December Sad Stories

All Adults Are The Protectors of All Children.

This page is a gathering of child abuse articles during the month of December – find your state/community here.

These children needed our help to have a safe and loving holiday season.

21 December 2015: Oregon

After a $15 million settlement was recently accorded to nine “medically fragile” children, Oregon child protective services face national scrutiny. The children, between the ages of 48 hours to three years, had been placed in the home of James Earl Mooney through the foster care program of the Department of Human Services, who then proceeded to sexually abuse the children. The Oregon Department of Human Services was sued for negligence, as it failed to perform an adequate mental and physical evaluation of Mooney.

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2015/12/21/dhs-settles-child-abuse-case-15-million/77722080/

21 December 2015: California

The recent discovery of two dead children in a storage unit in Redding, California captivated the nation and again highlighted the appalling issue of child abuse homicide. An initial police investigation has found that the perpetrators did not only kill the two children, a 3-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy, but also physically abused three other children, a girl aged nine and twins aged twelve. Although social workers had visited the home of the perpetrators four times between September 2014 and August 2015 on the basis of general negligence investigations, the children remained with the couple.

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article50969395.html
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-redding-child-abuse-murder-20151217-story.html
December 14 B.C.Canada  CBS  report on child protection system failures, lack of accountability, leadership, funding, training, and transparency.  This Canadian report is a powerful and instructive for  U.S. states.  It is far more direct than Americans are used to (authors note).

6 December 2015: Pennsylvania

An official investigation into Pennsylvania’s child abuse hotline has found that over 25% of calls are dropped or remain unanswered due to a statewide budget impasse and a related “hiring freeze,” which has left the call center understaffed. The Department of Human Services had implemented a wide array of reforms to Pennsylvania’s handling of child abuse cases following the 2011 Jerry Sandusky case.

http://www.sharonherald.com/opinion/columns/more-dropped-calls-at-child-abuse-hotline-as-auditor-investigates/article_8ac2e52c-948d-568b-9d48-a92f001c42b4.html

7 December 2015: Oklahoma

Family and Children’s Services in Tulsa is urging its counselors to encourage victims of sexual child abuse to speak out against their predators and make use of several new programs that were put into place to address the issue of child abuse, including the Child Abuse and Trauma Services. The announcement comes after the organization reported that one in five girls under the age of 18 is subject to sexual child abuse and that many predators remain at large because victims refuse to speak about the abuse.

http://ktul.com/news/local/counselors-say-more-families-should-talk-about-sexual-child-abuse-to-prevent-future-harm

8 December 2015: Connecticut

Barbara Chaiyachati, a pediatrician at Yale – New Haven hospital, has recently published a paper entitled, “Gray Cases of Child Abuse: Investigating Factors Associated with Uncertainty,” which emphasizes the rise in deaths related to child abuse and child neglect in the US. The report emphasizes the need for pediatricians to distinguish between injuries that occurred accidentally and those that occurred as a result of child abuse and neglect.

Research highlights “gray cases” in child abuse

8 December 2015: Oklahoma

Tulsa Assistant District Attorney Sarah McAmis has stated in a recent interview that, “2015 has been an awful year for child abuse and child-abuse murder cases,” after nine children under the age of two died this year as a result of child abuse. The Tulsa Police Child Crisis Unit claims that all nine cases demonstrate a certain pattern with the perpetrator usually not being the child’s parent and experiencing either unemployment or “some type of frustration,” which leads to the abusive behavior.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/crimewatch/an-awful-year-for-child-abuse-and-child-abuse-murder/article_b8200f57-9ece-531f-9314-7712bca752c1.html

CA: Supporters Of New Law: Let’s Find Homes-Not Group Homes- For Foster Kids
Capital Public Radio News – December 22, 2015
“What the department is right now doing is going out to each county and finding out from them what resources they have available, what group homes they have, how they’re going to be able to do this transition, what their inventory, if you will, is of resource families.”
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Stopping child abuse means we all must do more (Opinion)
Sacramento Bee – December 20, 2015
It’s tempting to point fingers and demand that police and social workers get better at spotting the signs, that they do more. While that ultimately might prove to be the right thing to demand in this extraordinary case, it glosses over the very real and complicated reasons why, in other cases involving kids living in troubled homes, “more” isn’t done.
lists.icfwebservices.com

