August 2016 Sad Stories (Part 3 through August 31)

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KARA tracks current news about at risk children bringing transparency and  attention to our youngest and most vulnerable  citizens.  Please note that what you see here is only a sampling of what should be reported –  the great majority of child trauma & abuse never gets reported.

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ALL ADULTS ARE THE PROTECTORS OF ALL CHILDREN

Compilation of information and writing on this page is the hard work of  David Vang, Mike Toronto, Jamar Weston, Adolf Nchanj and Blaz Zlate,  Callie Benscoter, (student volunteers at Century College) Katie Frake, Boston College, Julie O, and KARA.

AR: Pulaski County judge subpoenaed over foster care placement
Associated Press – August 31, 2016
A Pulaski County juvenile court judge has been subpoenaed to answer questions about her alleged refusal to give priority to relatives in the placement of children who are in state custody. Circuit judge Patricia James was subpoenaed by the Joint Performance Review Committee on Tuesday, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (bit.ly) reports.
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CA: L.A. County Looks to Ridesharing, Faith-Based Programs to Improve Family Visitation for Foster Kids
The Chronicle of Social Change – August 31, 2016
In an ambitious upcoming board motion, a pair of Los Angeles County Supervisors aim to tackle two of foster care’s most fundamental challenges: re-unifying children with their parents and retaining quality foster parents.
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CA: Medicated: Many children in SLO County foster care are prescribed psychotropic drugs
The New Times – August 31, 2016
Each year, thousands of children pass through foster care systems in the state of California-and many of those children are prescribed powerful drugs for psychological and mental health conditions. According to a report released by the California State Auditor’s Office Aug. 23, more than 17 percent of the children in SLO County’s foster care system were prescribed psychotropic medication during the 2014-2015 fiscal year.
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CO: Fostering hope for the hundreds in foster care (Includes video)
KJCT – August 30, 2016
In a perfect world, every child would have a loving home. But we don’t live in a perfect world, which makes people like Holly Martin so important. “I wanted to learn what it means to be a foster parent and this seems like a good place to start,” said Martin while attending Tuesday’s Fostering Hope showcase.
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GA: Foster-care initiative seeks to meet critical need in area
The Oconee Enterprise – August 31, 2016
What started as a “living room ministry” to help adoptive parents has grown into a full-scale non-profit with a new executive director and new headquarters in a Watkinsville office.
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HI: Kudos to all who are foster parents (Requires free registration)(Opinion)
Honolulu Star-Advertiser – August 31, 2016
Federal and state legal challenges undoubtedly achieved a needed outcome for Hawaii’s keiki this week when a settlement was announced to raise the amount of the stipend paid to foster parents statewide.
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ID: Legislative panel on foster care meeting today (Includes audio)
The Spokesman-Review – August 31, 2016
Russ Barron, H&W deputy director, told the panel it’s a “very important topic” and he’s glad the committee has launched its study of the issue. “It’s a shame that we have to have it, I think, because of the issues we have, but I appreciate the fact that we are coming together to talk about these issues and what can be better in Idaho,” he said. “You’re talking a situation of children that have been abandoned, abused or neglected and trying to do something better, and it’s not always easy. The discussion is very much welcome by the department.”
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IN: Indianapolis mother claims RFRA defense in child abuse case
Indianapolis Star – August 31, 2016
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, enacted in 2015, says the government cannot intrude on a person’s religious liberty unless it can prove a compelling interest in imposing that burden, and can do so in the least restrictive way. Also: Son had 36 bruises. Mom quoted the Bible as defense: indystar.com
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LA: In Flooded Louisiana, Spaces for Play and Learning Help Children Cope
Youth Today – August 31, 2016
Youth service providers set up learning and self-expression spaces for children displaced and out of school after flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “I was able to dance today, and it helped me with my stress,” an 11-year-old girl told Sarita Fritzler, emergency team leader for Save the Children, which is providing flood assistance in Louisiana.
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MD: MCPS Volunteers Required To Take Online Training in Spotting Child Abuse
Bethesda Magazine – August 31, 2016
People who volunteer regularly in Montgomery County Public Schools this year will be required to take online training designed to teach them to spot child abuse and neglect.
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MI: Foster care families and children impacted by Flint’s water crisis (Includes video)
WJRT – August 31, 2016
Jennifer Stevens, the Program Director at Samaritas Foster Care Services in Flint says, “They already experience, because of the trauma, educational issues, developmental issues, and medical issues. This could increase those concerns, immediately but also long-term, so it’s really important for us to know what’s going on with those children, so we can make sure their needs are being taken care of. ”
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MN: Catholic Charities to stop adoption, pregnancy services
St. Cloud Times – August 31, 2016
Catholic Charities announced Thursday it is closing its adoption services and pregnancy counseling. The agency only placed two children in adoptive homes in 2015. Historically low teenage pregnancy rates and greater acceptance of single parenting has meant there was less need for the services.
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NC: County turns to analytics to better protect at-risk children
GCN – August 31, 2016
A county in North Carolina will be using predictive analytics software to better identify, serve and protect its most-at-risk children.
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NY: Bed-Stuy woman, LaToya Lennard, helps change sibling rights laws in NY
AM New York – August 31, 2016
The pleas of LaToya Lennard, who went to court when she turned 18 to win the right to see her adopted baby sister “really caught the eye of the Family Court Advisory and Rules Committee, which drafted the legislation,” explained Dawn Post, co-borough director of The Children’s Law Center.
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NY: Children’s Services opens investigation of Anthony Weiner
The Hill – August 31, 2016
Child-welfare officials have launched an investigation into Anthony Weiner after the former New York congressman sent lewd photos of himself with his toddler son lying next to him. The Administration for Children’s Services in New York City will look into Weiner’s care of the boy, according to the The New York Post.
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NY: State’s Highest Court Expands Definition of Parenthood
The New York Times – August 31, 2016
Expanding the definition of what it means to be a parent, especially for same-sex couples, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that a caretaker who is not related to, or the adoptive guardian of, a child could still be permitted to ask for custody and visitation rights.
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OK: Programs can continue for foster youth until age 21
Muskogee Phoenix – September 01, 2016
A Wednesday panel, hosted by CASA for Children, gave advocates and allies a glimpse into services available to youth who age out of foster care. Meggan Winland-Clickner told those advocates and allies at the panel discussion that a helping hand is available to older foster youths through the Oklahoma Successful Adulthood Program (OKSA).
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OR: Helping youth in foster care overcome their pasts
Oregon Live – August 23, 2016
Growing up in foster care is not easy. The events that lead to a child entering the foster care system are often horrifying. A child is abused or neglected and their overall health is deemed to be in danger. As a result, they enter foster care where consistency and support are difficult to find. Children first go to an emergency foster placement that will last only a few days before they are transferred to a longer-term foster home.
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PA: Children & Youth asks for $52.5M budget
York Daily Record – August 31, 2016
The York County Office of Children, Youth & Families is predicting it will need a budget of $52.5 million for its 2017-18 fiscal year.
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TX: Grayson County in ‘urgent need’ of foster families (Includes video)
KXII – September 01, 2016
Grayson County has 300 kids in state custody right now, but only six foster families in the area to take them in. The county is now sending some of these local kids hours away to other cities, just so they have a bed to sleep in. “I mean there’s kids who sleep on the CPS floor constantly and it’s heartbreaking cause you’re already taken from everything you know,” Ashley Wright said.
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TX: Child Connect Program (CASA Volunteers Needed) (Video)
KFDX – August 31, 2016
CASA Volunteers serve children who have been removed from the care of their parents because of abuse or neglect. CASA needs an additional 30 volunteers to help children during some of the most challenging times of their lives. Information Gateway resource: CASAs and GALs: Casa gal (childwelfare.gov)
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TX: Saving Texas children: Abused youths should be a top funding priority in 2017 (Opinion)
The Star-Telegram – August 31, 2016
When local state lawmakers head back to Austin next year, they’ll be determined to do everything they can to protect children from violence and abuse.
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WV: Daily Mail editorial: DHHR seeks to improve foster care system
Charleston Gazette-Mail – August 31, 2016
In an effort to provide better treatment and therapy for children with special needs, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is rolling out a new, three-tiered foster care system aimed at training families to better meet the challenges some children face.
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US: Inside the Fight Between Child Protective Services and Pot-Smoking Parents (Includes video)
VICE News – August 31, 2016
On the season premiere of Weediquette, host Krishna Andavolu continues to chronicle pot’s journey into the mainstream. This week, he’ll talk to people fighting Child Protective Services over their pot usage.
