8 Year-old Tayvion Davis (Podcast)
he tragic case of 8-year-old Tayvion Davis, who died after years of chronic abuse that included physical and sexual abuse, neglect, and severe maltreatment. Despite numerous reports to child protection services
Domestic Violence and Child Death at the Hands of Caregivers
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)?
Other Perspectives Podcast
These 2 minute Ms. Sarah Washington podcast interview snippets offer a narrative on institutions and child friendly policies you may not have heard before.
It Can’t Happen Here (Sally’s Story – Podcast)
the tragic story of Sally, an 8-year-old girl who suffered abuse by her biological father and her mother’s boyfriend, Joe
Seeking Stories About Childhood Trauma
KARA’s next book will be the gathered wisdom from those of us with stories about child abuse, child protection, and childhood trauma. Do you have a story you want to tell?
We invite writers to submit original work of 300-400 words for consideration in our upcoming book, (working title), CHILD ABUSE IN THE MIRROR.
KARA’s Foster Care Podcast Series
KARA’s Foster Care System Podcast Series
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”
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.
Kids At Risk Action History
History of KARA / Kids At Risk Action
Foster Care Needs and Facts for Minnesota
There is an underappreciated reality that Child Protective Services is the only safe haven for children living with rape, violence and neglect as they are too young to defend themselves.
The End Of Child Protection
It also means that children growing up in toxic homes steeped in violence, abuse, and severe neglect are about to have the only chance they have of escaping life changing childhood trauma evaporate.
Volunteer Opportunities
Do you have a passion for helping at-risk children and 3-5 hours / week to volunteer for things you are good at and like to do? KARA needs help with our new podcast series, social media and fundraising. Join the team, Check out our new opportunities here.
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.
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.
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.
National CASA Federal Funding Terminated – Share this with your lawmakers
National CASA Federal Funding Terminated
Care Giver Retreat for MN Adoptive, Foster, & Kinship Caregivers
Join us for a retreat for Minnesota adoptive, foster, and kinship caregivers. This event offers a unique opportunity for caregivers to relax and renew while learning solution-based parenting
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.
Best and Worst Practices in Minnesota CPS (part 4 of 4)
Jessie Van Berkel wrote a very strong piece about the CASA Guardian ad Litem program in the Star Tribune recently. She brought attention to how a few bad decisions from new management can almost end a community volunteer institution at a time when it is most needed.
Best and Worst Practices in Minnesota CPS (part 3 of 4)
If you ran an institution that found it hard to keep up with the demands being met in it you would most likely have only one or two choices to meet those demands. Find ways to do the work by simply making people do more with less, or, find more people to provide the service you have been mandated to provide.
Best and Worst Practices in Minnesota CPS (part 2 of 4)
Imagine you ran an office full of Guardians ad Litem with different talents and these people worked hard to fix the problems of people with a wide range of complex problems.
It would be useful to allow your talented worker bees to select those cases that fit their requests and talents
Best and Worst Practices in Minnesota CPS (part 1 of 4)
Because KARA calls on CASAs around the country, we have discovered Child Protection Policies that work along with things that don’t work and some practices that are harmful.
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.
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.
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.
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…
All About Adverse Childhood Experiences: Trauma, Testing, And Resilience (podcast)
Kids at Risk Action, hosts Alex and Jordan explore the profound impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how childhood trauma can affect individuals throughout their lives, much like PTSD in veterans.
KARA’s Plea For Children (a call to action)
There is no shortage of well-meaning volunteers and workers dedicated to improving the lives of the children they are serving as teachers, Guardians ad Litem, social & healthcare workers, law enforcement and adoptive/foster parents.
Be a Voice for MN Children at the Capital April 1 and 7
APRIL IS NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH-Register for Child Advocacy Events on April 1 and 7 with Safe Passage for Children Day at the Capitol here.
Hidden Crisis of Child Abuse and Trauma During the COVID Lockdown KARA Podcast
Jamie and Alex explore the hidden crisis of child abuse and trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss how lockdowns led to a dramatic drop in abuse reports, not because abuse decreased, but because children were isolated and unable to ask for help. With a rise in severe abuse cases and emotional trauma,
Be a Voice for MN Children at the Capital in April
APRIL IS NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH-Register for Child Advocacy Events on April 1 and 7 with Safe Passage for Children Day at the Capitol here.
