Empty classroom with text about ACES impact and hashtag #WEARENOTOK.

School Performance, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow & What To Do

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Education, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics, Stunning Statistics

• “Since 2020, national and state test data show steep declines in foundational reading and math skills that are not bouncing back on their own. If current trends hold, by 2034 a majority of U.S. students will need remedial support, deepening poverty, crime, and inequality across whole communities. This post pulls together NAEP, ACT, SAT, and state level projections—and outlines what leaders, advocates, and communities can do right now to change the trajectory.”

Young boy with dark hair wearing a white shirt outdoors.

Ethan’s Story: How Foster Care Failed a Traumatized Child

Aces and Trauma, Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Protection, Child self harm and suicide, Guest Posts, Mental Health + Over Medication, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics, Their stories

Ethan’s story follows one boy taken from his parents into foster care, abused in placement, struggling with guilt and suicidality, and now facing adulthood alone. His journey exposes how often our foster care system fails traumatized children—and why changing life for foster youth will take all of us.

Mother comforting her child outside a brick building.

Cash vs. CPS: What $14 Million Really Buys

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, childabuse, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics, The States

Flint’s Rx Kids program has spent about $14 million giving pregnant and new parents roughly $6,250 per baby in flexible cash—money families use for rent, food, diapers, and medical care. By contrast, CDC linked research puts the lifetime cost of a single child maltreatment case at roughly $830,000, and a year of foster care can cost $41,000 or more per child. If cash support keeps even a small share of vulnerable families out of CPS, the investment likely pays for itself many times over—while sparing children the trauma of removal and system involvement.

Logo for Kara, Kids at Risk Action organization.

Fosters and the Orphan Tax: How States Take Social Security from Foster Youth ________________________________________

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Protection, Children's Rights, Mikes Favorite Posts, Public Policy, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

Most foster youth only discover years later that Social Security benefits meant for them were taken by counties to “reimburse” foster care costs, leaving them to age out with no savings, no housing deposit, and no money for school or a car. With up to one third experiencing homelessness by their mid 20s and earning far less than their peers, every dollar matters. This post explains how the so called “orphan tax” works, why the complexity argument is specious, and how existing Social Security and ABLE style accounts could be used to protect foster youths’ benefits instead of padding agency budgets.

Silhouettes of a family with two adults and one child.

A Closer Look At Child Fatality and Egregious Incident Reporting

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

Child Fatality & Egregious Incident Reporting: A U.S. Overview America’s approach to exposing and understanding the gravest harms done to children—fatalities, near-deaths, torture, and catastrophic agency failures—reveals a nation deeply divided by geography, law, and political will. The result is a patchwork of minimal transparency. Some states shine a light on information that has been…

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

Florida Child Abuse Reporting

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Domestic Violence, NEGLECT, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics, The States

Why Florida Child Abuse Reporting Matters: Florida’s child abuse and neglect is just one part of KARA’s reporting mission and our nation’s child‑death problem. Florida reviews hundreds of abuse‑related child deaths each year. This is an investigative report recently completed in Minnesota that needs to happen in all states. 

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.​

Logo of Invisible Children, advocating for at-risk youth.

Minnesota Family Preservation Law and Child Safety: When “Keep Families Together” Puts Children at Risk

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Statistics

Minnesota’s African American Family Preservation Act aims to reduce racial disproportionality in child welfare. But underfunded “family preservation first” policies can leave abused children in dangerous homes or unsafe kinship foster care, with deadly consequences documented in Safe Passage fatality reports.​

Logo of Kara, an organization for kids at risk action.

Child Neglect & Substance Abuse Study

Aces and Trauma, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, NEGLECT, RESEARCH, Statistics

This study of 251 neglected children and 502 community matched control group over a 17 year period found that 32% of child abuse fatalities occurring in the same year were attributed to child neglect alone. Most of these children were unnoticed by teachers, law enforcement, healthcare workers and others and received no child protection or welfare services.

A young girl with messy hair looks sad in front of a blackboard with emotional writing.

Weaponizing of Trump’s Presidential Order

Aces and Trauma, Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

While Trump’s child welfare orders do not delete “neglect” from law, they lean heavily into language about “unnecessary removals” and “overreach” that can be weaponized by parental rights, MAGA, and some religious groups to argue that neglect rarely justifies CPS involvement.​

How the order’s framing minimizes neglect

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

Responding to Richard Wexler’s Child Neglect Imprint News Article

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Children's Rights, Public Policy, Rebuttals & Guest Posts, Reporting and News - International, Statistics

Richard Wexler’s Child Neglect in America article uses a Swedish child neglect study to make sweeping claims about “American child neglect and poverty,” even though childhood conditions in the two countries are radically different. In the Nordic welfare states, far fewer children live in deep poverty and families receive broad supports like child benefits, paid leave, subsidized childcare, and universal health care, while U.S. child poverty is roughly twice as high and basic needs often go unmet without thin, means‑tested programs

Empty classroom with text about ACES impact and hashtag #WEARENOTOK.

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.​

Illustration of trauma's impact on person, family, and people, emphasizing decontextualization over time.

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.

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:

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

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

A Closer Look At Child Fatality and Egregious Incident Reporting

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

Child Fatality & Egregious Incident Reporting: A U.S. Overview America’s approach to exposing and understanding the gravest harms done to children—fatalities, near-deaths, torture, and catastrophic agency failures—reveals a nation deeply divided by geography, law, and political will. The result is a patchwork of minimal transparency. Some states shine a light on information that has been…

Close-up of an eye with black dreadlocks framing the face.

The Assault on Child Protection Part 4 (Racial Disparity)

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

Medicaid and SNAP cuts will disproportionately harm poor people and communities of color across the United States, with devastating statistical impacts:

Medicaid Coverage Losses: Over 13 million Black and more than 19 million Hispanic individuals rely on Medicaid for health coverage, with nearly 30% of Black and Hispanic populations dependent on it,

Bar chart showing annual public spending per child on early childhood care by country.

The Assault on Child Protection PART 3 (what this will cost)

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

Nationally, cuts will deepen inequality, entrench generational poverty, and erode the foundation for future economic growth. This is not budget tightening—it is a deliberate dismantling of the infrastructure that keeps children safe and families stable. We will be a sicker, poorer, less educated, and less productive America, with the highest price paid by its most vulnerable children and the communities already struggling to survive.

Illustration of trauma's impact on person, family, and people, emphasizing decontextualization over time.

The Assault on Child Protection – Part 2

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

The combined cuts to child friendly programs will impact some states more than other. This article presents a snapshot of what different states will be experiencing. Send  KARA information concerning what’s happening in your state (send to info@invisiblechildren.org with CUTS in the subject line).

California:

The Assault on Child Protection PART 1

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Day Care and Education, Education, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

Between DOGE cuts to child friendly programs and policies and the big beautiful bill, the cuts and service reductions described below will impact millions of children and families nationwide. In the foster care system alone, over 343,000 children are currently in care across the United States, with the largest numbers…

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.