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.
Responding to the Presidential Order addressing Neglect: Keeping neglect as a primary gateway into CPS is essential because what looks like “just poverty” on the surface is often a pattern of chronic educational, emotional, and safety failures that permanently damages children and fuels intergenerational harm.
Over 48 years, CASA/GAL (Guardian ad Litem) programs have grown into a national network of more than 900 organizations with 80,000–100,000 guardian ad litem volunteers serving close to a quarter‑million abused and neglected children each year, according to National CASA/GAL program surveys and the association’s own history. In every state but North Dakota, these volunteers are often the only adults in the courtroom whose sole job is to stand for a child’s best interests—and they do it with intentionally tiny caseloads so each child gets more time, more attention, and more consistency than overloaded systems can usually provide
President Trump’s new framing—that most child neglect cases “don’t belong” in CPS because they are “only poverty”—ignores a very large body of evidence that (1) poverty and neglect are tightly intertwined but not identical, and (2) chronic school un‑readiness, absenteeism, and school failure are core manifestations of serious harm that drive lifelong poverty, crime, and substance abuse.
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.
KARA is expanding our resource page to answer questions and provide access to more resources. This will be an interactive, AI-driven public platform that providing timely and accurate information on child protection, child abuse, childhood trauma, and all things related to child welfare. It will highlight key details for public and civic awareness.
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.
This is the season of organizations asking for your money and the challenges of directing your dollars wisely and well. Here are ways to be more involved, impactful, and satisfied with your charitable gift giving:
1. Directly improve children’s well‑being Local groups provide basics like food, safe spaces, early learning, and mental‑health supports that many children would not otherwise receive. These charity services are tailored to community realities (schools, housing, transportation), so help reaches the right kids faster and with less bureaucracy. 2. Keep families stronger and safer Community organizations…
America’s child protection crisis demands more than empty rhetoric and recycled policies. Here’s what needs to change—and how we get there.
This post gets at the meaning of President Trump’s Presidential Order bringing change to America’s Child Protection System. If you support the work KARA is doing to improve the lives of abused and neglected children and at-risk families, read to the bottom and send this link to your State Representative (find them in the link below).
This article from 2013 is still true today with no signs of changing. It needs to be shared with your states lawmakers: The United States is the only nation that has not signed the United Nation’s International Rights Of the Child Treaty of the 1980’s. A primary reason we refuse to sign the treaty is…
TRAUMA INFORMED TEACHING, TRAUMA INFORMED CLASSROOMS Teachers as Mandated Reporters and Frontline Defenders – Teachers are uniquely positioned—they often spend more awake hours with children than any other adult, especially for those from troubled homes. They are confidants, first responders, and witnesses to the silent suffering of abused, neglected, or traumatized students.
Child Protection in the News (find your state here) KARA reports on child abuse and child protection around the nation counting on readers sharing it with friends and policy makers in your community. Inform your legislators and changemakers and let’s work together to make life better for at-risk children and families.
Child and youth interactions with police and courts differ dramatically between the United States and most advanced European nations, with major impacts on measurable outcomes for young people and their communities.
There is little transparency in Child Protective Services. If there were, more people (and legislators) would know and we might have the laws, programs, and support these children need. Today, access to information that should be public often requires a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA).
Foster parent heroism is not measured merely in good intentions, but in the daily grind of listening, learning, and loving—of building families that heal not just children, but the fractured systems surrounding them. A society willing to back, support, and empower its foster parents—financially, politically, and culturally—creates hope for millions and becomes more just, compassionate, and resilient.
This former CASA Guardian ad Litem is happy to see the saving and rebuilding of the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program in Minnesota. Thank you to Kathleen Blatz and the MN State GAL board for your hard work and dedication to this important program.
Help KARA Grow Awareness of Foster Advocates and Imprint News efforts to inform Minnesota Fosters Of Resources Available To Them (share this widely
Dutch authorities establish a positive duty of care on corporations to ensure their supply chains and contractual relations for the supply and manufacture of goods and services are free from child labour. Critics however worry about the possible distorting effects on competition of Dutch companies and the Dutch economy due to increased administrative burdens. A Dutch company illustrates how even with compliance of the new due diligence law, supply chains may never be free from child labour.
Fixing CPS with greater transparency in Child Protective Services. This conversation is about the many things impacting the safety and wellbeing of abused and neglected children. The lack of transparency being discussed in West Virginia CPS applies to every state: A Meaningful Conversation (35 Minute Podcast). Discussed in this podcast: Kinship care partners, mentors, volunteers, stability,…
Children who face poverty, neglect, or violence often lack a voice in systems meant to protect them. Advocacy — speaking up and acting on their behalf — is one of the most powerful ways individuals and communities can help these children find safety, stability, and opportunity. Whether through mentoring one child or pushing for nationwide policy reform, everyone can play a part.