FL: Child welfare manager loses job over drug arrest
Florida Today – December 21, 2015
A child-welfare case manager, charged with trafficking heroin and methamphetamine on the side, has been removed from her position, Florida Department of Children and Families officials confirmed today.
lists.icfwebservices.com

IN: [DCS] State Department of Child Services Appoints Alexys Vosmeier Director in Huntington County (Press release)
Indiana Department of Child Services – December 21, 2015
The Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) has appointed Alexys Vosmeier the new Local Office Director for the DCS Huntington County office. In her new role, Vosmeier will set goals and objectives for child welfare management helping to ensure children are protected from abuse or neglect.
lists.icfwebservices.com

MI: Michigan now meets national standards for child welfare and foster care
WLNS – December 22, 2015
Vulnerable Michigan children are safer and are finding permanent homes more quickly through improvements to the state’s child welfare system, according to the U.S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Also: Michigan meets child welfare goals: lansingstatejournal.com
lists.icfwebservices.com

MN: County to contract for court- appointed counsel in some cases
Hibbing Daily Tribune – December 19, 2015
Itasca County has started the process of contracting out for court-appointed attorneys in cases involving juvenile protection, children in need of protection (or CHIPS), termination of parental rights (TPR), long-term foster care placement (LTFC), guardianships, paternity and child support civil matters.
lists.icfwebservices.com

NC: McFalls named interim DSS director
BlueRidgeNow.com – December 21, 2015
In a brief emergency meeting Monday, the Henderson County Board of Social Services voted unanimously to appoint Jerrie McFalls as the interim director of the county Department of Social Services, following the unexpected death of Director Eric Bush over the weekend.
lists.icfwebservices.com

NJ: State Supreme Court to hear child custody case involving indigent mother
NorthJersey.com – December 21, 2015
An indigent mother who did not have an attorney when a judge ordered her 2-year-old daughter taken from her custody and placed with a “financially advantaged” foster family is now headed to the state Supreme Court.
lists.icfwebservices.com

OR: State pays record $15 million in abuse case involving babies, toddlers
Oregonian – December 21, 2015
In a record settlement for wrongdoing by a state agency, the state will pay $15 million to resolve a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of nine young children abused by a Salem foster father. Also: Oregon’s top payouts for state wrongdoing: $15 million settlement dwarfs them all: Oregons top 12 payouts for sta (oregonlive.com)
lists.icfwebservices.com

SC: Police: Darlington teacher and staff member arrested for failing to report abuse
WMBF – December 21, 2015
A substitute teacher and staff member from Darlington High School were recently arrested for allegedly failing to report abuse, according to Darlington Police Chief Danny Watson.
lists.icfwebservices.com

WA: From foster care to college: Seattle University opens new path
Seattle Times – December 19, 2015
Only a fraction of kids in foster care go to college, and even fewer graduate. The small but successful scholarship program aims to change that. Information Gateway resource: Educational Assistance: Assistance (childwelfare.gov)
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Florida Leverages Predictive Analytics to Prevent Child Fatalities, Other States Follow
Huffington Post – December 21, 2015
In Hillsborough, FL – Child welfare homicides were occurring on cases that had open court orders, after [care and protection] cases were already open; these were not accidental or rollovers.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Goldwater Institute Says Part Of Indian Child Welfare Act Unconstitutional
KJZZ 91.5 – December 21, 2015
The 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act gives tribal courts the right to decide adoption and foster care placement of Native American children. But the Goldwater Institute is challenging that right when it applies to cases where neither the biological parent nor the child has ever lived on the reservation. The only issue is their Indian blood.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Rep. Lawrence passes amendment to require federal tracking of educational progress of foster youth
Michigan Chronicle – December 21, 2015
Rep. Brenda Lawrence has passed an amendment requiring the U.S. Secretary of Education to track the educational progress of foster youth in America, a key measure that will protect hundreds of thousands of foster care students across America.
lists.icfwebservices.com

