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KARA – CASA and Child Advocacy Support Program

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - US Based

KARA’s Google Ad Grant Initiative for CASA’s

The U.S. has 950 CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) organizations consisting of community volunteers trained as County Guardian ad Litems advocating for abused and neglected children in Court within Child Protection Services.

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U.S. Child Welfare Articles May 8 & 9 2024 – (From the Children’s Bureau)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Reporting and News - US Based, The States

Sign up HERE for KARA’S free Friday updates Support KARA Programs Here KARA Maintains this site with the hope that this information will compel you to share it with media contacts, lawmakers and other changemakers. change won’t come without you. KIDS AT RISK NONPROFIT EIN: 510570258 INVISIBLECHILDREN – KARA (KIDS AT RISK ACTION Who represents me in…

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U.S. Child Death and Self-Harm Reporting

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child self harm and suicide, Reporting and News - US Based

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. KARA reports on the issues of invisible children These articles compiled by Former CASA Guardian Ad Litem Mike Tikkanen Signup For KARA’s FREE Friday Morning Updates All Adults Are the Protectors of All Children INVISIBLECHILDREN – KARA (KIDS AT RISK ACTION   These articles and videos about child abuse,…

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DATA WORTH HAVING (for making informed decisions) 

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Reporting and News - MN Specific

Is Child Protection Services (CPS) creating what it was designed to stop?   KARA reports on the issues of invisible children This article submitted by Former CASA Guardian Ad Litem Mike Tikkanen Signup For KARA’s FREE Friday Morning Updates All Adults Are the Protectors of All Children INVISIBLECHILDREN – KARA (KIDS AT RISK ACTION This…

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Keep Minnesota children safe in Child Protection

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Guest Posts, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - MN Specific, The States

Today’s Safe Passage for Children of MN’s action request to keep children safe in Child Protection: A small effort with big dividends. Share this with your State Representative (find them here). On Monday, a group of us gathered at the Capitol to meet with key legislators about Minnesota’s child protection system. We shared the stories…

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Education in 2024 – Educating At Risk Children (what tomorrow looks like)

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, COVID 19 and its Impacts, Education, Reporting and News - US Based

This is a synopsis of Education Week’s last 12 months of reporting on conditions in American schools today with attention to educating abused and neglected children. It’s a deep dive into  what it means to be a teacher in America today.

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Thank you to the Edina Federated Women’s Club!

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, KARA News and Events

Mike Tikkanen (Executive Director) and Damon Kocina (Treasurer) smile for the camera as Kids At Risk Action receives the $38,884.00 grant from Edina Federated Women’s Club President Linda Larson on March 14th. We are so impressed with their club’s efforts and commitment to improving the community.   For more information about this amazing group, please visit…

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New Linked In Group For Volunteer CASAs & All Guardian ad Litem (interactive)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

KARA’s New Linked In Group Guardian ad Litems Exchanging Learning & Ideas  is gathering and sharing information from the 950 CASAs (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in the U.S. and similar child advocacy models around the world. Please share this with your child advocacy friends wherever they may be: Search for: Guardian ad Litems sharing conditions,…

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Don’t Leave It To the Professionals (thank you Naomi Schaefer Riley)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Reporting and News - MN Specific

Minnesota’s struggle to keep a strong CASA volunteer force advocating for abused and neglected children in the state has captured the interest of Naomi Schaefer Riley, author of NO WAY TREAT A CHILD and writer with City Journal (a national publication). Read her complete article here. Excerpt from Naomi’s article: “One major problem with child…

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Leadership and Child Protection

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Reporting and News - MN Specific

What should leadership look like in Child Protective Services?  What should leadership look like in Child Protective Services? The CASA guardian ad Litem volunteer program motto is “For the Child”. The heart and soul of the CASA program is to give voice to the child in the institution of Child Protective Services (CPS). Being removed…

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Mike Tikkanen’s Public Comments to the Guardian ad Litem Cost Effectiveness Analysis Report

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Mikes Favorite Posts, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - MN Specific

Mike Tikkanen’s Public Comments on the Guardian ad Litem Cost Effectiveness Analysis
for the Minnesota Guardian ad Litem Board Dated September 15, 2023
This report (the actual final report is posted below)

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HUGE NEWS: Former Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz Appointed to MN Guardian ad Litem Board

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - MN Specific

After years of turmoil caused by GAL management’s efforts to end the Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer program, Minnesota’s former Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz has been appointed to the GAL board.