If we are to save the growing numbers of children facing serious problems we need many more skilled counselors and mental health workers in our schools. In this time of unregulated digital chaos, social, and political upheaval, children and youth are experiencing high levels of (short Spotify Podcast) ACEs, depression, school and personal failure, and suicidal thinking. We can’t fix this, but we can address what it is doing to children.
he significant decline in critical student test scores since 2020 signals that millions of children across the country are falling behind on foundational skills, threatening both individual opportunity and the long-term vitality of entire communities
The head of the Federal Administration for Children and Families (Adam Alex), is attacking LGBTQ+ Foster Families over youth gender identity. Life is hard enough for foster families and the struggling LGBTQ+ children trying to rebuild lives filled with abuse and neglect in their birth homes and a growing sense of unwelcome in our communities. Federal policies demonizing queer children gins up hatred and legitimizes fear and violence against almost ten percent of Americans.
WHEN IS CHILD ABUSE A CRIME?
AT THE HANDS OF THEIR PARENTS
If I had committed the crimes parents perpetrated upon these children, criminal child abuse laws would send me to jail. How can it be that because caregivers delivered the beatings, rapes and other traumas, the abuse was not a crime and children were all returned to their parents for more of the same (these Minnesota children died).
Upon founding their Minnetonka Bobatonka Bubble Tea company five years ago, Rodney and Thusuong Hiel pledged to give all of their tips and add company contributions supporting local nonprofit causes (short CBS video) (almost $40,000 so far). This is a small business with a fire in its belly to support their community every day they are open for business.
October is Foster Youth Voice Month! This article supports Foster Advocates efforts to inform Minnesotans to grow awareness of foster specific resources and elevate Fosters in community conversations.
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…
This article is derived from Hana Ikramuddin’s excellent Imprint News Article about Fosters not being notified of their rights – Read the Imprint article here.
Hana tells us the story of AIayna Ghost’s years in Foster Care from ages 7 to 18 and how she ran away almost every year looking for her family. From the article: In foster care, she did not learn she had an older sister until a social worker told her at age 13.
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.
These pages tell the stories of thousands of children from communities all over the nation. From orphan trains to a COVID pandemic that kept children locked in toxic homes for over two years with no access to mandated reporters or safety. You will find that not much has changed
There are few states that report out egregious harm or death of children at the hands of their parents. Minnesota Nonprofit Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota has recently compiled this report on 88 of the 200 children dying at the hands of caregivers. It should be a model for all states. How they died, why they died, and what wasn’t done that allowed these children to live such tortured lives and die so tragically. Share the report with your State Representative with a note about keeping at-risk children alive.
Check out these child abuse and child protection investigative series, expert dialogues, survivor stories, and child welfare professional resources, all from reputable organizations and advocacy groups. These podcasts provide vital insights, survivor voices, and professional resources for anyone interested in child protection today.
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.
At some point, we and our policymakers must recognize what a crisis 7.8 million children being reported every year to child protective services is. Research suggests the true number of abused children is likely twice as high due to the invisible nature of the epidemic. This life ruining crisis has been escalating for decades, making chronic generational child abuse and neglect one of the most misunderstood and under-addressed public health emergencies in our history.
37% of children overall and 44% of Black children are reported to child protection services in America
by the time they turn 18. (American Journal of Public Health 1.17)
7.8 million children a year are reported to child protection services.
I grew up white in the 1960s—reckless. I drove drunk, grew marijuana two doors down from a cop and always went without punishment. On several occasions police brought me home and to let my mom know that I had misbehaved.
My resilience was rarely tested, because I never needed it.
For Black youth living lives parallel to mine, every day demanded extraordinary resilience
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.
The following CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) investigations demonstrate the cost savings and economic impact of CASA programs in child protection across the nation. They do not include the value a trained community volunteer brings to each child caught up in the difficult institutional court process of Child Protective Services. What’s it like being a…
On Wednesday I was part of a team invited to address judges, lawyers, professors and other officials from developing nations about child abuse, child trauma and specifically, the CASA guardian ad litem program that was of most of interest to them on their visit to Minneapolis. I have great hope that these smart, committed professionals succeeded on their extensive U.S. journey learning about the many moving parts of justice, child rights, courts, domestic violence, child protection systems, child advocacy, foster care/adoption and children’s mental health.
It was an honor to speak with these people and uplifting to know that the CASA guardian ad Litem program is identified all over the world as a powerful voice for children and that any nation can create this program to save vulnerable children.
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.
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.
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.
Child Abuse & Prosecution More than 200 people were arrested and over 100 children rescued in Operation Soteria Shield, a North Texas FBI-led crackdown targeting online child exploitation crimes; charges included enticement of a minor, distribution of child abuse materials, and attempted trafficking
how over decades, Northern European voters vote for child and family friendly initiatives compared to American voters. Following posts in this series dive deeper into programs and policies that are making life either better or more difficult for U.S. children and families. Sharing these posts with your State Representative will have some impact on the policies and programs necessary to improve the lives of at-risk children and families where you live.
Watching mom beaten or raped is terror. Homeless mothers and children are many times more likely to be assaulted and molested.
Children of addicted and alcoholic moms and dads are beaten and raped more often too.
Trauma is *torture. Watching mom being raped is torture.
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
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.
When child welfare agencies focus only on the outcomes that are easiest to measure—such as placement counts and case closure rates—they risk reinforcing and improving those specific metrics while neglecting critical aspects of child well-being, stability, and long-term success that remain unmeasured