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US: A Call for Action in OST as Gay Teens Face Violence, Many Other Risks
Youth Today – August 30, 2016
About 8 percent of high school students are lesbian, gay or bisexual, according to the first nationwide survey asking teens about their sexuality. The survey results released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month found that these teenagers face a shockingly high level of violence compared with their straight peers. Survey Results: Lgb communication (cdc.gov)
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INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Rainbow families can now jointly adopt in Victoria
Star Observer – September 01, 2016
Couples can now jointly adopt in Victoria regardless of their sex or gender identity, though there is still no legal certainty for children born through overseas surrogacy. The Adoption Amendment (Adoption by Same-Sex Couples) Act 2015 came into effect today in the state, after the bill was passed late last year.
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Canada: First Nations child advocate waiting for feds to end racial discrimination
The Canadian Press – August 31, 2016
A leading advocate for First Nations children and families says she would like to see a lot less talk and a lot more action from the federal government. Cindy Blackstock’s organization was one of two that brought a child welfare complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal which ruled in January the existing system discriminated against First Nations children.
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Canada: Fortney: International expert says child abuse prevention everyone’s responsibility
Calgary Herald – August 31, 2016
van Niekerk, the president of ISPCAN, tells me that she’s horrified by these examples, she is, sadly, not surprised in the least that a city like Calgary, rated one of the most livable in the world, sees such extreme cases of alleged neglect and abuse. “Abuse doesn’t discriminate, it can happen anywhere and in any family,” she says. “I’ve heard these stories coming from every part of the world.”
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Germany: Amidst refugee influx, child brides as young as thirteen
Family Security Matters – September 01, 2016
Lawmakers in Germany are under increased pressure to tackle the country’s growing trend of child marriages, renewing the debate over whether to allow Islamic Sharia law to supersede the country’s legal system when applied to its refugee population.
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India: Adoption body plans immediate placement of selected children
The Indian Express – September 01, 2016
The national adoption body plans to facilitate ‘immediate placement’ of selected children, so parents can take home a child in three months.
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United Kingdom: Child abuse survivors quit Scottish inquiry to seek ‘justice’
The Scotsman – August 31, 2016
A group of child abuse survivors are to have their case heard by the English inquiry into the issue amid claims they face “no prospect of justice” in Scotland.
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United Kingdom: Kayleigh Haywood: harrowing film to be shown across city and county (Includes video)
Leicester Mercury – August 31, 2016
Kayleigh’s Love Story was released by Leicestershire Police after the 15-year-old’s killer and the man who groomed her via Facebook were jailed. Made with the full support of her family, it demonstrates how abusers groom children and young people online.
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AR: KAIT: Family services leader fired for ‘integrity, honesty’ reasons
Arkansas Times – August 26, 2016
KAIT-TV in Jonesboro reports that a Greene County supervisor in the Division of Children and Family Services was fired for violating a policy about integrity and honesty.
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AZ: A Phoenix shelter where Arizona children in state care wait for a home, help (Includes video)
Arizona Republic – August 28, 2016
While elected officials work to improve Arizona’s troubled child-welfare system, daily life for kids in shelter care takes on its own rhythm.
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AZ: Child welfare: There are some issues we just won’t let go (Opinion)
Arizona Republic – August 28, 2016
As of June 30, Arizona had more than 18,000 kids in state care, children who have been taken from their homes for reports of neglect or abuse, according to the state. That’s an increase of 28 percent in three years.
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CA: How This Organization Is Giving Homeless LGBT Youth New Hope
Huffington Post – August 26, 2016
Jordan found himself spending sleepless nights in cars worried whether or not he would survive the night. Javier escaped the assaults of his family only to endure the reality of the streets. In this week’s Huffington Post Queer Voices RaiseAChild “Let Love Define Family®” series installment, RaiseAChild contributing writer Eric Criswell reports how these teens were robbed of the chance for a stable home life, until they found their way to the Los Angeles Youth Network (LAYN). Information Gateway Resource: Working With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Families in Adoption: F profbulletin (childwelfare.gov)
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CA: The death of an 11-year-old sparks questions about LA county child welfare system (Includes audio)
KPCC – August 26, 2016
To begin the show, we take a look at child protection in Los Angeles County. An 11-year-old boy died Monday in Echo Park. His mother, Veronica Aguilar, was charged yesterday with murder and child abuse, resulting in death.
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CA: Let’s Do Our Best for Fresno Youth (Opinion)
The Fresno Bee – August 25, 2016
A lot has happened since 2004, much of it very good. Fresno has a number of nonprofit organizations working to support kids, parents and schools.
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CA: Nonprofit Movimiento offers Nevada County youth support, opportunity
Grass Valley Union – August 25, 2016
About 11 years ago, Daniela Di Piero was working with teenagers in Taos, New Mexico, during a difficult time in the community. It had been a particularly violent summer there, with several instances of young people shooting other young people, she said. There were adults and social service agencies consulting with each other about the issues, but Di Piero remembered thinking no one was talking directly to the town’s youth.
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FL: Guardian Angels of Southwest Florida looks to expand number of foster homes (Includes video)
Bradenton Herald – August 28, 2016
As Manatee County faces a shortage of foster care homes, in part because of the heroin epidemic, Guardian Angels of Southwest Florida, which works in partnership with Florida Baptist Children’s Homes, is looking to expand to be able to serve more children. The nonprofit, which also has 24 traditional foster homes, is currently working with the county on the final site plan to be able to have a total of nine homes on the 9-acre campus in Palmetto.
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IL: Groups encourage more LGBT couples to adopt, foster
Chicago Tribune – August 28, 2016
“Across the country and especially in Illinois, we just don’t have enough people who have stepped forward, and we think that in the (LGBT) community there are people who would be good parents,” said Susan McConnell, founder and director of Let It Be Us, a local nonprofit adoption and foster care advocacy group.
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IL: New order changes child welfare language
The Times Weekly – August 26, 2016
Governor Bruce Rauner signed an Executive Order directing all references of “ward of the state” or “ward of the Department” within the child welfare system be changed to “youth in care.” The order is a direct response to a meeting the Governor had with youth in care who voiced their unease with the label. “Ward” is widely viewed by youth in care as particularly disparaging and becomes a dominant label for their legal status, distinguishing them from other children and youth.
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MA: Charlie Baker says opioid crisis contributing to greater DCF caseload
Boston Herald – August 25, 2016
Gov. Charlie Baker said the impact of the state’s opioid scourge is “persistent” and is helping drive the flow of children into the state’s child welfare system, adding he’s still awaiting data showing exactly how closely tied the agency’s caseload is to the epidemic.
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MA: Florence Bank Donates $10,000 to Combat Youth Homelessness
CityBizList – August 25, 2016
Specifically, the Friends organization is currently raising funds for a home that will serve the homeless youth population. The Friends organization in general provides support, both financial and otherwise, for the community’s winter homeless shelter and plays a key role providing additional support for the homeless. In the last decade, the Friends organization has acquired and rehabilitated two houses which are now home to formerly homeless individuals.
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MD: State tries to strengthen foster care for gay and transgender youths
Washington Post – August 28, 2016
Maryland officials are taking steps to create a more welcoming foster-care system for gay, bisexual and transgender children and adolescents, including screening homes for possible bias and providing sensitivity training to case workers.
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MD: Prince George’s school board votes against appealing HHS decision to pull $6.5M Head Start grant (Includes video)
Fox5 – August 25, 2016
The fallout from the $6.5 million in federal funds slashed from Prince George’s County’s Head Start program continues. On Thursday, the school board voted against appealing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to pull the grant last week. This decision has Prince George’s County parents scratching their heads while the school board promised the program will continue. However, where the school board will get funding from remains a mystery.
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MD: Union United Methodist Women helps spread awareness about human sex and labor trafficking (Requires free registration)
The Enquirer-Gazette – August 25, 2016
Working to help spread awareness about human sex and labor trafficking in the community while educating residents about how they can join the global movement to combat such an abhorrent practice, Union United Methodist Women hosted Prince George’s Human Relations Commission Executive Director D. Michael Lyles as their guest speaker for a presentation on human trafficking Aug. 20 at Union United Methodist Church in Upper Marlboro.
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MS: Lawmakers can and should bring Mississippi foster care out of dark (Opinion)
Sun Herald – August 28, 2016
We were hoping the Sun Herald series Fostering Secrets, an investigation that exposed serious flaws in the Mississippi child protection system, would tug at the hearts of state officials who read it the way it had tugged at ours. This is an emergency.
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NM: Families of Child Abuse Deaths (Video)
KOAT – August 25, 2016
Megan Cruz talked to two grandparents who lost their grandchildren to acts of violence.
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NY: Long Nights With Little Sleep for Homeless Families Seeking Shelter
New York Times – August 28, 2016
In a cascade of good intentions and unintended consequences, homeless parents and their children are facing dayslong waits and sleepless nights as they flood the city’s already overwhelmed homeless services.
