Striking Foster Care Articles & Policies (find your state here)
Free College for ALL MN Foster Youth
First in the Nation
A Really Big Deal
Visit KARA’s INVISIBLE CHILDREN Conversation in St. Paul Next Week
Neighborhood House in St Paul is hosting
KARA’s INVISIBLE CHILDREN Necessary Conversations Exhibit
April 24-28 for April – Prevent Child Abuse Month.
Stop by the Wellstone Center Atrium and Check us out
What’s It Like For Troubled Teens in Minnesota?
What’s it like to be a CASA guardian ad Litem (child protection worker) unable to find safe housing and mental health services for the 14-year-old struggling foster boy in your caseload? His self-harming and violent behaviors could change if he had help to manage childhood traumas. He could go on to lead a productive life.…
Expecting Different Results From Prison for Kids
MN A.G. Keith Ellison’s response to the public outcry for punishment is normal (And that’s a shame). Our need for punishment over restorative justice is the American way. We don’t care if charging children and youth as adults brings more crime and recidivism.
5 Month Old Aaliya Goodwin Death & Why From Safe Passage For Children Investigation
Aaliya Goodwin. This is one of the 88 stories of children dying at the hands of their caregivers reported in the recent Safe Passage For Children investigation of child death in Minnesota. The report suggests why this tragedy is happening in our state and how we can make life safer for at risk children (in…
Eli Hentges – 1 of 88 Stories of Child Death at the Hands of Caregivers
Eli Hentges. This is one of the 88 stories of children dying at the hands of their caregivers reported in the recent Safe Passage For Children investigation of child death in Minnesota. The report suggests why this tragedy is happening in our state and how we can make life safer for at risk children (in the read more at the end of the article). Please share this with your contacts and State Representative.
8 Year-Old Tayvion Davis Death & Why (from the Safe Passage Investigative Report)
This is one of the 88 stories of children dying at the hands of their caregivers reported in the recent Safe Passage For Children investigation of child death in Minnesota. The report suggests why this tragedy is happening in our state and how we can make life safer for at risk children (in the read more at the end of the article). Please share this with your contacts and State Representative.
Tayvion Davis, Hennepin County
If You Live In MN You Should Do This
The Safe Passage Report on Child Maltreatment Deaths is a remarkable report – not in a good way. It demonstrates how common it is for Minnesota children to die from abuse in the home even after they have become known to CPS. This report is still only the the tip of the horrors facing abused children as;
DHS did not cooperate with the investigator,
Four counties did not respond,
Child deaths reported were only those that had court filings or had been reported in the media
If You Live In MN This Simple Act Can Help At Risk Children
If you read this blog, you know how hard it is for Minnesota’s abused and neglected children to find the help they need to thrive. If you have not read the investigative report of child fatalities known to CPS by Safe Passages for Children of MN, please read it here. Pages 22+ tells the sad…
2 year-old Lylah Koob’s Death & Why (from the Safe Passage Report)
This is one of the 88 stories of children dying at the hands of their caregivers reported in the recent Safe Passage For Children investigation of child death in Minnesota. The report suggests why this tragedy is happening in our state and how we can make life safer for at risk children (in the read more at the end of the article). Lylah Koob, Goodhue County
Police vs Social Worker (when the wrong one shows up)
People suffering from untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed in interactions with law enforcement. Recently in Utah, a 13-year-old boy with autism was shot several times by police after his mother dialed 911 to request help as her son was experiencing a mental breakdown.
Do Kids Count? (it depends on where you live)
Conditions in Child Protective Services (CPS), foster care or in the lives these children live are unknown to most of us.
When the community doesn’t perceive a serious problem it will ignore it and the problem festers. This is why many city dwellers are afraid to ride the bus, prisons are full, and schools are struggling.
Safeguarding Gun Rights & Abortion vs. Safeguarding Children
a cruel but accurate point. Our community has a passion for safeguarding adult rights of guns and abortion.
Safe Passage for Children investigation of child death in Minnesota
MN Child Fatalities From Safe Passages Reporting
CONTACT: Rich Gehrman, Executive Director, Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota (651) 303-3209; gehrm001@umn.edu Report documents multiple systemic failures in cases Of Minnesota children killed due to maltreatment 8 YEAR OLD AUTUMN HALLOW’S MURDER (KSTP video) Minnesota Child Fatalities from Maltreatment 2014 – 2022 Executive Summary From the report; This study of children who died in…
KARA – CASA Ad Grant Initiative ($120,000 annually)
KARA’s Google Ad Grant Initiative for CASA’s
The U.S. has 950 CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) organizations consisting of community volunteers trained as County Guardian ad Litems advocating for abused and neglected children in Court within Child Protection Services.
