Free and Discounted Resources for Youth (+ Holiday Gifting)

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, KARA News and Events, Mikes Favorite Posts, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

Children and youth in foster care often have needs that are not available to be filled by the County or their caregivers. Christmas and the holiday season can be hard on families with limited resources. If you know of a foster child or foster family who would benefit from the resources on this page, send this link to them and share this page widely.

Do you have examples of resources not shown here? Send them to info@invisiblechildren.org with FOSTER RESOURCES in the subject line

ACES Economic HealthCare Burden 14 Trillion Annually (Cape Breton University Project)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Data, Education, Featured Articles, Mikes Favorite Posts, Reporting and News - US Based, Stunning Statistics

This post addresses the healthcare burden children with high ACEs scores have on our communities and nation. What’s not obvious to many is that at risk children become at risk youth and at risk adults. 9-year 80% prison recidivism has been with us for over 20 years. This single statistic shines a light on the cascading and forever financial and social costs to our communities from one other American institution that is easily understood. The health care financial and social costs are more complex and harder to understand. The Cape Breton University study below brings clarity to this complex issue.

In Texas 2024, only 10 Children Died of Abuse (248 died of neglect)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Mikes Favorite Posts, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Stunning Statistics

The Most Common Cause of Child Death in Texas Isn’t Even defined as Abuse. The Center for disease control defines child abuse with clarity as any act of physical, sexual, or emotional harm including neglect, done towards a minor under the age of 18 by an adult that holds a custodial or parental role (About…

What Child Neglect Does (and how long it lasts)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Data, Education, Featured Articles, Public Policy, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

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.​

Why the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Organization Is So Successful (calling all volunteers)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Reporting and News - US Based

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

Trump’s Child Protection Order & “NEGLECT”

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Public Policy, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - US Based

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.

KARA’s Resource Page & Future Collaborations

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, Reporting and News - US Based

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.

Supporting Local Charities (why would you?)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - US Based

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…

KARA Concerns About Trump’s Child Protection Order (deep dive)

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Education, LGBTQ, Public Policy, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - US Based

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).

Recruiting Child Soldiers (yes, we do)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Children's Rights, Public Policy, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - US Based

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…

Dissecting President Trump’s Child Protection Executive Order (share this widely)

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, KARA News and Events, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based

Trump’s recent Presidential Order appears in its entirety below in the Read More section of this post. It is a powerful broad promise that will have a tremendous impact on the quality of life for millions of America’s abused and neglected children, families, and the communities they live in. The fact that this order is deep and far reaching into the complex issues of child abuse and child protection is in itself, a big step in the right direction for Federal Public Policy making.

What You Can Do Series – Teachers

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Day Care and Education, Education, Mental Health + Over Medication, Reporting and News - US Based

No other professional occupies a position as consistently present in the lives of children as their teacher. The power to notice, to intervene, to model empathy, and to seek help can mean the difference between a life of quiet anguish and one of healing and hope

Child Protection in the News (find your state here)

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Mental Health + Over Medication, Public Policy, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - US Based, The States

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.

Why We Are Failing To Save At Risk Children

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Child self harm and suicide, Children's Rights, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based

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).

What You Can Do Series – Foster Parents

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Education, Reporting and News - US Based

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.

Fixing CPS – A Meaningful Conversation (35 Minute Podcast)

& Transparency, 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,…

Making Life More Miserable For the Most Vulnerable Children In America

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child self harm and suicide, LGBTQ, Mikes Favorite Posts, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based

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.

Manner of Child Death Unknown (State by State)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, invisible children, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Stunning Statistics, The States

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…

The Importance of Foster Youth Rights (find your State here)

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Featured Articles, Mikes Favorite Posts, Public Policy, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based, The States

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.

Egregious Child Death in America Today

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Children's Rights, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, The States

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.

Fixing a Public Health Emergency

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Reporting and News - US Based

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.

CASA Volunteers Save Money (Multiple State Investigation Results)

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

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…

Texas Child Protection, Crime, and Prosecution (a recent snapshot)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, Juvenile + Criminal Justice, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, The States

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

Child Friendly Models That Work Series (part 3)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Children's Rights, Day Care and Education, Education, Mental Health + Over Medication, Public Policy, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - International, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics, The States

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.

Domestic Violence to a Five Year Old (living in a house of terror)

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Child self harm and suicide, Domestic Violence, Public Policy, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - US Based, Stunning Statistics

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.

Part 2 CPS Models That Work & Models That Don’t

& Transparency, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, invisible children, Mental Health + Over Medication, Public Policy, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - International, Reporting and News - US Based, Stunning Statistics

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

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:

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.…

What Makes a Good Guardian ad Litem Program Leader (part 3)

KARA News and Events, Public Policy, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

Transforming the Guardian ad Litem Program Leadership for Lasting Change: With the guidance of leaders who refuse to cut corners and who hold public policy accountable  Guardian ad Litem programs can move from mere compliance toward authentic justice and opportunity for every child who enters their care.

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.

What Makes a Good Guardian ad Litem Program Leader? (part 2)

Child Protection, KARA News and Events, Public Policy, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

The director of a Guardian ad Litem program must operate with a keen understanding that human lives, not mechanical products, are being shaped by their agency’s decisions. Directors know that their staff and volunteer advocates impact the safety, healing, and future success of children navigating trauma, mental health and behavior challenges, and disruption.

All About ACEs (Podcast)

#childabuse, #childprotection, Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, 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

What Makes a Good Guardian ad Litem Program Leader? (part 1)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

Strong leadership in the Guardian ad Litem Program is very different from typical American industries. In manufacturing, managers drive output and profitability—metrics our culture worships.

In child protection, the stakes are human and long-term: it’s about children’s safety, trauma recovery, and the lifelong wellbeing

Child Protection Statistics August 2025

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

KARA sporadically compiles articles, research, and reports on child abuse and child protection around the nation & internationally. Child rights, safety, protection are just a few of the topics you will find addressed in the approximately 100 articles below.

We are seeking a volunteer to make this a regular feature on our website. Contact Hello@invisiblechildren.org with volunteer research in the subject line if this might be you.
KARA is seeking university research on the topics of childhood trauma, children’s rights, parental rights, foster care, adoption, child protection, children’s mental health, juvenile justices and child advocacy. Contact Hello@invisiblechildren.org with volunteer university research in the subject line if this might be you.

Join KARA’s Child Advocacy Team (& make your community’s children safe)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - US Based

Ways for KARA readers to raise their voice for at risk children. The options in the Read More below provide direct impact, community building, and how to create policy change for at risk children where you live.

Join KARA’s team of followers to interrupt child abuse and heal the children that need our help. Over the years, millions of KARA followers have shared information with their friends, social media, and policy makers and gone on to lend a helping hand for child friendly initiatives in their communities.

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

All Adults Are the Protectors of All Children (Don Shelby)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Children's Rights, Public Policy, Reporting and News - International, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

Policies that keep children in homes with life‑threatening harm on the grounds of unproven or unscientific beliefs—account for avoidable homicidal deaths of hundreds of MN children and many more tortured and near-death experiences annually. When Child Protection becomes more transparent when studies like the one linked above become common, this reality will be recognized in all…