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OR: Report: Foster care in Oregon is getting worse (Oregon)
Statesman Journal – August 26, 2016
Oregon’s foster care system is getting worse and recent attempts to improve have only exacerbated some problems, according to a draft report released this week. Related: ‘I Was So Broken’: 14 Years In Oregon’s Foster Care System (Includes audio): Oregon foster care system abuse reform child welfare (opb.org)
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VA: Judge orders grand jury probe of Rockbridge social services department
Martinsville Bulletin – August 26, 2016
A judge has directed a special grand jury to investigate Rockbridge County’s social services department, already accused in an internal review of disregarding reports of child abuse and neglect.
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WI: ‘We are failing’: Need overwhelms patchwork of homeless service providers
Wisconsin State Journal – August 28, 2016
Despite immense goodwill and new initiatives, the community’s patchwork of homeless services is strained if not overwhelmed, hampered by a lack of leadership, organization and resources.
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WI: Kenosha County faces acute shortage of foster homes
Kenosha Times – August 26, 2016
The number of children who need foster homes is increasing, but the number of licensed foster homes is not, and that’s a problem. This May, there were 287 children in foster care in Kenosha County, up 10 percent over May 2015.
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WV: Report blasts plan to change at-risk kids’ psychiatric care
Associated Press – August 25, 2016
The state Juvenile Justice Commission has accused the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources of operating under a “cloak of secrecy” while negotiating new contracts to place youths in residential psychiatric facilities.
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US: Open the files, abused ex-gymnast tells USA Gymnastics (Includes Video)
USA Today – August 27, 2016
The South Carolina woman’s former coach, William McCabe, began abusing her in 1999, according to court records. That was the year after USA Gymnastics, the sport’s national governing body, was warned that McCabe might be a sexual predator. Yet not until she read an Indianapolis Star investigation two weeks ago did Cutright find out that the organization had dismissed those allegations against McCabe as “hearsay” and filed them in a drawer in its headquarters here.
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US: Judith Eckerle, M.D.: Children adopted internationally or domestically need specialized care
Minn Post – August 26, 2016
For more than two decades, families adopting internationally relied on the University of Minnesota’s International Adoption Clinic for support, guidance and medical care for their children. The clinic, which provided pre- and post-adoption physical and mental-health services, was known as the nation’s preeminent experts on building healthy, integrated adoptive families.
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US: More Kids for Fewer Homes?
Chronicle of Social Change – August 26, 2016
Recent federal data indicate that the foster child population has risen slightly over the past few years to just over 415,000 wards. During the same time, home placements appear to have declined.
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US: No Longer Preventing Prevention Services (Opinion)
Chronicle of Social Change – August 26, 2016
Youth in foster care are arguably the most at-risk group of young people in America, and one topic that dominated much of the storytelling and discussion of advocacy by the FosterClub All-Stars on behalf of the over 400,000 youth in care was that of preventative services in relation to the Family First Act.
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US: Why Is Adoption So Expensive? A Look At The Rising Costs
Romper – August 26, 2016
Why is adoption so expensive? And how the heck did it get that way?
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US: J.K. Rowling Breaks Down Why Volunteering At Orphanages Can Cause More Harm Than Good (Opinion)
The Huffington Post – August 25, 2016
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is at it again with her epic Twitter takedowns. In a series of 12 on-point tweets on Sunday, Rowling broke down why people shouldn’t volunteer in orphanages in poor countries. By volunteering with orphanages, or donating to them, well-meaning, but ignorant, donors end up supporting “orphanages run as businesses,” Rowling explained.
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US: Most Welfare Dollars Don’t Go Directly To Poor People (Opinion)
FiveThirtyEight – August 25, 2016
Twenty years after President Bill Clinton fulfilled his vow to “end welfare as we know it,” it’s fair to say: mission accomplished. The old U.S. welfare system is dead. Whether the system that replaced it is better for the poorest Americans remains the subject of fierce debate.
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US: The Obama Administration’s Work to End Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)
The White House – August 25, 2016
The Administration is taking steps to reduce Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and other effects of the opioid epidemic so infants and their mothers can live healthy lives.
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INTERNATIONAL

Afganistan: Afghan women’s rights [program] (Video)
Global Journalist – August 25, 2016
As several recent incidents have highlighted, women in the country still face high levels of violence – including honor killings, forced marriages and and imprisonment for fleeing their husbands.
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Canada: Indigenous people sue Canada for taking them from their homes as children
Vice News – August 26, 2016
This week, in a downtown Toronto courthouse, Indigenous people who were taken away from their families as children began what they hope will be the final leg of a journey for justice from the Canadian government. They are the victims of the “Sixties Scoop,” a period in which government workers took children from Aboriginal reserves and placed them into white homes across Canada, the US, and Europe – often under the pretense that doing so was in the children’s best interest.
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International: Female Genital Mutilation is a global Problem which has to been show Zero Tolerance
Albany Daily Star – August 26, 2016
After being delivered a message from UN General Ban Ki-moon on the International Day of Zero Intolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, Egypt’s Health Minister Ahmed Emad Eddine said that Egypt will celebrate the day as a day which conforms to the 2015-2030 national plans to end FGM. Although primarily concentrated in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East, FGM is a global problem. At least 200 million women and girls in 30 countries now live with female genital mutilation, according to a new UNICEF report published in time for Saturday’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, as the practice is often abbreviated.
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South Korea: Adoptees turn to DNA tests to find birth kin
Straights Times – August 29, 2016
For years, South Korea was the world’s leading baby exporter, with stigma always being a factor in its international adoptions, which began in the mid-1950s. The children of Korean women and United States servicemen were ostracised for their mixed racial heritage, and the shame of single parenthood fuelled abandonments, while the poor local economy favoured international adoption. Since the 1950s, the country has sent about 200,000 children abroad for adoption, including about 150,000 to the US.
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United Kingdom: Parental Abuse By Children: Kids As Young As 10 Taken Into Care After Beating Up Their Parents
Parent Herald – August 29, 2016
In England, at least 62 children, one of them just 10 years old, were taken into care since 2015 after being violent to their parents or carers, The Sun reported.
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CA: Auditor Blasts Oversight of Psychotropic Medications for Foster Youth
The Chronicle of Social Change – August 25, 2016
A report from California’s state auditor found that children in the state’s foster care system were prescribed psychotropic medications without proper oversight from the counties responsible for their care. In response to a request from the California Joint Legislative Audit Committee about the use and oversight of these powerful medications, the office of the California State Auditor reviewed 80 case files for 80 foster children in Los Angeles, Madera, Riverside, and Sonoma Counties and analyzed existing statewide data. Report: centralvalleybusinesstimes.com
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CA: Guest Opinion: Back to school can be difficult for foster kids
The Siskiyou Daily News – August 25, 2016
Back to school is an exciting time for students, bringing with it the anticipation of seeing friends again after the summer break, a new classroom, new teacher and new lessons that build on an educational foundation. However, for children in foster care who often change schools multiple times, there is little excitement to be had when you don’t know if you’ll be in the same school next week, next month, next year. Information Gateway resource: Domestic Violence, Child Welfare, and the School System: childwelfare.gov
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FL: Pasco child investigator arrested for falsifying documents (Includes video)
WTSP – August 26, 2016
A Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Child Protective Investigator was arrested Wednesday, accused of falsifying state records. Sheriff Chris Nocco said Christine McRobbie lied about a case because she wanted it closed. Not only is that illegal, but it also put the very children she was hired to protect at risk.
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MD: Youth Summit; Thrive@25 supports youth aging out of foster care
Bay Times and Record Observer – August 26, 2016
In an evaluation survey of 254 former foster youth in Maryland, conducted by Thrive@25, youth reported having secure housing for the first three months after leaving foster care, but most became unable to manage rent and experienced housing instability shortly thereafter. 99% had stayed in a shelter or with a friend since leaving care. 100% had or were currently experiencing housing instability. 92% were currently looking for employment.
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ND: Department of Human Services responds to auditor’s report of misdoings (Includes video)
KFYR – August 25, 2016
North Dakota Department of Human Services officials say they’re often bound by state law when it comes to investigating complaints. They say the department works with county social service offices and local law enforcement to make sure children aren’t in danger.
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OH: Juvenile court committee gives updates on laws, procedures
Akron Legal News – August 26, 2016
Created in 2013, the Akron Bar Association juvenile court committee is charged with keeping attorneys who work in the practice area updated on changes in the laws and trends so they can provide feedback to the Summit County Juvenile Court, said co-chair Dianne Curtis. “Many lawyers who practice in juvenile court suggested that a specific Akron Bar committee would be helpful and I thought it was very much needed as well,” said Judge Tucci Teodosio. “It provides a lot of support to those who practice in juvenile court,” Judge Tucci Teodosio said. “There are a lot of studies and grants that practitioners need to know about and it’s a great way for us to keep the bar association in the loop and hear about ideas as to how to improve things.”