Minnesota children killed due to maltreatment (NEWS RELEASE)
Report documents system failures in cases of Minnesota Children Killed due to Maltreatment short (KSTP video)
Metrics of Minnesota’s Child Protection (what does your state measure?)
Recent Star Tribune articles about juvenile justice and explosive growth of crime in our community miss the heart of the matter. We keep putting fires out that could have been prevented. The car jackings, transit crimes and other juvenile violence making life miserable for so many of us didn’t begin when these children became juveniles. It started with traumas suffered in the home mostly caused by parents that suffered the same violence and abuse as children.
Don Samuels’ Story (from KARA 2014 archives)
As part of KARA’s TPT documentary project I interviewed Minneapolis City Councilman / Mayoral candidate Don Samuels recently. He described his experiences as a volunteer CASA guardian ad-Litem, North Side resident, and city councilman that were relevant to child well-being and child protection.
Minnesota Child Fatalities (thank you Safe Passage for Children)
This conversation about the study of MN child fatalities is eye opening and terribly sad. Ignoring brutality being done to children allows it to continue and to fester. Let’s all commit to caring for other people’s children. It will be a better place to live for all of us if we do.
Measuring What’s Important
What is transparent and measured can be identified and improved. What is not transparent and measured remains unknown and can fester.
In business, Cost Benefit Analysis focuses on ROI (return on investment). ROI is based on “assets”, “net income” & “profitability”. That’s what business is about (money). Corporations have extremely detailed and accurate methods of measuring their “money”…
Investing In Children Not Jails
We the people are serious about continued investment in our punishment model.
Expelling kids from daycare and elementary school is common. Charging youth in adult courts is too. The nation’s Supreme Court recently reinstated lifelong (no chance for release) sentencing for crimes committed by juveniles.
Instead of investing in healing broken children we invest our tax dollars into courts that punish kids from traumatizing violent and toxic homes. Are we bad at math or pro growing crime, criminals and broken communities.
Juvenile Injustice In MN (thank you KARE 11)
For most of us in Child Protective Services, KARE 11 / Lauren Leamanczyk’s investigative reporting on the absence of facilities for troubled foster and adopted State Ward children is a recurring nightmare.
MN Child Abuse News Week of 11.30.22
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)
Al McFarlane Conversation With Mike Tikkanen and Oliver Williams
The Conversation, with Al McFarlane, DR Oliver Williams and Mike Tikkanen exploring issues facing at risk youth in our community today (1 hour with video).
Trauma, Children & Overwhelmed ER’s in Minneapolis
Fairview Masonic Children’s hospital has been overwhelmed with 145 emergency pediatric psych cases since September. A makeshift shelter in an ambulance garage is all that’s available at Fairview Masonic to protect children suffering from the traumas of child abuse and homelessness.
Child Protection, Crime & Preteen Moms
Star Tribune Nowhere To Go For Most Troubled Youth, crime, preteen moms and juvenile injustice
Child Protection Statistics and Carjackings
Child Protection Statistics and Carjackings;To solve carjackings and 83% and 90% recidivism rates, we need to track the successes and failures of children in State care if we are to improve their lives and strategies in place today.
Saving Vulnerable Foster Children – Saving the Volunteer Guardian ad Litem Program
This Star Tribune article by Neal St. Anthony points to a threat to the community volunteer Guardian Ad Litem program in this time of institutional stress.
If You Knew (what would you do?)
If you knew that 10,000 Minnesota’s CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) volunteers provided civic engagement, first person narratives, reporting, institutional transparency and many thousands of advocacy hours for babies, children & youth over the last 40 years in Minnesota’s Child Protective Services would you;
Is This About Child Protection or Something Else?
It has been stated by program management that CASA volunteer time spent with abused and neglected children is of no value. Ask that question of any child removed from the only home they have ever known now passing through the cold scarey institution of judges, courts, foster and group homes where you don’t know anyone and new adult faces come and go after short periods.
Plenty of data Stories and literature provide proof
FREE COLLEGE FOR MN FOSTERS (Village Gathering Info Session 9.9.22)
School is about to start for students across the state. For many of our Foster leaders, the classroom was a place of refuge, where, unlike their time in foster care, they had agency and connections. Over 80% of high school Fosters want to continue with post-secondary education, but that dream was financially out-of-reach for…
Self-Destructive Habits & Institutions (Professionalism – Part 5)
Self-Destructive Habits & Institutions (Professionalism – Part 5)
Volunteers lack “professionalism” is a primary argument management is using to eliminate the community CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer guardian ad Litem program in Minnesota.
What 1.3 Million Dollars Could Provide At Risk Children (Arianna-Hunziker Settlement)
Arianna Hunziker 1.3 million dollar settlement. Blaming child protection workers solves nothing. It’s counter productive – people in these fields are asked to do more than they ever can do. It’s very hard work with too much sadness and failure.
