Black YETI tumbler with 'Give Kids A Voice' slogan printed.

Thank You for Being Part of the KARA Community

Thank you for reading and sharing the KARA blog. Your attention to child welfare issues helps bring visibility to children who are too often unseen and unheard. Every post you read, share, or discuss strengthens this movement for safer, healthier lives for abused and neglected kids. We’re grateful to have you in the KARA community.

Young girl with red hair in a white dress, surrounded by darkness.

INVISIBLE CHILDREN (their stories) audiobook – listen free here

Listen to the powerful Invisible Children audio book and hear firsthand how our institutions fail abused and neglected children and learn what we can do to change the system. Hear the heartbreaking stories from CASA and guardian ad litem volunteers about children moved through multiple foster homes, children jailed instead of treated for trauma, and…

Children of diverse backgrounds holding hands around Earth.

“Child Labor in Cocoa Farming in West Africa: How Chocolate Fuels Abuse—and How We Can Help

It is an open secret that child labour is rampant throughout the supply chains of major chocolate brands like Nestle, Mars and Ferrero. Despite international guidelines and targets to eradicate child labour, a lack of political will and lack of strict corporate legal responsibility enables the continued use of child labour.

Silhouettes of a family with two adults and one child.

Christmas Wish From a Child Protection Worker

I have sat in emergency rooms at 2 a.m. holding the hand of a child who flinched at every sudden sound, because of the things done to her at home. I have watched little ones arrive at foster homes with all their belongings in a trash bag, eyes wide and silent, trying to be “good” so no one will send them away again. I have seen teenagers scream, swear, and hit people, when what they really were was traumatized, terrified, and broken.

Hand holding a small globe with mountains in the background.

Labor Laws (Netherlands) & Civil Rights For Children

The Netherlands’ Child Labor Due Diligence Act puts a legal duty on companies to make sure their supply chains are free from child labor. It aims to stop goods and services produced with child labor from entering the Dutch market, but raises questions about children’s civil rights, enforcement, competition, and how far corporate responsibility really goes.​ A deeper dive for those who want more detail is linked here.

Illustration of trauma's impact on person, family, and people, emphasizing decontextualization over time.

International Child Abuse Reporting

The following articles illustrates how government policy and law has yet again failed to ensure the safety and well-being of children. Children continue to face sexual abuse, gendered based violence and health crises, among other disastrous circumstances. Advocacy by civil society and humanitarian aid is essential in order to support one of the more vulnerable populations of society.

Logo for Invisible Children, focusing on kids at risk.

Manner of Child Death Unknown (State by State)

WHEN YOU Share KARA’s reporting with FRIENDS, INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK and most of all, your State Representative (find them here) change will come a little bit faster. When enough of us become informed and speak up for abused and neglected children, we will improve their lives and our communities! Child deaths classified as “unknown” or “undetermined” represent one of the most persistent gaps in child‑protection…

Person peeking through a torn cardboard hole with visible eyes and hands.

The Value of Shared Information (share this with your State Representative)

For too long, the dire conditions facing Minnesota’s State Ward children have remained almost invisible to the public and to lawmakers.

Abused and neglected children are rarely seen or heard amidst the violence and chaos we see in our media every day.

Illustration of trauma's impact on person, family, and people, emphasizing decontextualization over time.

Part 2 CPS Models That Work & Models That Don’t

The U.S. system relies primarily on counts of investigations, confirmed maltreatment, foster care placement rates, and basic duration measures. There is very little standardized measurement of child well-being, stability, or parent feedback, and fewer independent audits of outcomes

Silhouettes of a family with two adults and one child.

All About ACEs (Podcast)

This episode of the Kids at Risk Action podcast dives into the science and societal impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)—early life traumas like abuse, neglect, and household instability that dramatically shape physical and mental health outcomes. Through powerful commentary from child advocates

Silhouettes of a family with two adults and one child.

Podcast – What Happened to You? Understanding ACEs & Childhood Trauma

In this podcast episode of Kids at Risk Action, Emma and Michael unpack the groundbreaking ACE Study—research that forever changed how we understand childhood trauma. They explore how early adversity doesn’t just impact emotions—it rewires the brain, alters the body, and shortens lives. With staggering statistics

Logo for Invisible Children, raising awareness for abducted kids.

Doing the Math in Child Protective Services (podcast)

Kids at Risk Action, Michael and John examine the staggering costs and human impact of child protective services (CPS) and the interconnected child welfare and juvenile justice systems. They highlight troubling statistics, such as the high number of children reported to CPS each year, the underreporting of abuse, and the alarming link between CPS involvement and later incarceration.