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OR: Review: DHS could do more to prevent foster care abuses
Portland Tribune – August 25, 2016
The Oregon Department of Human Services might be able to prevent the abuse of children in Oregon’s foster care system by placing their charges more appropriately and better coordinating its response to allegations of abuse, according to draft of an outside assessment of the agency, released Thursday. Also: Oregon Foster Care: New Report Details Many Failings: Oregon foster care new report details many failings (patch.com) Also: Draft Assessment: Draft findings (oregon.gov)
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RI: 70 lose jobs in reorganization at R.I. Department of Human Services
Providence Journal – August 25, 2016
About 70 Rhode Island Department of Human Services employees received layoff notices Thursday as the agency reorganizes in anticipation of installing a new $350-million-plus technology system to verify eligibility for social service programs, officials said. The system replaces one that’s 30 years old; it goes live Sept. 13.
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TX: Adoption agency celebrates expansion to Wichita Falls (Includes video)
KAUZ – August 25, 2016
The Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services recently expanded to new markets in the state of Texas. In honor of the news, the organization hosted a meet and greet in Wichita Falls Thursday afternoon with clients, parents and adopted families in the area to celebrate their continuum of care and services.
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TX: Churches helping those in foster care (Includes video)
KVUE – August 25, 2016
Texas social workers say they need more help when it comes to the growing number of children and teens in foster care without foster families. Also: Community leaders to discuss partnership between faith-based organizations and CPS: kvue.com
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TX: Keeping Central Texas children safe (Opinion)
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation – August 25, 2016
By working to break through governmental, societal and funding barriers, the SAFE Alliance provides services to individuals and families with a more seamless continuum of care. Our goal? To break up silos based on the issues of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault, and ultimately, to put an end to violence and abuse. In this series, we will highlight how our partners are working to put an end to the cycle of abuse and neglect. You can find the whole series here.
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TX: Number of Texas children in foster care at all time high
KXAN – August 25, 2016
The number of children in the state’s foster care system is at an all-time high. At least 30,000 children and teens across the state need permanent or temporary homes. The Department of Families and Child Protective Services is pleading with religious leaders to help. State social workers say they are swamped. In the Austin-Travis County area alone, more than 1,600 children and teens are in the system without foster families.
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WA: Port Orchard summer camp reunites siblings in foster care (Includes video)
KOMONews.com – August 25, 2016
The scene looked like any other idyllic summer camp day – with kids in shorts running around and rows of bunkhouses and horses among tucked among the trees. But Camp to Belong, a week-long sleepover camp, has a unique mission – reuniting siblings living apart in foster care.
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WI: Person of Interest: Kathy Park
Madison Magazine – August 26, 2016
Protection of kids is CEO’s passion at National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
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WI: New license plate introduced in effort to prevent child abuse and neglect in Wisconsin (Includes video)
WKOW – August 25, 2016
Some state groups are working to help prevent child abuse and neglect in Wisconsin with the help of a special license plate. The Celebrate Children Foundation launched a new design of the license plate at the Madison Children’s Museum on Thursday night. The group works with the state’s Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board in their efforts to create stronger families in Wisconsin.
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WV: Morgantown foster care provider charged with felony abuse
West Virginia MetroNews Network – August 26, 2016
A foster parent faces felony abuse charges. A West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children unit investigation led to the arrest of a Morgantown woman.
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US: Grandfamilies in America: Grand Progress but Challenges Remain (Commentary by Donna Butts, Executive Director of Generations United)
Grand Magazine – August 25, 2016
Today about 2.5 million children are being raised in grandfamilies, also known as kinship care. The families are diverse and live in every area in the country. They represent all income levels, all races, and all ethnicities. Grandfamilies are formed for a variety of reasons including substance abuse, deportation, military deployment, illness, death, incarceration, or mental illness.
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US: How US welfare compares around the globe
BBC News – August 25, 2016
“Most of the money went directly to cash benefit for families,” says Liz Schott, senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “Now states can spend in all kinds of ways,” including job programmes and childcare, but also transfers to other state programmes, like foster care payments and child protection services. States now get the same amount of money they did in 1996.
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US: Catholic Church Groups Fight Bills To Revive Old Sex Abuse Cases (Includes audio)
National Public Radio – August 24, 2016
There is a growing effort in statehouses across the country to make it easier to prosecute or sue people who sexually abuse children. Victims rights groups hope some old cases can be reopened, but they face opposition from Roman Catholic leaders, who say the changes could target them unfairly and could bankrupt church organizations.
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INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Save The Children Explains Its Role In Treatment Of Refugees (Includes audio)
National Public Radio – August 25, 2016
Steve Inskeep talks to Mat Tinkler, Save the Children Australia’s director of Public Affairs and Policy, about the nonprofit’s work with children in the refugee detention center on Nauru. Related: Ex-Aid Worker: Abuse Of Refugee Children On Nauru Was Mostly Ignored: Ex aid worker abuse of refugee children on nauru was ignored (npr.org)
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Fiji: Tips On How To Adopt Two Abandoned Babies
Fiji Sun – August 26, 2015
If you want to adopt the two abandoned baby girls at Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital’s Morrison Maternity Unit, there are procedures to follow. These procedures apply generally for adoption under the Social Welfare Department.
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India: Laying emphasis on a wealth worth nurturing
The Times of India – August 26, 2016
Following the success of two of his previous tiatrs, ‘Ugddasak’ (In memory) and ‘Money Is Not Everything’, the teen director is stoked about his latest brainchild, which he has dedicated to the soon to be canonized Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata, who took special care of abandoned children born out of wedlock and tried her best to eradicate the stigma attached to them. “Children are our biggest wealth. They need proper guidance lest they go astray. This has been depicted in ‘Bhurgim Amchi Girestkai’, which emphasizes the maxim, ‘You reap what you sow’,” Afonso shared.
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India: Children’s homes to be monitored
The Hindu – August 25, 2016
The meeting of Child Protection Committee held here on Thursday decided to monitor children’s homes in the district at regular intervals. A report will be submitted to the district administration.
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Rwanda: The National Commission for Children (NCC) has called for collective efforts to protect the rights of children.
The New Times – August 26, 2016
The National Commission for Children (NCC) has called for collective efforts to protect the rights of children. Dr Claudine Uwera Kanyamanza, the executive secretary of NCC, said the wellbeing of children will be ensured if relevant stakeholders work together.
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South Africa: Workload increases at Child Welfare
South Coast Herald – August 26, 2016
Child Welfare societies countrywide play a vital and crucial role within the communities they represent. Numerous services are rendered to the needy in the community and these include statutory services, relief, counselling, foster care, child protection and a host of other services. Lack of adequate funding as well as a dearth of volunteers make it extremely difficult for any non-profit organisation to survive.
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United Kingdom: Supotco Launches New Child Protection App (Press release)
SBWIRE – August 26, 2016
The Supotco service is available on Android and allows parents to manage their child’s mobile phone from an easy-to use online dashboard. The app is feature rich and designed to keep children safe while giving parents peace of mind. Supotco allows parents to remotely manage restrictions and utilisation for apps and games; monitor their child’s location using GPS; manage which internet sites their child can visit; set permissions for approved contacts who can call or message, and control where and when apps can be used.
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AZ: Foster care children aging out of Arizona system need transitional help
Jewish News – August 24, 2016
Flores’s transition story, though, is not typical for the roughly 800 young adults expected to “age out” of Arizona’s foster care system in 2016. There are state programs and charitable agencies aimed at helping youth as they age out of foster care, but only about one-quarter of them take advantage, according to Beverlee Kroll, an independent living and youth services manager for the Department of Child Safety.
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CA: Bill to Decriminalize Prostitution Charges Against Minors Passes
Los Angeles Sentinel – August 24, 2016
A person under the age of 18 will be treated as a victim of sex trafficking, entitled to treatment, rather than being charged with criminal prostitution if apprehended for commercial sex, under a proposed law that has passed the Assembly. Information Gateway resource: Human Trafficking: Trafficking (childwelfare.gov)
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CA: Malnourished boy found dead in Echo Park closet was subject of earlier child abuse reports, LAPD says
Los Angeles Times – August 24, 2016
The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services received reports of possible abuse regarding the boy at least three times between 2009 and 2012, said Capt. Julian Melendez, commanding officer of the LAPD’s Juvenile Division. The death comes as the DCSF has been grappling with several high-profile cases of children being killed after social workers received allegations of child abuse.
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FL: 9 Investigates: Are leaders doing enough to help child trafficking victims in foster care?
WFTV – August 24, 2016
9 Investigates a new report that shows state leaders are not doing enough to help the most vulnerable children in the foster care system.
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MI: Requirement to reduce caseloads to go into effect in October
Three Rivers Commercial-News – August 24, 2016
During the St. Joseph County Department of Health and Human Services board meeting on Tuesday morning, it was announced that the State of Michigan will make it a requirement that one foster care worker will have a maximum of 13 caseloads. This requirement will go into effect beginning in October, Faith Keathley, director of the Cass and St. Joseph counties DHHS, said.