Self-Destructive Habits & Institutions (Guardian ad litem program in MN Today – PART 4)
MN Senior Judge Lyonel Norris has stated that, “…an all employee model can create an institutionalizing effect upon a child”. I would add “an even greater” institutionalizing effect upon a child”.
Self-Destructive Habits & Institutions (Predicting the future – Part 3)
Eliminating the Volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) will hurt children, institutions, and our quality of life for years to come. Minnesota youth and young families are struggling. They need more, not less help.
Self-Destructive Habits & Institutions (Guardian ad litem program in MN Today – Part 2)
Let’s imagine a government that controls (1) automobile safety standards, (2) the state inspection for compliance with automobile safety standards (3) the automobile repair industry, all within the same department, and all done in official secrecy so as to protect the privacy of would-be drivers.
And let’s also suppose that the people who drive automobiles are, 98% of them, poor and very young people, who have no effective political voice.
Self-Destructive Habits & Institutions (Guardian ad litem program in MN Today) (PART ONE)
There may be no single right answer
to the problems of Child Protection in Minnesota –
but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater
Kamari Gholston’s Death & Child Protection in MN
Star Tribune’s Investigative journalist Paul Walsh coverage of toddler Kamari Gholston’s death today shines a light on the importance of public understanding and support for Child Protective Services in our state.
Kamari’s death resembles Eric Dean’s case of 2014. Except Kamari…
Child Protection Light is NOT Safe Passage For Children
To date this study documents parents who got this virtual free pass despite refusing medical treatment for children injured in a car crash, enabling sexual abuse of an infant, and a criminal conviction for malicious punishment of a child…,
Financial Literacy GRANT & Training for Foster Youth (free)
The KARA financial GRANT & literacy program is a place to learn, discuss and ask questions, skill building and meaningful guidance to help teenagers and young adults start their financial journey off on the right path.
Removing 100’s of Community Volunteers from Child Protection (why?)
Removing 100’s of Community Volunteers from Child Protection (why?) an accurate and troublesome picture of the conditions facing Minnesota’s at risk children today.
COVID & Child Abuse in Minnesota
The Covid-19 pandemic is keeping children locked in toxic homes in Minnesota -Too many fostered youth are aging out of care – We need more forever families for our fostered youth today.
COVID IMPACT ON AT RISK YOUTH
Introduction This report was submitted by Business Analytics Student Michelle Kocins at Cambrian College Support KARA efforts reporting on child abuse & trauma during COVID here. To download this study as a pdf, click here. Analysis of Child Abuse in the U.S and Emerging Trends due to COVID-19 Michelle Kocins KARA at Invisible Children Business…
Virtual Child Advocacy Week in MN (Making a difference quickly & effectively)
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota wants you to join them in making laws that keep at risk youth safe. Their approach is a quick call to your State Legislator. Helpers from Safe Passage make this easy for those who have not done it before. I really does make a difference. Click Here to learn how to help!
Free College Tuition For Fostered – Adopted Children
Minnesota’s Free Foster Care College (starting fall of 2022).
Here are recent positive developments in support of free & low cost college for foster and adopted youth;
Nineteen states have at least one Statewide student aid Promise Program
Federal programs for foster/adopted youth in all states
MN Has 3rd Highest Sex Trafficking Cases in U.S.
January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month Odds are, you know somebody sex trafficking has impacted. Minnesota has the third highest number of human trafficking cases in the U.S. annually. The Twin Cities have the 13th highest rate of child prostitution. Common targets of sex traffickers are abused & homeless children and people with addiction, and mental…
Why We Hate Lawsuits (Eric Dean’s grandmother sues county & social workers for his death)
Recent KARE11 reporting brings full circle the events, sadness as MN Supreme Court ruling
allows Child Protective Services to be held responsible for Eric Dean’s death.
Helping Homeless Kids In Minnesota
COVID has overwhelmed much of our safety net for youth and finding shelter space is harder now.
Do you know a homeless or at risk youth in Minneapolis, ST Paul or Anoka ?(share this on your social media)
Tell them about the YMCA’s Communities Host Program where they can find safe, friendly and free shelter for up to a year at a time.
HOW TO HELP OR GET HELP
• To sign up to be a host home or for more details about the program, call the YMCA at 612-208-7381.
• Homeless youth age 24 and under can receive services such as meals and housing referrals at the Link’s drop-in center at Grace Lutheran Church, 7800 West County Road 42 in Apple Valley from 2-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Minnesota Child Abuse + Child Protection (fall 2021)
These articles about child abuse and child protection
have been gathered in Minnesota over the last 60 days
Minnesota Child Protection (thank you Safe Passage for Children)
Safe Passage for Children has followed up on the task force convened after the colossal failure of child protective services responsible for the death of Eric Dean and found that some of it’s recommendations were being ignored. This is a powerful piece