INTERNATIONAL

Ethiopia: & US: The trouble with international adoption
Seattle Globalist – December 21, 2015
Just a few years ago, international adoptions were booming. A quarter of all adopted children worldwide came from Ethiopia, making it the second biggest sending country, behind China.
lists.icfwebservices.com

Norway: & Romania: Norwegian authorities’ decision to take five children from their family spurs protest in Romania
Romania Business Insider – December 21, 2015
Over 300 people protested on Saturday at the Embassy of Norway in Bucharest after the Norwegian social services had taken the five children from a Romanian family living in Norway. The authorities have already opened the international adoption procedure for them.
lists.icfwebservices.com

United Kingdom: Schools to double amount of safeguarding training under new plans
Schools Week – December 22, 2015
Safeguarding training for school staff could become an annual requirement under new plans set out by the government. Draft report: Keeping children safe in education draft statutory guidance (schoolsweek.co.uk)
lists.icfwebservices.com

Zambia: SOS Targets One Million Children
Equities.com – December 21, 2015
SOS Children’s Villages Zambia is a non-Governmental child welfare organization affiliated to SOS Children’s Villages International which was established in 1949. Its main objective is to provide long term family care to children in need of support regardless of race, color, creed and religious affiliation.
lists.icfwebservices.com
AZ: Child abuse? State government seems to favor it (Opinion)
Havasu News-Herald – December 19, 2015
Arizona’s Child Protective Services division proved so ineffectual in its mission that it was dismantled, renamed, and fed tens of millions of state taxpayer dollars to assure the safety of children. Based on new and very delayed reports from what is now the Arizona Department of Child Safety, the situation has gotten worse, not better.
lists.icfwebservices.com

AZ: Tribes jurisdiction in foster cases focus of hearing
Arizona Daily Star – December 18, 2015
A federal judge on Friday questioned the legality of statutes that give tribal courts the right to decide adoption and foster-care placement of Native American children who have never lived on the reservation.
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Editorial: Social Services for child protection?
KSBW – December 18, 2015
As police conduct their investigation of the two suspects, Tami Huntsman and Gonzalo Curiel, many in the public are demanding another investigation: an investigation into Monterey County’s Social Services Agency and why Child Protective Services did not remove the children from Huntsman’s custody in her Fremont street home, before this tragedy could occur. Also: Salinas child deaths: Neighbors getting over shock, asking who’s responsible: Salinas child deaths neighbors getting over shock asking whos responsible (montereyherald.com)
lists.icfwebservices.com

FL: Social dilemma: Jailed Collier mom faces deportation, separation from three U.S-born kids
Naples Daily News – December 21, 2015
There is a box on the first page of Lopez’s June 22 arrest report, beneath her name, height, weight, and address. The box is for immigration status. The letter “I” is typed inside, and that could be what stands between Lopez ever having custody of her U.S.-born children again.
lists.icfwebservices.com

FL: Editorial: Time to fully fund, overhaul foster care system
Palm Beach Post – December 19, 2015
After the Florida Legislature woke up and cracked down on the appalling deaths of youngsters under Department of Children and Families supervision, removing more of them from troubled homes became a key part of major child-welfare reform law that took effect 19 months ago. A top caregiver, however, warned of blowback coming later if legislators didn’t also provide more foster care for those youths.
lists.icfwebservices.com

GA: DFCS Director: Toddler Would Still Be Alive If Procedure was Followed (Includes video)
Fox 35 Orlando – December 18, 2015
DFCS Director Bobby Cagle told NewsRadio 106.7’s Christy Hutchings that the workers ignored what was going on in the home of Jennifer Rosenbaum leading up to the death of 2-year-old Laila Daniel. Cagle said the social worker and supervisor on the case, who have since been fired, didn’t file proper reports that would have sent a red flag up the chain of command.
lists.icfwebservices.com