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MN: AFSCME Workers Protests Lead to New Jobs, Lighter Caseloads (Press release)
AFSCME – August 24, 2016
St. Louis County, Minnesota will hire 30 additional workers in its Public Health and Human Services Department and Initial Intervention Unit, to help deal with staffing shortages and heavy caseloads, following protests by AFSCME Local 66 (Council 5) members.
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MN: County child protection cases rising
Grand Rapids Herald-Review – August 24, 2016
Northland social workers are working in conditions described as “triage,” as they try to manage child protection caseloads that have nearly doubled in the past year. Drugs, poverty and mental health issues are all contributing to the increase in intakes seen by county workers.
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MT: Campaign raises awareness for foster care
Ravalli Republic – August 24, 2016
The awareness campaign about foster care in Montana is an outreach by Partnership for Children, a small nonprofit organization that provides hope, treatment and healing for children who have experienced significant trauma.
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NC: The Defenders: Cracks in the Child Welfare System (Includes video)
WCNC – August 25, 2016
So far this year, nearly two dozens kids have died of abuse or neglect while in the care or custody of the Department of Health and Human Services in North Carolina, and that number is only expected to go up. Right now there’s a big spotlight on the department after the murder of a Bessemer City Girl. Jordyn Dumont, 3, was killed and found dead behind her home in Gaston County. DSS workers had been to her home several times over the past few months.
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NC: Foster Parents Needed in Rockingham County
WFMY – August 24, 2016
Rockingham County Government says the county is in need of more adults in the foster care program. “We have a desperate need for foster care parents with 150 foster children, but only 40 foster parents in Rockingham County,” said DSS Program Manager Cathy Murray.
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ND: Drug use, ‘inappropriate touching’ among ND audit findings of child care licensing
Grand Forks Herald – August 24, 2016
An audit of the North Dakota Department of Human Services found child care providers were allowed to continue operating while the state’s largest agency was aware of instances of illegal drug use and “inappropriate touching from adults.”
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PA: Attorney General ties Jerry Sandusky cover-up prosecution to Catholic church sex-abuse case
PennLive – August 24, 2016
State prosecutors are asking a trial judge to proceed with child endangerment charges against three former Penn State administrators charged as a result of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
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SC: Child well-being in Aiken County discussed at meeting
Aiken Standard – August 24, 2016
Statistics compiled by the KIDS COUNT data center show that Aiken County ranked 21st among South Carolina’s 46 counties in 2015 based on how happy, healthy and comfortable its young residents were.
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TX: Therapy for therapists highlights impact of child abuse
WOAI – August 24, 2016
Roy Maas Youth Alternatives runs emergency shelters for kids who were removed from dangerous homes. Counselors are on hand 24 hours a day, and years of stomach-dropping stories of abuse and neglect take their toll.
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WA: Where to send foster kids? For 72 hours, Skookum House (Includes audio)
KUOW – August 24, 2016
Finding foster homes for kids can take days. Which means that social workers take turns watching the kids for half an hour or 45 minutes. “They run around in huge circles, in and out of cubicles,” Fitzstrawn said. “You’re filing dependencies, you’re going to court, you’re doing a lot of work, and it is not easy necessarily to be caring for a 2- or 3-year-old through that time as well.”
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US: Q&A: Bryan Samuels, Chapin Hall executive director, discusses center’s mission and research
UChicago News – August 24, 2016
Chapin Hall’s support from external sources has significantly increased over that time, and the center is leading the nation’s first count of homeless and runaway youth. Such leadership led Chapin Hall’s board to reappoint Samuels to a new five-year term this month.
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US: Youth View Family First Act as an Opportunity to Strengthen Families
The Chronicle of Social Change – August 24, 2016
This is the first of two stories written by FosterClub All Star interns recounting their experiences discussing federal legislation with policymakers.The Family First Act is a hot topic within the foster care community and has caught the attention of advocates nationwide.
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INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Changing Attitudes to Adoption – How are gays and lesbian affected?
Gay News Network – August 25, 2016
Andrew Shaw looks at issues around adoption in Australia, and specifically how proposed new laws in Queensland could benefit gay and lesbian carers.
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Australia: Perth Archbishop “can’t recall” alert on child abuse (Includes video)
The West Australian – August 24, 2016
Perth’s Anglican Archbishop Roger Herft has said he cannot recall being told a senior Church figure in NSW was abusing children, even though documents suggest he raised concerns with the priest at the time.
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United Kingdom: Recovery plan for Child Protection Information Sharing
Digital Health – August 25, 2016
The Child Protection Information Sharing scheme is in recovery mode as local authorities struggle to deploy the system designed to protect vulnerable children.
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United Kingdom: I was a child in care. We needed love, not chemicals (Opinion)
The Guardian – August 23, 2016
Hearing the news that children in care and “special schools” were subjected to drug trials in the 1960s without their parents being consulted sent shivers down my spine. As a 10-year-old I was shipped off from my children’s home to a school for maladjusted children – a boarding school I knew had a lot of the bad boys from my area. I now know, 40 years later, that my problems were emotional and could have been solved with love and care. Instead, I was exposed to violence, bullying and abuse. My school was a very scary place where you had to be on guard all the time.
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AZ: Becoming A Parent While In Foster Care: Pregnant Teens In DCS Face Many Struggles (Includes audio)
KJZZ – August 23, 2016
Teenage pregnancy has been declining in Arizona over the past few decades. That reflects a national downward trend, but let’s take a look at a specific group: teens in the foster care system.
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CA: State Auditor blasts how foster care system uses psychotropic medications
Central Valley Business Times – August 23, 2016
Some children in California’s foster care system were prescribed psychotropic medications in amounts and dosages that exceeded state guidelines, and counties did not follow up with prescribers to ensure the appropriateness of these prescriptions, says a new report from state Auditor Elaine Howle. Report: centralvalleybusinesstimes.com
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CA: Home Visiting Programs Work: Here’s the Proof (Opinion)
The Chronicle of Social Change – August 22, 2016
Home visiting has also been proven to reduce a host of troubling problems, including child maltreatment, preventable childhood injuries, domestic violence, arrests and juvenile delinquency. In fact, the Nurse-Family Partnership program, one of the most rigorously tested home visiting models, has more than three decades of data that proves it can reduce child abuse and neglect by as much as 48 percent.
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IL: Governor Rauner Takes Action towards Normalcy for Illinois Youth in Care (Press release)
Office of the Governor of Illinois – August 23, 2016
Governor Bruce Rauner today signed an Executive Order directing all references of “ward of the state” or “ward of the Department” within the child welfare system be changed to “youth in care.” The order is a direct response to a meeting the Governor had with youth in care who voiced their unease with the label. “Ward” is widely viewed by youth in care as particularly disparaging and becomes a dominant label for their legal status, distinguishing them from other children and youth.
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MA: Child advocate says DCF bursting at seams
Boston Herald – August 24, 2016
The state child welfare agency is being pushed to the limit, juggling nearly 9,500 kids placed in foster homes and other settings – a 10 percent spike since Gov. Charlie Baker took office.
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MN: Legislative Task Force on Child Protection continues oversight of reforms
Janesville Argus – August 23, 2016
In the coming weeks and months, the Legislative Task Force will review and clarify the definition of substantial child endangerment – a category of reports that require a more immediate child protection intervention.
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MO: Two taxes on Jackson County ballot address youth issues
Independence Examiner – August 23, 2016
Advocates say worsening social problems and cuts in state funding have created a gap of about $80 million a year, in Jackson County, for services to address homelessness, abuse and neglect, suicide, drug use, and the transition out of foster care.
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MS: Lawmakers seek foster care reform following Sun Herald investigation (Includes video)
The Sun Herald – August 23, 2016
State Sen. Sean Tindell of Gulfport and Rep. Richard Bennett of Long Beach each said they plan to meet with other interested parties to brainstorm ways to improve the state’s child protection system before lawmakers enter the 2017 legislative session in January.
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OH: Site plan OK’d for youth exiting foster care
Mansfield News Journal – August 23, 2016
The City Planning Commission gave final approval for an eight-unit apartment complex on Grandview Avenue that will house youths as they transition out of the foster care system.
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VA: Lawsuit Challenges EPA “Lip Service” on Lead Standards (Includes audio)
Public News Service – August 24, 2016
Some Virginia groups are among those challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for what they say is an unreasonable delay in updating dust lead-hazard standards and the definition of lead-based paint. Even small amounts of lead in the bloodstream can cause learning delays and cognitive disorders in children.