Child Endangerment (Star Tribune “IN HARM’S WAY”)
The Star Tribune’s investigative report titled “IN HARM’S WAY” provides a rare glimpse into the world of Child Protective Services. This report illuminates the disheartening fact that children often do not have a right to safety.
Silent Crisis – Child Protection & Systemic Reform KARA Podcast
systemic issues within Child Protective Services (CPS) that have led to the tragic deaths of children, even after CPS involvement
MN Child Fatalities Rise for Fifth Year (thank you Safe Passage for Children)
In 2023, at least 32 children died from maltreatment in Minnesota – the fifth year in a row of increases. That’s almost three children per month who spent their final hours in crisis; their deaths were entirely preventable.
No More Punishment Please
Finally removed from the home forever, but not healed. The invisible scars we carry remain.
Life with our painful childhood memories, triggered behaviors and habits in this world is terribly difficult to manage.
Healing from a broken past is difficult.
No more punishment please.
Isabella’s Story
Isabella was taken into foster care when her birth home was raided by authorities for possession of drugs. She was found locked in a room by herself. She was silent – never spoke. Isabella had never been outside until she was placed into foster care at 7.
Ethan’s Story
Ethan was removed from his parents at a young age. I have only come to know him briefly through the course of my work with him at an inpatient facility.
What Happened To Portia?
Portia died shortly after being brought into the operating room. Leroy called me early in the morning and told me that the surgery had been delayed too long. There was no way the doctors could save her at that point.
The War On Foster Children KARA Podcast
Emma and Daniel highlight the systemic issues of foster care in America, focusing on how foster youth struggle due to funding misallocation and harmful policies
When Is Child Abuse a Crime
If I had committed the crimes parents perpetrated upon their own children in my CASA guardian ad Litem cases, I would be writing this from jail.
The Beatings Will Continue
Yanelin Montalvo-Valdez (yesterday Star Tribune) personifies the pain and punishment heaped upon the 50 innocent children I advocated for as a CASA Guardian ad Litem volunteer
Numbers Too Big To Believe (the cost of untreated childhood trauma)
…the economic impact of untreated child abuse. The mental health issues and behavior problems of high ACEs children drive much of the violence, desperation, and dysfunction afflicting so many American citizens
(CASA Guardian ad Litem) Be a Voice For Abused Children Where You Live
Commentary: Why We Need Volunteers to Work on Behalf of Our Most Vulnerable Children – Minnesota Women’s Press Commentary: Why We Need Volunteers to Work on Behalf of Our Most Vulnerable Children by Laurel Ferris in Commentary, Family/Home, Healing, Re-Imagining Public Safety FacebookEmailLinkedInTwitterShare This article ran a year ago during management’s effort to eliminate the CASA volunteer Guardian ad…
How One Letter Saved a Child (KARA Podcast)
Josh and Maya share a powerful story of a young boy on the brink of being locked up, not because he was dangerous, but because the system lacked transparency
Free and Discounted Resources for Foster Youth
free and discounted resources for foster and adopted children and families
There Is No Constituency For Abused & Neglected Children
how 13 Minnesota Child Advocacy Centers (CAC’s) are losing 80% of their Federal funding. If this happens they will likely disappear or become a shell of what they were in a very short time.
CAC’s keep safe and provide services to children and families who have reported abuse and provide services to help them live through and recover from child abuse, domestic violence, and the traumas that come from it.
Fear and Firing of Mandated Reporters (KARA podcast)
Fear and Firing of Mandated Reporters (KARA podcast)…professionals being punished, losing their jobs, and facing lawsuits for fulfilling their duties
Child Death and Public Non Disclosure (thank you Marie Cohen)
Much of this article is taken from Marie Cohen’s remarkable research at the American Enterprise Institute. For those of you concerned with Child Protective Services in your community, Marie’s article is detailed and powerful. It could change your State Representative’s mind about transparency in CPS (Child Protective Services) where you live (share this state rep…
Invisible Children: The 200 Lives Lost in CPS Podcast
Jamie and Alex delve into the harrowing issue of children dying within the Child Protective Services (CPS) system. They discuss a groundbreaking report revealing that 200 children have died while within the CPS system,
CPS Misconceptions
A lack of transparency repeating itself in CPS keeps people from understanding the depth and scope of the problems facing at-risk children, the institution, and its workers