IL: Federal jury finds Danville woman guilty of kidnapping in ‘rehoming’ case
Peoria Journal Star – December 18, 2015
The weeklong trial featured emotional testimony from the two girls involved. One was 7 in 2007 when her parents, desperate for help with what they thought was an out of control adopted child, sought out Nicole Eason, who would go online and offer “respite care” for beleaguered parents who needed a break. The idea was to “rehome” the children and to help them through their issues while also helping the parents. However, the transfer of custody took place outside of the legal system with no oversight from state child welfare officials or adoption regulators.
lists.icfwebservices.com

KS: Lawmaker wants to nix current foster care program
Topeka Capital-Journal – December 20, 2015
A Republican lawmaker’s report calls for the end of Kansas’ current privatized foster care system, an idea coming as the 20th anniversary of the private system looms and the agency in charge faces mounting scrutiny.
lists.icfwebservices.com

MA: DCF: Licensed workers, unlicensed managers
Boston Herald – December 19, 2015
The state’s embattled child welfare agency has launched a probe into one of its managers and put her on paid leave amid revelations, pointed out by the Herald, that she voluntarily surrendered her social worker license nearly a decade ago.
lists.icfwebservices.com

MN: ‘Detectives’ unearth long-lost links for kids needing adoption
Star Tribune – December 18, 2015
A Twin Cities adoption agency uses technology to explore all of a child’s options.
lists.icfwebservices.com

MO: Our Opinion: Law clarifies challenge of child-on-child sexual abuse
News Tribune – December 20, 2015
The state’s Children’s Division of the Department of Social Services received 1,270 reports of juveniles with problem sexual behavior between Aug. 28 and Nov. 30.
lists.icfwebservices.com

MO: $700,000 grant awarded to educate parents, meant to prevent child abuse in Greene County
Springfield News-Leader – December 18, 2015
Community Partnership of the Ozarks announced Thursday it received a $700,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health to make parent education available to all residents of Greene County over the next three years. The education program is called Triple P (Positive Parenting Programs) and will be provided by local agencies that are already doing parental education and counseling.
lists.icfwebservices.com

NC: County DSS director dies unexpectedly
Blue Ridge Now – December 20, 2015
The Henderson County Board of Social Services will hold an emergency meeting at 1 p.m. Monday to name an interim director following the unexpected death of Eric Bush.
lists.icfwebservices.com

NC: 11,000 children living in foster care (Includes video)
WRAL – December 18, 2015
About 11,000 children in North Carolina live in foster care. As the population grows, so does the need for foster parents who can provide loving and stable homes. It’s up to the Department of Social Services in each county to find the right foster parents for each child, but it gets help from nonprofit agencies.
lists.icfwebservices.com

NJ: “Gay Conversion Therapy” Group in New Jersey to Permanently Shut Down
Mother Jones – December 18, 2015
“The end of JONAH signals that conversion therapy, however packaged, is fraudulent — plain and simple,” David Dinielli, deputy legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in a statement. The center filed the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs. New Jersey, California, and Washington, DC, have laws banning licensed conversion therapists from working with minors. Information Gateway Resource: Worker Safety – Supporting Staff in the Delivery of Services: Worker safety supporting staff in the delivery of services (childwelfare.gov)
lists.icfwebservices.com

NJ: Child welfare worker safety bill prompted by stabbing sent to Christie
NJ.com – December 18, 2015
“Leah’s Law,” named for Leah Coleman, a caseworker who was stabbed more than 20 times inside her office in Camden eight months ago by a client, would require members of the Human Services Police Department to work from child welfare offices and accompany workers on potentially dangerous home visits.
lists.icfwebservices.com

NV: Reno juvenile hall stops preaching against homosexuality
Reno Gazette-Journal – December 18, 2015
Being gay won’t be referred to as a sin anymore at the Jan Evans Juvenile Justice Center. The Washoe County juvenile detention center said it will now offer more “tolerant” Sunday services and Bible classes after parting ways with its longtime chaplain, who shared his views against same-sex marriage, divorce, abortion and premarital sex.
lists.icfwebservices.com