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WV: Report focuses on DHHR and youths in residential facilities
Beckley Register-Herald – August 24, 2016
The report said DHHR intended to “unilaterally” overhaul the residential placement system without consulting key figures in the juvenile justice system, including judges and social workers. During contract talks, DHHR told residential and shelter providers not to worry about judges or money, according to the report. It also found DHHR officials told providers “not to discuss the contracts with others.” Also: DHHR responds to commission report, calls juvenile reforms necessary: Dhhr responds to commission report calls juvenile reforms necessary (wvgazettemail.com)
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US: Corporal Punishment Use Found in Schools in 21 States
Education Week – August 23, 2016
Federal civil rights data show students experienced corporal punishment in 21 states and more than 4,000 schools nationwide during the 2013-14 school year. Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Oklahoma physically disciplined the most students in 2013-14-though the practice continues to be the most widespread in Mississippi, where more than half of students attend schools that use paddling and other physical discipline. Information Gateway Resource: Statistics on Physical Abuse: Physabuse (childwelfare.gov)
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US: Parental child abduction: Indian case-load second largest in US
Zee News – August 23, 2016
New Delhi: The number of cases of inter-country parental child abduction related to Indians in the US is the second highest next only to Mexico, a senior US government official said here on Tuesday.
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US: Why are there so many queer and trans kids in the criminal justice system?
Fusion – August 23, 2016
Contrary to the common refrain of “it gets better,” a new report finds that the unique challenges facing LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming youth actually make them more susceptible to engagement with our justice system when compared to their straight, cisgender peers, particularly among queer and trans youth of color. Report: Unjust: How the Broken Juvenile and Criminal Justice Systems Fail LGBT Youth: Lgbt criminal justice youth (lgbtmap.org)
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US: Why Do We Judge Parents For Putting Kids At Perceived – But Unreal – Risk? (Opinion)
National Public Radio – August 22, 2016
Many parents who grew up playing outdoors with friends, walking alone to the park or to school, and enjoying other moments of independent play are now raising children in a world with very different norms. In the United States today, leaving children unsupervised is grounds for moral outrage and can lead to criminal charges. What’s changed?
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INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Save The Children Ex-Employee Leaks Details About Refugee Abuse On Nauru (Audio)
National Public Radio – August 24, 2016
Steve Inskeep talks with Viktoria Vibhakar, formerly of Save the Children Australia, about why she disclosed documents detailing alleged abuse toward refugee children on the island nation of Nauru.
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Russia: Controversy Erupts In Russia Over Report On Female Genital Mutilation
National Public Radio – August 23, 2016
Asked to comment, Mufti Ismail Berdiev – a Muslim religious leader from the area – told a Moscow radio station, “Moscow Says,” that female circumcision is a “healthy custom” practiced in one of the republics of Russia’s North Caucasus region. Berdiev even said that all women should be circumcised “to end depravity on Earth and reduce sexuality.” The Russian news agency, Interfax, promptly contacted the mufti to ask if what he said was an endorsement of FGM. Berdiev expanded on the theme, saying female circumcision is “necessary to reduce women’s sexuality…. God created women to give birth to children and to raise children. And [circumcision] doesn’t have anything to do with that. Women can still give birth, and there’s less depravity.”
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AR: Number Of Kids In Ark Foster Care At All Time High
KARK – August 22, 2016
A year after Governor Asa Hutchinson said the state’s foster care system was in “crisis” some troubling trends continue. The number of kids in foster care in Arkansas is now at an all time high. Also: Children in foster care in Arkansas reaches all-time high: Foster families up need is too (nwaonline.com)
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AZ: Judge: Families leaving DCS supervision need more help (Includes video)
ABC 15 – August 22, 2016
Maricopa County’s top juvenile court judge is revealing a “weak point” in the child welfare system. “There’s a lot of resources that we try to gather around a family when they have had their kids removed, but at the end of the case, we weren’t really checking in to find out what’s next,” Presiding Judge Colleen McNally said.
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FL: Heroin epidemic in Manatee leads to ‘desperate’ shortage of foster homes; town hall set
Bradenton Herald – August 22, 2016
For at least two years, Manatee County has had more children removed from homes than the state average – and in some months, it has had the most removals in Florida. Information Gateway Resource: Heroin/Other Opioids and Child Welfare: childwelfare.gov
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FL: Confidential file on missing child reveals mom’s rage, DCF’s bungling
Miami Herald – August 20, 2016
A committee of child welfare administrators who met in Broward County late that April 2014 made a fateful – and, in hindsight, inexplicable – decision: that newborn Angela Dufrene and her twin brother were safe, and should remain in their mother’s care. A follow-up visit to inspect the twins’ home was never done. Weekly or monthly visits to oversee the family weren’t ordered. Related: Before Angela Dufrene, Florida left other kids with deadly parents: miamiherald.com
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GA: DFCS changing the way it does casework
Newnan Times Herald – August 22, 2016
“I can tell you, as a social worker, it is not possible to carry a caseload that is twice as large as it should be and do quality work,” Cagle said. Instead, the job is left to handling emergencies and putting out fires. “You can’t do the things that are best for children and families.”
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GA: Adopted as a baby, child-welfare director says job is a calling
Newnan Times Herald – August 20, 2016
For the director of Georgia’s Department of Family and Children’s Services, child-welfare work is a passion that comes from his own life experiences as an adopted child.
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IL: Groups encourage more gay couples to adopt children, be foster parents
Chicago Tribune – August 22, 2016
“Across the country and especially in Illinois, we just don’t have enough people who have stepped forward, and we think that in the (LGBT) community there are people who would be good parents,” said Susan McConnell, founder and director of Let It Be Us, a local nonprofit adoption and foster care advocacy group.
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IL: Trauma of witnessing police violence is not lost on children
Chicago Reporter – August 22, 2016
There are no data on how often police come into contact with children or on how often those interactions are violent, but anecdotes and lawsuits suggest such incidents are not at all uncommon. And research on child trauma suggests these violent police interactions could have long-lasting negative effects on children. Yet most police officers receive little training on how to interact with children to minimize the risk of trauma.
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IN: Fighting addiction from birth (Includes video)
Journal-Gazette – August 21, 2016
Many local babies are born to mothers addicted to opioids.
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MD: Court Appointed Special Advocates: Beginning of School Year Often Reveals Child Abuse, Neglect
Riverdale Park Patch – August 22, 2016
“Because children are subject to less adult supervision outside the home over the summer, it’s not uncommon for reports of suspected abuse and neglect to spike at the start of the school year,” said Ann Marie Binsner, Executive Director of Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County.
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MN: ‘These are my relatives’
Minneapolis Star Tribune – August 21, 2016
How one woman broke the cycle of violence to help other Indian women in Minnesota do the same.
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MN: Indian kids in foster crisis
Minneapolis Star Tribune – August 21, 2016
Minnesota wrestles with a system that has put more American Indian children in foster care than any other state in the nation. Also: Foster care disparities growing: startribune.com
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MS: Foster children deserve better care (Opinion)
Sun Herald – August 20, 2016
We know a certain level of secrecy is necessary to protect vulnerable children and the people who care for them. We know there is often a good reason to terminate parental rights. But we also know the child protection system must have the public’s trust. And the actions of some people in the system have shattered that trust. Now it is imperative that that trust is rebuilt.
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NC: Adoptive homes sought as foster care surges (Press release)
Bladen Journal – August 23, 2016
“Ten-thousand children who do not have a permanent family is not acceptable,” said Susan McDonald, board chairman of Children’s Home Society North Carolina. “One child without a permanent family is just not acceptable.” Jordan Institute and UNC-CH data also reveal over 500 foster children aging out and facing adulthood without finding permanent homes, and about 130,000 children with investigated reports of abuse and neglect in North Carolina each year during the past five years.
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NY: Another Voice: Maternal programs can help prevent child abuse (Opinion)
Buffalo News – August 23, 2016
It is fairly easy to determine whether or not a new mother is “equipped” for motherhood, based on her own childhood and the resources and support in her life. Mothers who aren’t equipped can usually become equipped with intensive help. Maternal home visiting programs like Healthy Families NY help new mothers bond with their babies, overcome the obstacles in their lives and learn to parent non-abusively.
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PA: State says DHS should trim staff
Philadelphia Inquirer – August 23, 2016
The state’s head of child welfare has called on the Philadelphia Department of Human Services to reduce staff to further shift resources to private contractors who now handle the frontline casework. He also warned officials to expect a second provisional license when the first expires in November.
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TX: A better life made with help from Hands to Hands agencies (Correction)
Wichita Falls Times Record News – August 22, 2016
Children “age out” of the foster care system at 18, 19 or 20 depending on when they are scheduled to graduate from high school or vocational/technical training. Some end up homeless, unemployed.
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TX: Brett Greenfield, guest columnist: State of Texas again failing imperiled children in CPS scandal (Opinion)
Waco Tribune – August 21, 2016
Child welfare is a challenging field. One of the tragic realities in our world is that children experience abuse and neglect at the hands of those who are supposed to care for them. Equally as tragic is the fact that many of these caregivers doing harm were never cared for in the way they deserved either and so our collective society has allowed this cycle to continue for generations.