Chief Justice Blatz attended the recent GAL board meeting where the vote was being taken to end the CASA program. She made observations and asked questions that prompted enough board member no votes to stop the elimination process.

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What’s It Like For Troubled Teens Where You Live?

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Juvenile + Criminal Justice, Reporting and News - MN Specific

What’s it like to be a CASA guardian ad Litem (child protection worker) unable to find safe housing and mental health services for the 14-year-old struggling foster boy in your caseload? This child’s self-harming and violent behaviors could change if there was help to manage behaviors triggered by childhood traumas. These children can go on…

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International Rights of the Child Treaty (& why jails are full)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Children's Rights, Juvenile + Criminal Justice, Mikes Favorite Posts, Reporting and News - International

Over 25 years ago the rest of the world (194 nations) decided that children have basic human rights and begin signing the International Rights of the Child Treaty. Under this document, children are to have the rights to education, safety and well being including not to be made soldiers, not to be enslaved).

America is the only nation that has not signed that agreement, largely because we still demand that southern states continue to militarize youth as young as eleven, through military schools.

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“Authority” & Child Abuse (why teachers quit & children go to jail)

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Education, Mental Health + Over Medication

Growing up in a home beaten, raped or starved by the most important authority in your life, means that for you, authority is not to be respected – it is to be hated and feared. Real life stories about this  here.

Uncooperative often violent response to authority figures is normal for traumatized children. It’s driven by repeated pain and terror visited upon a child that has been unable to escape repeated trauma and abuse.

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A Courageous Vote! Thank You Minnesota Guardian ad Litem Board For Saving CASA Volunteer Program

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, KARA News and Events, Mikes Favorite Posts, Reporting and News - MN Specific

Thank you, Former MN Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz, for your comments and questions at this board meeting. Your words enlightened board members of the need for an open and objective investigation into the CASA volunteer program in the effort to provide safety and stability to Minnesota’s abused and neglected children.

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Saving Minnesota’s Vulnerable Children

CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Children's Rights, Reporting and News - MN Specific

Understanding why children die violent death a the hands of their parents while in Child Protective Services (CPS) can save them (share this): Lawmakers address issues that people demand action on. Actions that will get them re-elected. This is all about invisible children (kids at risk that don’t have a voice at the State House).…

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Were Governor Walz State Board Members Misled About Volunteers (and what it could mean)?

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - MN Specific

There is a political battle being waged over the elimination of qualified community volunteers in Child Protective Services. There are too many pieces of this puzzle to include in this article, but one piece must be addressed to determine if wrongdoing has happened in the drive to eliminate the Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers. KARA has sent two requests to Governor Walz Guardian ad Litem State Board members over the past few months requesting a conversation about their role in making this critical decision.

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Parental Drug Use Killing Children in Pennsylvania at High Rates (investigative report)

Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - US Based, Stunning Statistics

KARA follows investigative reporting on child death and near death by caregivers while the children are known to CPS (Child Protective Services). Please send us links to the reports in your state and we will make them available to a larger audience.Parental Drug Use Killing Children in Pennsylvania at High Rates (investigative report)

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Highlights on Family Assessment and Child Death from Star Tribune Child Abuse Reporting Part I

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Featured Articles, Mikes Favorite Posts, Reporting and News - MN Specific

These highlights on Family Assessment and Child Death from recent Star Tribune Child Abuse reporting (1, 2, 3) are the tip of the iceberg. Read to the end to get KARA’s historical perspective of how Child Protective Services (CPS) has evolved over the years and its current iteration.

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