OH: Grandma of Ohio girl who died sues child welfare agency
Associated Press – December 18, 2015
A federal lawsuit alleges a Cincinnati child welfare agency didn’t report signs of possible abuse to authorities and wrongly left a young girl in the custody of her parents, who are now charged in her death from starvation and blunt-force injury.
lists.icfwebservices.com

OR: Brown to committee: fix child welfare flaws
Portland Tribune – December 18, 2015
Gov. Kate Brown told an advisory committee Friday that she expected Oregon’s child welfare system to improve its services and help foster children thrive.
lists.icfwebservices.com

SD: Report: Parents’ Criminal Records Affect 80,000 South Dakota Kids (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 21, 2015
“Having even a minor criminal record can in many ways be a life sentence to poverty — not just for the person with the record — but also for their kids and for their family,” she points out. The report notes that having a criminal record can negatively affect a parent’s access to good incomes, savings, education and housing. Report: Removing Barriers to Opportunity for Parents With Criminal Records and Their Children: Removing barriers to opportunity for parents with criminal records and their children (americanprogress.org)
lists.icfwebservices.com

TX: Federal judge orders sweeping overhaul of Texas’ ‘broken’ foster care system
DailyNews724.com – December 19, 2015
A federal judge Thursday ordered Texas to fix its “broken” foster care system to end years of rape, abuse and neglect in a sweeping decision that advocacy groups said highlights the state’s continued failure to adequately protect children. Also: Judge: Texas Foster Care System Violates Children’s Rights : Tt ruling texas foster care (governing.com)
lists.icfwebservices.com

TX: Feds Again Proposing to House Illegal Immigrant Children at Texas Military Bases
WOAI – December 18, 2015
The Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Refugee Relocation is required to take control of unaccompanied children within 72 hours after they enter the U.S., and currently their resources are becoming stretched.
lists.icfwebservices.com

WA: The immediate dangers facing children living on the street (Opinion)
Seattle Times – December 20, 2015
More than 19,400 individuals in Washington state were counted as homeless in a recent one-night count. Homelessness has no singular cause. Some adults grapple with finding affordable housing. Others are dealing with mental-health or chemical-dependency issues. These men and women, by and large, are resilient and compassionate. When I speak with homeless adults, I am heartened by their desire to help others on the streets, and what moves me most is their consistent plea to help the children first.
lists.icfwebservices.com

WA: State needs to divert resources for jailing homeless youths to prevention (Opinion)
Seattle Times – December 19, 2015
Over the past eight years, the state has reduced youth-shelter beds and closed treatment centers and crisis residential facilities, which can be a lifeline for children and their parents. The lack of those services hollowed out the promise of the Becca laws.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: It Takes a Tribe: ICWA under assault (Opinion)
Native Times – December 18, 2015
America’s multibillion-dollar adoption industry and its allies seek to undermine ICWA’s enforcement by filing lawsuits they hope to take to the Supreme Court. If successful, the lawsuits would deny tribes of their right, and their duty, to look after the welfare of their children.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: New wave of unaccompanied minors at US border will shelter in camps run by faith groups
Global Sisters Report – December 15, 2015
Responding to an increase of unaccompanied minors arriving at the southern border, the federal government selected three temporary shelters in December to house immigrant children. Officials hope this will avoid the problems encountered in 2014 when an immigration surge overwhelmed border agents and left children stranded at Border Patrol facilities for days.
lists.icfwebservices.com

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: A New Stolen Generation Of Indigenous Children Lost In The System
BuzzFeed News – December 20, 2015
A terrible crisis is engulfing Australia’s Indigenous community, with an entire generation growing up in government care. Tragically, this is a story that has repeated itself ever since Indigenous children were first snatched from their families almost a century ago.
lists.icfwebservices.com

