Board members been mislead?

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - MN SpecificBy Mike Tikkanen November 24, 2023

Dear Reader,Allowing the State board to eliminate 10,000 future volunteers (over the next 40 years) at a time when we are reporting on children murdered by their parents may be an unfixable mistake costing even more children their lives.

Rebuttals to the State MAD report from several top child advocates here;

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Nov92023

KARA Videos of the Week

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, Reporting and News - MN SpecificBy Mike Tikkanen November 9, 2023

A Storm Is Brewing (4m) Will CASA GAL program end because of misinformation?
Let’s Go KARA (3m) Supporting Child Friendly Initiatives
Don Shelby on Child Protection (30 seconds)

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Oct162023

Child Placement Crisis (best article ever – thank you Child Welfare Monitor)

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, Reporting and News - US BasedBy Mike Tikkanen October 16, 2023

While the article from the Child Welfare Monitor by Judith Schagrin

refers to Child Protection conditions in Maryland,

it is clear the crisis exists in every state.

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Oct62023

Children & Gun Violence (as American as Apple Pie)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Protection, Gun Violence and Control, Stunning StatisticsBy Mike Tikkanen October 6, 2023

2020, he child and teen gun death rate in the U.S. was more than 3 times higher than that in Turkey, the country with the next highest rate; 11 times higher than in Israel; 19 times higher than in Switzerland and 85 times higher than in the United Kingdom

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Sep152023

We’re Doing It Again – Doubling Childhood Poverty

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Protection, Reporting and News - International, Stunning StatisticsBy Mike Tikkanen September 15, 2023

Child poverty more than doubled between 2021 and 2022. Child poverty and near poverty in America was around 60% when I grow up in 1960’s. Compared to other industrialized nations we have never been a leader – always between 25th and 40th in child poverty rankings among our peers. From the 1960’s through the 1990’s, our childhood poverty rates hovered around 30% (significant multiple of the other advanced nations).

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Aug122023

Inside the Henn Cty Guardian Ad Litem Office Today

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, Mikes Favorite Posts, Reporting and News - MN SpecificBy Lawrence King August 12, 2023

The push to diminish/eliminate the CASA Volunteer workforce of Hennepin County’s Guardian ad Litem Program is impacting office morale for both paid and volunteer GALS. We’ve gone from about 250 volunteers to 32 remaining under new leadership in the last five years. CASA’s supporting program, CASAMN has over 200 volunteers waiting to be GALs –…

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Jul22023

Why CASA Guardian Ad Litems (in their words)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Reporting and News - MN SpecificBy Mike Tikkanen July 2, 2023

The following are recent survey responses by CASAs answering the question “What community CASA volunteers bring to abused children and the Child Protection System they serve. Several spelling and grammatical changes have been made for clarity. We advocate for these children without paycheck and without allegiance to anyone or anything other than the child. We…

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Jul12023

Hennepin County Child Well-being Advisory Committee Meeting Summary (with KARA notations)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Reporting and News - MN SpecificBy Mike Tikkanen July 1, 2023

The complete report can be read HERE. This post emphasises the GAL program’s effort to eliminate the CASA community volunteer Guardian ad Litems. The author made notes and corrected several minor spelling errors (notes are in parenthesis and in bold).

Hennepin County participants: Jodi Wentland; Dan Rogan; Lori Whittier; Evangeline Filosi; Patricia Zagaros; Sherry Smith; Lisa Bayley; Kwesi Booker; Michelle Lefebvre; Lori Munsterman; Fintan Moore; Lauren Kewley; Madeline Johnson; Shanese Reed; Rachelle Loewenson Stratton; Meredith Martinez: Lolita Ulloa

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Jun162023

Metrics That Matter (and NOT reported)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Protection, Juvenile + Criminal Justice, Mikes Favorite Posts, Reporting and News - MN SpecificBy Mike Tikkanen June 16, 2023

Costs of not knowing the reality of child abuse, trauma and child protection in Minnesota are high Children are dying at the hands of caregivers while in Child Protective Services

