A girl with messy hair looks worried beside a chalkboard with writing.

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Trauma, Testing, And Resilience (KARA podcast)

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Protection, Education, Mikes Favorite Posts, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - US Based

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are not just bad memories—they are powerful risk factors that change how a child’s brain and body develop. In this Kids at Risk Action podcast episode, hosts Alex and Jordan explore how ACEs like abuse, neglect, and domestic violence can lead to PTSD like symptoms, chronic stress, and higher risks of mental illness, addiction, and early death. They connect the dots between ACEs and the systems that are supposed to help: child protection, schools, health care, and juvenile justice. Too often, children only get attention after they are failing, acting out, or in crisis, rather than receiving trauma informed support early. This episode calls for ACEs screening, early intervention, and policies that fund prevention, resilience building, and compassionate care—so children are not punished for symptoms of trauma but helped to heal and thrive.

Silhouettes of a family with two adults and one child.

Smoke‑Free or Hooked for Life? Selling Nicotine to Children and Youth (w/videos)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, PODCAST & STREAMING, Public Policy, Rebuttals & Guest Posts, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - International, Reporting and News - US Based

Big tobacco talks about a “smoke‑free future,” but its marketing tells a different story. This post gathers key videos and articles that show how major tobacco companies push vapes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco to children and youth while claiming to care about health.

Child Death and Public Non Disclosure (podcast)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Data, Featured Articles, KARA News and Events, Mental Health + Over Medication, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

Listen to KARA’s child welfare podcast on child death and public non-disclosure. Learn how secrecy laws and closed child protection records hide patterns of failure when children die—and what real transparency and accountability should look like.​

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

INVISIBLE CHILDREN (their stories) audiobook – listen free here

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, invisible children, PODCAST & STREAMING, Statistics, Their stories

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…

Child Death and Public Non Disclosure (podcast)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Data, Featured Articles, KARA News and Events, Mental Health + Over Medication, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

Listen to KARA’s child welfare podcast on child death and public non-disclosure. Learn how secrecy laws and closed child protection records hide patterns of failure when children die—and what real transparency and accountability should look like.​

A hand gripping through a torn paper hole.

Mental Health Video & Podcast Resources for Abused & Neglected Children & Trauma Survivors

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child self harm and suicide, Mental Health + Over Medication, PODCAST & STREAMING

Below are KARA’s researched useful videos and podcasts on

child abuse and neglect mental health

ACEs, trauma, healing, and skill‑building cluster into a few groups: big‑picture science, practical trauma‑informed care, and survivor‑oriented healing content.

A young boy holds a red paper heart against his chest.

Fixing CPS – A Meaningful Conversation (35 Minute Podcast)

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

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,…

Silhouettes of a family with two adults and one child.

High Cost of Ignoring Childhood Trauma (Podcast)

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, KARA News and Events, PODCAST & STREAMING, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

Emma and Michael expose the staggering economic cost of ignoring childhood trauma. With U.S. taxpayers absorbing trillions in health care, education loss, criminal justice, and reduced productivity, the data paints a devastating picture:

Close-up of a child's face with braided hair and intense eyes.

What’s It Like Being A Foster Child In Child Protection? (podcast/video)

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Children's Rights, PODCAST & STREAMING, Public Policy, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based, Videos

Think about being a foster child taken from the only home you have ever known because of the terrible things done to you by your parents. Waking up in a strange house or group home where you don’t know anyone. A different school, no friends or familiar faces, things, or routines to soften your day.…

Silhouettes of a family with two adults and one child.

America’s Childhood Trauma and ACEs Impact (podcast)

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, KARA News and Events, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

Emma and Michael expose how childhood trauma is quietly devastating the lives of millions of children—some as young as toddlers—who are misdiagnosed, overmedicated, and left unsupported in overwhelmed systems.

Silhouettes of a family with two adults and one child.

All About ACEs (Podcast)

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, childabuse, Data, invisible children, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

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

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Data, Education, invisible children, KARA News and Events, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - US Based

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

ACES Economic Burden on Healthcare (PODCAST)

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Data, PODCAST & STREAMING, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

In this PODCAST episode of Kids at Risk Action, Emma and Michael expose the massive $14.1 trillion economic toll of untreated childhood trauma in America. They connect the dots between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and long-term impacts on health, education, and the justice system

How Media Shapes Child Welfare Perception (#1 in KARA’s Child Welfare Series)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, childabuse, Media, PODCAST & STREAMING, PODCASTS, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

how media coverage of child welfare too often focuses only on tragedy — fueling blame, misunderstanding, and reduced public support for the very systems meant to protect vulnerable children.

Logo for Kara, Kids at Risk Action organization.

Struggles for Foster Care Children in Education (podcast #4 in Foster Series)

Aces and Trauma, Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Education, Featured Articles, Mikes Favorite Posts, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - US Based

how foster youth are systematically failed within America’s education system. They expose how constant school changes, untreated trauma, and misdiagnoses isolate these children, often pushing them into special education, overmedication, or even the juvenile justice system

Silhouettes of a family with two adults and one child.

What Happened to Aaliya Goodwin (a KARA Podcast)

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

the heartbreaking case of five-month-old Aaliya Goodwin, who died of positional asphyxia while under the care of her drug-abusing parents. Despite multiple reports of neglect, substance abuse, and unsafe conditions, Aaliya remained in the home due to systemic failures in Minnesota’s child protection system

Children holding signs advocating for children's rights and voices.

Vulnerabilities in the Foster Care System (podcast)

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Featured Articles, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

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.

Logo for Invisible Children, focusing on kids at risk.

The Critical Need for Child Advocacy Centers (podcast)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Education, Featured Articles, KARA News and Events, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

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.

Logo for Invisible Children, raising awareness for abducted kids.

Doing the Math in Child Protective Services (podcast)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, Education, Featured Articles, invisible children, Juvenile + Criminal Justice, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Statistics

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.

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

77 Years of Child Abuse (podcast)

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Protection, Mental Health + Over Medication, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - US Based

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.