Canada: Koskie Minsky To Launch Class Action Due To Flawed Motherisk Lab Testing
MoneyShow – December 18, 2015
Between 2005 and 2015, Motherisk tested hair samples from more than approximately 16,000 individuals, often at the request of Ontario child protection agencies. The use of Motherisk’s hair-testing evidence in child protection proceedings often resulted in serious implications for the parties involved. The hair-strand drug and alcohol testing used by Motherisk between 2005 and 2015 was “inadequate and unreliable for use in child protection and criminal proceedings”.
lists.icfwebservices.com

United Kingdom: Government delays extension of child trafficking advocates scheme
Children & Young People Now – December 18, 2015
The move had already been trialled in 23 council areas and a national roll out was among provisions in this year’s Modern Slavery Act. But the Home Office’s child trafficking policy team said there is “work still to be done”, particularly around preventing children going missing and engaging with justice officials. It is to arrange a meeting with stakeholders in the new year to discuss how it will “take this work forward”.
lists.icfwebservices.com
AL: Stiffen child abuse penalty (Opinion)
Montgomery Advertiser – December 17, 2015
Currently, aggravated child abuse is a Class B felony, bringing two to 20 years in prison. Houston backs a bill that would make the charge a Class A felony with punishment ranging from 10 to 99 years, or life in prison. A number of other states treat aggravated child abuse as a Class A felony, and it certainly makes sense for the youngest victims, least able to evade violence inflicted upon them.[
montgomeryadvertiser.com

AR: Nearly 4,700 AR children in foster care system (Includes video)
KATV – December 17, 2015
New reports released on Thursday by the Arkansas Department of Human Services shows nearly 4,700 children in Arkansas are in foster care, and the top reasons most enter is neglect and substance abuse.[
katv.com

AZ: Arizona Aims to Help Kids in Foster Care Live More Normal Lives (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 18, 2015
Beth Rosenberg, director of Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice for the Arizona Children’s Action Alliance, said that in addition to working with staff and foster parents to implement the new federal guidelines, they also are getting former foster children involved.[
publicnewsservice.org

AZ: Foster care tax credit deadline Dec. 31
East Valley Tribune – December 17, 2015
If you are an Arizona resident and would like to help connect foster children to caring adults, then take advantage of the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit for Qualifying Foster Care Organizations.[
eastvalleytribune.com

AZ: JLBC members question McKay’s absence
Arizona Capitol Times – December 17, 2015
Joint Legislative Budget Committee members questioned why they were hearing from Michael Dellner, operations chief at the Department of Child Safety, rather than Greg McKay, the agency’s director, since the Dec. 15 meeting had been on the calendar for weeks. Dellner said he did not know the location of his boss.[
azcapitoltimes.com

CA: Clinton issues LGBT policy platform, NCLR responds (Press release)
Windy City Times – December 17, 2015
End discriminatory treatment of LGBT families in adoptions. An estimated 108,000 children in foster care are waiting to become part of loving families. But some states create roadblocks to prevent LGBT people from adopting or fostering children–requiring more burdensome or costly procedures or even refusing to place youth with same-sex parents altogether. Report: Fighting for full equality (hillaryclinton.com)[
windycitymediagroup.com

CA: Full interview: Social Services director reacts to horrific Salinas child abuse case (Includes video)
KSBW – December 17, 2015
Why were the children not rescued in Monterey County before it was too late? The head of the Monterey County Department of Social Services, Elliot Robinson, said that in each of the visits, investigators could not establish enough of a risk to the kids to take them away.[
ksbw.com

FL: Do child abuse investigators need more training? (Includes video)
WTSP – December 17, 2015
WTSP is digging deeper into the deaths of Bay area children. The latest victim is a 16-month-old whose family had a history with Child Protective Services investigators in Manatee County. Now some are now questioning the training investigators given.[
wtsp.com