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ACES Connection HEALTHY, HAPPY KIDS GROW UP TO CREATE A HEALTHY, HAPPY WORLD. 0
CASA Travis County Blog CASA Travis County Blog 0
Children’s Advocate’s Website Comprehensive and current 0
Dare To See Reality exhibitions on sexual abuse against children and violence on women 0
Dreamcatchers Helping to Perish an Abused Child’s Nightmare 0
Families & Allies of Virginia’s Youth Blog 0
Family Law Professors Blog 0
Grandparents Blog 0
http://guardianadlitem.blogspot.com/ Insightful guardian ad-Litem issues of a Florida guardian 0
http://www.connectforkids.org/ Preserving public space for compelling stories of work that makes a difference: local action, community interventions, youth activism and emerging trends and policies that matter to children and families. Inspiration, action and results. More. 0
I Was A Foster Kid Hard Hitting Foster Child Blog by someone that knows and writes powerfully 0
International Family Law 0
Invisible People Great compilation of video interviews with homeless people in America 0
Judges Mark Ciavarella & Michael Conahan Scandal Sending Innocent Youth to Prison For Cash Powerful Robert May documentary that tells the horrific ‘abuse of power’ story of Pennsylvania Judge’s Mark Ciavarella & Michael Conahan and how they manipulated their privileged positions to personally profit from placing juveniles in prison on mostl 0
Juvenile Justice Reform YouTube Channel 0
Kids Count Data Book – Project by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to track status of children in the United States. 0
laws Laws.com is a website dedicated to upholding the laws of our country, and preventing crime. They also seek to support other charitable organizations in their quest to reduce suffering by upholding the law, raising awareness and donations. 0
Minnesota Adoptive Resource Network 0
National CASA Blog The National Court-Appointed Special Advocate Association—a nationwide network of volunteer advocates changing the lives of abused and neglected children. 0
Parents Rights Blog International Family Law, Social Services, Family Court System, & Parental Rights 0
Rich Gehrman, founder of Safe Passage For Children MN Rich Gehrman Discusses Change Needed In Child Protection (3 minutes) 0
safe homes for special needs children creating a home where your disabled can thrive 0
Safe Passage For Children MN Safe Passage For Children Blog 0
Teacher Resources For Special Needs Teacher Resources for Special needs 0
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: 0
Youth Policy Action Center Preserving public space for compelling stories of work that Makes a Difference: local action, community interventions, youth activism and emerging trends and policies that matter to children and families. 0

Advocacy 4 Kids E-Advocacy Network an e-advocacy network bringing together over 35,000 voices to ensure that every Minnesota child has the best possible start in life. 0
Attorneys Child Protection Issues Legal Resources for Families in Need Of Child Protection Support 0
Best Interests a website for children’s advocates 0
Big Voice Pictures Male survivors of childhood sexual abuse 0
Brookings Center on Children and Families The Center on Children and Families studies policies on the well-being of America’s children and their parents, especially children in less-advantaged families, and seeks a more effective means of addressing poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity in 0
California Youth Connection Powerful Youth Organization With Big Ideas for child welfare 0
CASA Minnesota supporting and promoting CASA volunteers to ensure every abused and neglected child in MN has a safe, stable and permanent family AND raising money and operating the CASA Cares grants for foster children program 0
CASA MN CASA Minnesota: Believes that every abused and neglected child in Juvenile Court proceedings should have a volunteer advocate for their best interests Provides continuing education to Minnesota Volunteer Guardians ad Litem Increases public awareness abou 0
CASA Travis County Blog CASA Travis County Blog 0
Center on Children and the Law The ABA Center on Children and the Law, a program of the Young Lawyers Division, aims to improve children’s lives through advances in law, justice, knowledge, practice and public policy. Our areas of expertise include child abuse and neglect, child welfar 0
Child Advocacy 360: an independent, nonprofit service that brings to people’s desktops, mailboxes and conversations the latest news and insights on children’s welfare and rights, with a particular focus on the struggle to conquer abuse and neglect of children in our societ 0
Child Justice We provide pro bono legal services to protect children “lost in the system” after exposure to family violence, physical/sexual abuse, substance addictions or neglect. Legal services are provided directly by Child Justice attorneys and from the generosity 0
Childabuse.com With 27 years of experience and a network of 42 state chapters, Prevent Child Abuse America is the leading organization working at the national, state and local levels to prevent child abuse in all its forms. 0
ChildHelp.org Childhelp® exists to meet the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children. We focus our efforts on advocacy, prevention, treatment and community outreach. 0
Children's Law Center MInnesota Volunteer Attorneys Helping Abused and Neglected Children 0
Children's Action Alliance Helps promote the well-being of children and their families through research, policy development, media campaigns and advocacy. 0
Global Initiative to End all Corporal Punishment of Children forms alliances of human rights agencies, key individuals and non-governmental organizations against corporal punishmen 0
Invisible Children is a documentary film about the effects of war on the children of Uganda. 0
Minnesota Guardian ad Litem program Becoming a MN Child Advocate in the CASA guardian ad Litem program 0
My Advocate Center Actionable insight to improve the child-custody process to serve the best interest of the child 0
National Association fo Counsel for Children The National Association of Counsel for Children’s mission is to improve the lives of children and families by ensuring that these proceedings produce justice. Specifically, our mission is to: Strengthen the Delivery of Legal Services for Children Enhan 0
National CASA Last year, more than 68,000 CASA volunteers served more than 240,000 abused and neglected children through 1,018 program offices. CASA volunteers have helped more than two million abused children since the first program was established in 1977. 0
National Exchange Club: a national organization working to make America a better place to live through the prevention of child abuse and other community service projects. 0
Not On Our Watch Ending Child Sexual Abuse 0
Stand For Children Advocate for improvements to and funding for programs that give every child a fair chance in life. 0
Stop Abuse Campaign Working Together, We Can Stop Abuse 0
Stop Child Abuse Now Blog Talk Radio 6 Nights Weekly 7pm Central Time Click On The Link & Listen In/Participate 0
Youth Law Center The Youth Law Center advocates to transform foster care and juvenile justice systems across the nation so every child and youth can thrive. 0

