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.

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.

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.

Fixing CPS – A Meaningful Conversation (35 Minute Podcast)

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,…