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US: Judge Blocks Bathroom Rules for Transgender Students (Includes audio)
Public News Service – August 23, 2016
A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction blocking the Obama administration’s guidelines for public schools to allow transgender students to use the bathroom that fits with their gender identity. Texas and 12 other states sued over the orders in May, saying the regulations interfered with local school districts’ ability to set their own policies. Also: U.S. Judge Grants Nationwide Injunction Blocking White House Transgender Policy: U s judge grants nationwide injunction blocking white house transgender policy (npr.org)
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US: We Know Enough to Act: What Research Says (Again) About Effectively Supporting Youth Opinion)
Youth Today – August 22, 2016
When Congress reauthorized the Job Training Partnership Act in 1997 (which became the Workforce Investment Act), they noted in the Conference Report that: Past research has shown that most youth will not emerge from a short-term, 3- to 6-month education or employment training program well-equipped to find stable, long-term places in the labor market. On the contrary, the network of supports and handholds that young people need to make their way needs to be rich and multipathed, not quick and cheap.
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US: Why Are There So Many Women in Jail?
The Nation – August 22, 2016
There are 14 times more women in jail in this country today than there were in the 1970s. That’s not a typo. Even a few days in jail could trigger a child welfare agency intervention, sweeping a child into foster care and launching a separate legal quagmire in family court. Trapped in the negative feedback loop between the child welfare and criminal justice systems, a woman just released from prison-often facing joblessness, poverty and perhaps ongoing mental health or substance abuse issues-may end up losing her parental rights in family court if she cannot meet the strict requirements for family reunification. Also: What’s Driving Women’s Skyrocketing Incarceration Rates?: Whats driving womens skyrocketing incarceration rates (rewire.news)
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US: Former foster kids tell Congress what policies they needed
News OK – August 20, 2016
Each year, a dozen former foster youths serve Congressional internships as part of the Foster Youth Internship Program. While in Washington, D.C., they research policies that would have mattered to them while they were in the system. And they make written recommendations as part of a policy briefing for lawmakers.
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US: In Immigration Court, Children Must Serve as Their Own Lawyers
New York Times – August 20, 2016
After a long, scary trek through three countries to escape the gang violence in El Salvador, a 15-year-old boy found himself scared again a few months back, this time in a federal immigration court here. There was an immigration judge in front of him and a federal prosecutor to his right. But there was no one helping him understand the charges against him.
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INTERNATIONAL

Senegal: Authorities sweeping child beggars off streets
The Phuket News – August 21, 2016
In recent weeks, packs of shoeless boys and girls have been coaxed off the streets of the Senegalese capital Dakar where they have spent their childhoods, crying and frightened as they are loaded onto buses. The crackdown on child begging comes after years of inaction and has been praised by children’s groups but greeted with anger by powerful Islamic figures in the west African nation.
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AR: Organization opens home for foster teenage boys (Includes video)
KAIT 8 – August 21, 2016
Since the fall of 2015, the Bridge of Hope Ministries in Pocahontas has been working on building a home that would house teenage boys in foster care. They held an open house for the community to see the result on Sunday.
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AZ: My Turn: Department of Child Safety is cutting costs, not services (Opinion)
AZCentral – August 19, 2016
The number of services is growing, as is our overall capacity to deliver them. And thanks to new efficiencies, these services will be provided at a significantly lower cost to the taxpayer. Also: Critics say Arizona is cheaping out on child-welfare services: azcentral.com
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AZ: Report: Arizona Children Face Social, Economic Challenges (Includes audio)
Public News Service – August 19, 2016
It’s getting tougher to be a kid in Arizona, according to a new report. The 2016 Kids Count Data Book for Arizona shows that more children are living in poverty, family incomes are dropping and the number of kids in foster care continues to rise. Arizona Kids Count 2016: KidsCount 2016 FINAL for web 1 (azchildren.org)
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CA: Without a Safe Place to Park, Those Living in Their Cars Are Stuck in Neutral
Voice of San Diego – August 19, 2016
This year’s annual homeless census found nearly 1,850 people sleeping in cars, RVs or other vehicles across the county, more than double the total in 2015. The Alarcons and hundreds of others have found one through Dreams for Change, a nonprofit that runs two parking lots for homeless people living in their cars.
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CA: Drugging our kids: Which Inland facilities heavily rely on anti-psychotic drugs?
Riverside Press Enterprise – August 13, 2016
For years, few questioned how doctors treated the emotional trauma of California’s abused and neglected children – and nobody monitored how often they handed out psychiatric drugs that can turn fragile childhoods into battles with obesity and bouts of stupor. Now, a Digital First Media investigation into the prescribing habits of the state’s foster care doctors reveals for the first time how a fraction of doctors has been fueling the rampant medicating of California’s most vulnerable kids. Also: Drugging our kids: California doctors heavily use drugs to treat abused children: Foster 810482 doctors children (pe.com)
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CO: Child care in Fremont County at a near crisis
Canon City Daily Record – August 19, 2016
The lack of foster care family homes and licensed child care homes in Fremont County is nearly at a crisis point, according to officials who spoke up during the annual Summer Planning Tour facilitated by the Colorado Department of Human Services on Thursday at the Fremont County Administration Building.
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IA: Fight for the Homeless Ramps up in Des Moines (Includes audio)
Public News Service – August 22, 2016
A fight for the homeless is ramping up in Des Moines. Eviction notices with a deadline of August 29th went up at several locations where the city’s homeless often set up camp. Opponents of that strategy will gather outside City Council chambers on Monday afternoon to rally against the evictions.
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IA: Family rights activists want changes in Iowa custody laws (Includes video)
KMEG – August 19, 2016
Families United Action Network executive director Nicholas Dreeszen says Iowa law doesn’t fairly treat fathers when it comes to custody laws. “They’re marginalized,” he said. “As far as equality, a man has to fight five times harder just to have shared custody.”
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IL: Rauner seeks ‘normalcy’ for children in DCFS care
Southern Illinoisan – August 19, 2016
The executive order requires that the department no longer use the terms “ward of the state” or “ward of the department” to refer to children in its care. Instead, they’re to be called “youth in care.” Changing the phrase in state law will require follow-up legislation.
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IN: Sex crimes against Hancock County children highest in last decade
Greenfield Daily Reporter – August 20, 2016
In the past five years, Hancock County prosecutors have filed 144 cases alleging sex crimes against children; that’s three times the number filed in the previous five-year span. The bulk of the charges being brought against those defendants are for child molest; in 2015, prosecutors filed child molest charges against 40 people suspected of abuse, the most charges brought in at least a decade.
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KS: A better life made with help from Hands to Hands agencies
Wichita Falls Times Record News – August 22, 2016
Children “age out” of the foster care system at 18, 19 or 20 depending on when they are scheduled to graduate from high school or vocational/technical training. Some end up homeless, unemployed.
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NH: Supreme Court says child abuse suit against DCYF can be filed openly
Union Leader – August 19, 2016
“Our goal in this entire appeal was to be able to publicly hold the system accountable, and to effectuate change,” Rilee said. “And we feel we definitely achieved that goal here.”
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NJ: How you can help NJ kids who age out of foster care (Includes video)
New Jersey 101.5 – August 21, 2016
The New Jersey comedian/musician, Greg Rapport, has launched “Age Out Angels,” which is dedicated to helping young people transition from foster care to independent living. “It was a horrible fate that awaited most of the children who aged out of foster care system. They are a forgotten population who typically end up homeless, incarcerated, or dead,” Rapport said. “The weird thing is that this doesn’t have to be.” Information Gateway Resource: Transition to Adulthood and Independent Living Programs: Programs (childwelfare.gov)
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OH: Cuyahoga County names Children and Family Services director
Cleveland.com – August 19, 2016
Cynthia Weiskittel has been named director of the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services. Weiskittel will lead the state’s largest child welfare agency which promotes the safety, permanency and well-being of children throughout the county.
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OR: ‘Crisis’ situation for available foster homes (Includes video)
KTVL – August 19, 2016
A number of factors coming together to create what many people are calling a crisis situation in Jackson County. The two main factors are seeing more children coming into foster care and a decrease in foster homes.
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OR: Sex abuse, poor supervision alleged at Oregon foster program
Oregonian – August 19, 2016
The Oregon Department of Human Services is investigating accusations that workers at a residential program for boys and young men in Eastern Oregon provided poor supervision and failed to report alleged sex abuse by a female staffer.
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PA: Multiple warnings precede a child’s death by abuse
The Philadelphia Inquirer – August 22, 2016
“They are the only public window into what the department does,” said Richard Gelles, dean of the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. “Much of what’s contained in the Act 33 reports reflects on what should be done to address overarching problems. . . . I think the department has a lot to learn from Act 33. I think a lot more can be done with them.”
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PA: Heroin’s reach extends to the children of addicts
Associated Press – August 20, 2016
Struggles like Maholland’s are only becoming more commonplace, as Pennsylvania grapples with a heroin epidemic fueled by cheap access to the drug and the overprescription of painkillers that act as a gateway. But seldom do families speak publicly about addiction and its impact on children, given the stigma and shame that surrounds it.