A Home Within A Home Within seeks to heal the chronic loss experienced by foster children by providing lasting and caring relationships to current and former foster youth. 0
Academy On Violence and Abuse ADVANCING HEALTH EDUCATION AND RESEARCH 0
ACES INFORMED SCHOOL PRACTICES Teachers often struggle to know how best to motivate and help traumatized students in the classroom, or how to prevent their own burnout. This guide provides information about the statistics of adverse childhood trauma, behaviors that reflect that trauma, 0
Aging Out Institute Resources for foster youth aging out of foster care 0
AIKYA Promoting Collaboration Among Schools, Professionals, & Families To Improve The Lives Of Mentally Challenged Children 0
All About Family (parental alienation) Building communities and helping families do things together 0
American Humane Devoted to preventing cruelty, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of children and animals. 0
Attorneys Child Protection Issues Legal Resources for Families in Need Of Child Protection Support 0
Bikers Against Child Abuse 0
California Youth Connection Powerful Youth Organization With Big Ideas for child welfare 0
Camellia Network a national network that connects every youth aging out of foster care to the critical resources, opportunities, and support they need to thrive in adulthood. 0
CASA Cares Grants For Foster Children in Ramsey and Hennepin County Minnesota 0
CASA Minnesota supporting and promoting CASA volunteers to ensure every abused and neglected child in MN has a safe, stable and permanent family AND raising money and operating the CASA Cares grants for foster children program 0
Center For Effective Parenting Helpful parenting information. 0
Center For Judicial Excellence The Center for Judicial Excellence was established to improve the judiciary’s public accountability and strengthen and maintain the integrity of the courts. 0
Cerebral Palsy Group Free educational information and support to those who have been affected by cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities 0
Child Help CALL 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) then push 1 to talk to a hotline counselor. The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The hotline counselors work with translators who speak 140 languages to help people who cal 0
Child Justice We provide pro bono legal services to protect children “lost in the system” after exposure to family violence, physical/sexual abuse, substance addictions or neglect. Legal services are provided directly by Child Justice attorneys and from the generosity 0
Child Protection Training Center Free Webinars Training on line FREE on demand webinars 0
Child Welfare Information Gateway 0
Child Welfare League of America 0
Children’s Defense Fund 0
Children’s medical Archives 0
Children's Law Center MInnesota Volunteer Attorneys Helping Abused and Neglected Children 0
Children's Law Center Mission The Children’s Law Center (CLC) envisions a future for the District of Columbia in which every child has a safe home, a meaningful education and a healthy mind and body. We work toward this vision by providing legal services to at-risk children 0
Children's Rights CHILDREN’S RIGHTS is a national advocacy group working to reform America’s failing child welfare systems on behalf of the abused & neglected children who depend on them for protection. 0
Cord Blood Center (for expectant mothers) Cord Blood saved at birth protects your child in the future (learn more here) 0
Court Appointed Special Advocates (guardian ad-Litems) 0
Directory of all homeless shelters in America directory of all homeless shelters in America 0
Drug Alert.org Information about drugs, abuse, and drug safety 0
Drug Information Keeping An Eye On Pharmaceuticals 0
Every Child Matters 0
FACSA FOUNDATION Family and Friends Fighting Against Child Sexual Assault. Providing support services for families of child sexual assault. We also educate communities on prevention of child sexaul assault. 0
Family Violence Prevention Fund Picturing a World Without Violence 0
freearts minnesota is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the healing powers of artistic expression into the lives of abused, neglected and at-risk children and their families. 0
Friends Of Children MN The Friends of Children Foundation is committed to improving the lives of children in foster care in Hennepin County, Minnesota. 0
Friends of the Children 0
Grand Magazine Grandparents Magazine (see our free subscription link www.grandsub.com ) 0
Grief Speaks Giving children, teenagers, and adults permission to grieve 0
GW Medical Publishing a leading clinical and forensic publisher serving the medical, legal, social service, and law enforcement communities with the resources they need to combat child abuse, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, child trafficking, and other 0
Help With Trauma Social Justice Non-Profit Trauma Institute 0
Home Accommodations for Special Needs Home Accommodations for Special Needs 0
Judge Leonard Edwards Support for judges and other professionals working in the juvenile court 0
Judge Leonard Edwards Support for judges and other professionals working in the juvenile court 0
Kids Count Data Center Child Well Being By State 0
Kids Data Points Important Information About Children in the U.S. 0
Legal Resources for Special Needs special needs lawyers nationally 0
Lutheran Social Service of MN extensive programs support children and families in Minnesota via adoption services, crisis nurseries, shelters for at-risk youth, parenting classes, and many other youth-related services. 0
Mentoring Partnership MN Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota’s (MPM) new website reflects our strategic shift to support and build quality mentoring programs to ensure that every child and volunteer has a quality experience. 0
Minnesota Guardian ad Litem program Becoming a MN Child Advocate in the CASA guardian ad Litem program 0
MN Kinship Caregivers Helping Grandparents Help Children 0
MN Literacy Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving literacy in the state of Minnesota. They offer literacy services for adults, at-risk children, native-English speakers and recent immigrants. 0
National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse NAASCA Addressing the issues of child sex abuse & providing services to adult survivors. 0
National Association to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Children 0
National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse NCPCA sends its senior attorneys throughout the country and abroad to lecture and deliver presentations on all aspects of child abuse investigation and prosecution. The federal Children’s Justice Act supports multidisciplinary training on investigation an 0
National Data Archive on Child Abuse Exchange among researched in child maltreatment field. 0
National Institute of Mental Health Transforming the understanding and treatment of mental health through research 0
National Traumatic Stress Network their mission is to raise the stadard of care and improve access to services for traumatized children and their families. 0
PREVENT CHILD ABUSE MN Welcome to the website of Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota. We are the Minnesota Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. If you are in immediate need of child abuse information, please call 1-800-CHILDREN. 0
Prevent Child Abuse National Healthy Environments For Children 0
Promising Practices Network 0
Right For Kids How The States Treat Their Children 0
Safe Passage For Children Redesigning The Child Welfare System To Make Children Safe 0
Surviving Spirit – Healing The Heart Through The Creative Arts promoting hope, healing and help for those impacted by trauma, abuse or mental health concerns through the use of the creative arts. 0
The Future of Children The Future of Children seeks to promote effective policies and programs for children by providing policymakers, service providers, and the media with timely, objective information based on the best available research. 0
Together We Rise making life better for foster children 0
Youth Law Center The Youth Law Center advocates to transform foster care and juvenile justice systems across the nation so every child and youth can thrive. 0
Zero Kids Waiting To many people zero means nothing — to us zero means everything. There are 650 kids waiting in the Minnesota foster care system. Our goal is to make that number zero, because every child deserves a family. If you can’t open your home to one of Minnesota’s 0