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PA: Detained Undocumented Mothers Launch Hunger Strike, Vow to Leave ‘Alive or Dead’
Common Dreams – August 19, 2016
Dozens of undocumented women being held with their children at the Berks County Residential Center in Pennsylvania are on a hunger strike that they say will culminate in their leaving the facility “alive or dead.” The mothers are essentially being held prisoner under an Obama administration plan to detain undocumented families while their papers for asylum are being processed. Their children range in age from 2 to 16.
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SD: A Look At Mandatory Reporting (Includes video)
KELO – August 19, 2016
Authorities say a mandatory reporter tipped them off about the relationship between former West Central Teacher Kari Boll and a 15 year-old student earlier this month. We wanted to take a look at the who they are and the vital role they play in crimes against children.
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UT: How One Man is Changing the Lives of Foster Children (Video)
ABC 4 UTAH – August 19, 2016
Ted Chalfant runs the Little Lambs Foundation for Kids in Logan, a foundation that operates purely from volunteers. Ted often speaks to many community groups and events. He ensures that children who are transitioning into foster care receive Comfort Kits throughout Northern Utah.
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US: End of Private Prison Contracts Won’t Affect Most Immigration Detainees (Includes audio)
Public News Service – August 19, 2016
The U.S. Justice Department will be ending its contracts with private prisons, but watchdog groups point out that Homeland Security will continue to use them for immigration detainees. Privately run immigration detention facilities include two family detention centers in Texas, holding up to 2,500 mothers and children.
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US: Top 8 Ways To Help Your Foster Child In School (Opinion)
Huffington Post – August 19, 2016
For your child from foster care to truly have a chance to succeed, you as a foster parent must lead the charge and blaze a path as an advocate, fighting for your child’s every chance.
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INTERNATIONAL

China: Children living with their parents have more high IQ Levels
Albany Daily Star – August 19, 2016
The study of children aged seven to 13 was conducted in China where millions of workers leave their children with relatives in pursuit of better jobs. “Children who had been adopted or placed in foster care showed a smaller deficit than orphans,” Yuan Xiao, a doctoral candidate at Sichuan University told Medical Daily.
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Russia: Investigative Committee: 350 children committed suicide this year
APA – August 22, 2016
The number of suicides among teenagers in Russia is three times more than the average rate worldwide, Vladimir Markin, special representative of Russia’s Investigative Committee, said Monday, APA’s Moscow correspondent reported.
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Russia: Disgust as religious leaders endorse FGM in Russia
Premier – August 20, 2016
A pair of influential religious leaders in Russia have been criticised after promoting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The Christian and Muslim leader suggested it could help reduced ‘sexual promiscuity.’ Also: Russian mufti who said female genital mutilation ‘reduces perversion in the world’ says statement was joke gone wrong: 325740 Russian mufti who said female genital mutilation reduces perversion in the world… (sott.net)
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Russia: Bill drafted by United Russian MP orders up to 10 years prison sentence for female genital mutilation
SOTT – August 19, 2016
“Discrimination of women based on religious motives manifested in full or partial amputation of external sex organs must be punished by a prison sentence between five and seven years,” reads the draft prepared by MP Maria Maksakova-Igenbergs. “The same crime committed against an underage person must be punished by a prison sentence between seven and 10 years,” it continues. Also: New Russian Bill Sets Out 10-Year Prison Term for FGM: Russian bill sets out 10 year jail term for female genital mutilation (themoscowtimes.com)
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United Kingdom: This Exhibit Wants to Break the Silence Around Female Genital Mutilation
Take Part – August 21, 2016
It’s a procedure that at least 200 million women and girls around the world have endured, but the culture of silence and shame around female genital mutilation makes victims so uncomfortable that sometimes they don’t tell their doctor about it until they’re about to give birth to a baby. That’s why Unsterile Clinic, an exhibit at the Rivington Place art center in London, hopes to shed light on the stories of survivors of female genital mutilation, commonly known as FGM.
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AZ: Report: Foster Care Rates Sky-Rocket, More Arizona Children Living In Poverty (Includes audio)
KJZZ – August 18, 2016
“Fifty-one percent, so more than half of the kids in Arizona are in low income families,” she said. “And that’s a concern because we know that there are a number of other factors that are affected by that particular benchmark.” Arizona Kids Count Data Book: 8 17 16AZKidsCount 2016 FINAL for web 1 0 (kjzz.org)
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CA: First of three bills to protect foster kids passes Assembly
Daily Democrat – August 18, 2016
Legislation that would create a more rigorous process for the prescribing of potentially harmful psychotropic drugs to foster children easily passed off the Assembly floor Thursday afternoon.
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CA: Lawmakers advance bill to decriminalize prostitution for minors
Los Angeles Times – August 18, 2016
SB 1322, authored by Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), would make the crimes of solicitation and loitering with intent to commit prostitution misdemeanors inapplicable to children younger than 18. It also would allow law enforcement to take sexually exploited children into temporary custody if leaving them unattended would pose an immediate threat to their health or safety.
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CA: Bear River Donates to Solid Ground foster youth Housing project
The Humboldt Beacon – August 17, 2016
Humboldt County foster youth who have turned 18 will now have a special housing opportunity in Eureka, thanks to the Solid Ground campaign, which recently received a sizeable donation from Bear River Casino and Hotel.
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FL: Addicted Babies: A Growing Problem (Includes video)
NBC Miami – August 18, 2016
The fast-growing abuse of prescription drugs among women has reached into the maternity wards in the Sunshine State with the number of babies born addicted to opiates on the rise every year in the past decade from 338 in 2005 up to 2,487 in 2015, according to hospital discharge data provided by the Agency for Health Care Administration.
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MT: Recovery is a family affair at Billings Second Chance Home (Includes video)
KTVQ – August 18, 2016
The Second Chance Home for drug-addicted Billings mothers is getting a second chance of its own. The Center for Children and Families successfully raised the $100,000 needed to open the home after it lost funding and closed last year.
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OR: Marion County program calling for volunteers
Statesman Journal – August 19, 2016
CASA of Marion County, Inc. (CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates) is an advocacy program for neglected and abused children in foster care who need safe and permanent homes. CASA is pushing a new initiative to recruit 100 volunteers in 100 days.
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OR: Our children are sleeping in state offices (Opinion)
Oregonian – August 18, 2016
The lack of foster homes and therapeutic placements for traumatized children has reached a crisis level, and Oregon’s most vulnerable children are paying an exorbitant price. No parent would support this arrangement for his or her own children, and we, as juvenile court judges, are calling on state and local governments to immediately address this crisis and for more Oregonians to become foster parents.
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OR: Police, Child Protection Services work to assess danger
The Argus Observer – August 18, 2016
Since summer began, there have been several reports of unattended children or lost and found youths throughout the Western Treasure Valley.
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VA: More details about efforts to reform Rockbridge Social Services/victims come forward (Includes video)
WSLS – August 18, 2016
The Rockbridge County Department of Social Services is working toward reform after an internal investigation uncovered more than 200 cases of child neglect and abuse that were ignored or shredded. At least one of those resulted in the death of an infant, but as work is being done, we’re learning more disturbing details about the misconduct that went unchecked in the department for years.
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US: Rights foundation files brief supporting Lexi
WND – August 18, 2016
An Arizona civil rights organization on Thursday filed a brief at the California Supreme Court in support of the effort to return Lexi, a 6-year-old girl who is 1/64th Native American, to the only family she’s ever known. Read more at Rights foundation files brief supporting lexi (wnd.com)
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US: Adoption dilemma: Do children have ‘right’ to know their birth parents?
Deseret News – August 17, 2016
It’s not a question without some concerns. Some fear that in an era of more open adoption, a woman might be reluctant to give up a child for adoption knowing that the child could seek her out later. The same is possible for someone contributing to artificial insemination. On the other hand, some individuals might welcome those possibilities. It all raises questions about policy and how one – or a society – decides.
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US: Preventing problems is at the heart of Ron’s Family First legislation
Office of U.S. Senator for Oregon Ron Wyden – August 17, 2016
Ron’s bipartisan legislation with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and fellow Finance Committee members Chuck Grassley and Michael Bennett is the companion bill to legislation that’s already passed the House. The bill aims to keep more children safely in their homes and reduce over-reliance on group foster care homes, objectives also targeted by the relief nurseries Ron toured in Oregon.
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INTERNATIONAL

Canada: Intercountry adoptions can be complicated, and IRCC has the final say
Canadian Immigrant – August 18, 2016
Are you interested in adopting a child from outside of Canada? The rules, regulations and laws involved with the various stages of an intercountry adoption are complicated and can be time-consuming to navigate.
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Pakistan: Child protection: ‘Working children being enrolled’
The Express Tribune – August 19, 2016
Labour and Human Resource Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said on Thursday the provincial government was determined to curb all kinds of child labour.
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