GA: State investigator: ‘Many blinded by foster mother’s status in society’ (Includes video)
WFXG – December 17, 2015
Georgia’s Director of the Child Advocate Office said caseworkers originally believed Jennifer Rosenbaum’s explanations because they were blinded by the foster mother’s status in society. Right now the OCA is trying to decide if sweeping policy changes need to occur to prevent future problems, or if this was just an isolated incident of failure.[
wfxg.com

KY: Kentucky Supreme Court rules in adoption case
Associated Press – December 17, 2015
A couple’s theft conviction for accepting thousands of dollars in prenatal expenses from competing sources after contacting both an adoption agency and another couple wanting to adopt their baby was set aside on Thursday by the Kentucky Supreme Court.[
newsobserver.com

MA: DCF social workers lacking licensing let go, more possible
Boston Herald – December 18, 2015
More social workers at the state’s embattled child welfare agency could also be on the chopping block after the Baker administration said yesterday it fired 10 who failed to get licensed as required by a new state law.[
bostonherald.com

MO: $703,332 grant to help stop child abuse in Greene County (Includes video)
KSPR – December 17, 2015
The Community Partnership of the Ozarks received a grant for $703,332 from the Missouri Foundation for Health to make parent education available to everyone in Greene County over the next three years.[
kspr.com

MT: Record Number of Montana Kids in Foster Care This Christmas
KGVO – December 17, 2015
For most, the holidays are time for family, but this year, a record number of Montana kids will be away from family as they cycle through the state’s foster care system.[
newstalkkgvo.com

ND: North Dakota DHS Holds Training Regarding Child Sex Trafficking (Includes video)
KXINFO – December 17, 2015
The North Dakota Department of Human Services is providing training across the state to recognize child sex trafficking. Corina Cappabianca spoke with experts who are working to bring awareness to the crime: It’s a crime that’s being recognized more and more: Child Sex Trafficking.[
kxnet.com

NV: Health district program gives help to first-time, low-income moms
Las Vegas Review-Journal – December 17, 2015
To help first-time mothers, the Southern Nevada Health District introduced the Nurse-Family Partnership program. Information Gateway resources: Nurse-Family Partnership: Nursefamily (childwelfare.gov)[
reviewjournal.com

NY: How New York tracks former foster children
GCN Technology News – December 17, 2015
It wasn’t that long ago that when children left foster care, social services agencies had no way to track their former charges’ progress, or anticipate the issues–ranging from education and job placement to incarceration or homelessness– they might face on their own. That issue was addressed in 2010, when the federal Administration for Children and Families created the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD), which collects information from each state on sex, race, ethnicity, date of birth and foster care status of children as they transition out of foster care.[
gcn.com

TX: Federal judge: Texas foster care unconstitutionally ‘broken’
KEYE – December 17, 2015
A federal judge has ruled that the Texas foster care system of roughly 30,000 children is unconstitutionally broken, saying that kids often leave state custody more damaged than when they entered.[
keyetv.com

US: Beyond early adversity: A multidimensional approach linking early experiences to successful aging
Medical News Today – December 17, 2015
Adverse childhood experiences such as poverty, abuse and neglect have been linked to poor mental and physical health outcomes in adulthood.[
medicalnewstoday.com

US: Ensuring Educational Stability for Foster Kids
The Atlantic – December 17, 2015
Child-welfare agencies have long known that at-risk youth, such as children in foster care, are at increased risk of academic failure, but reliable national data has not been available to track markers of educational achievement, such as graduation rates. The ESSA requires schools to track the academic achievement of these groups so states, school districts, and child-welfare agencies can observe and react to trends in their school progress.[
theatlantic.com

US: More than 10,000 unaccompanied minors apprehended on U.S. border in last two months
Inland News Today – December 17, 2015
The number of children who are caught trying to slip across the U.S.-Mexico border alone and illegally has quietly surged again more than a year after President Obama referred to the problem as an “urgent humanitarian situation.”[
inlandnewstoday.com

US: Study: Safety net fails grandmother caregivers living in severe poverty (Press release from University of Washington)
EurekAlert! – December 17, 2015
Increasing numbers of grandmothers across the United States are raising their grandchildren, many of them living in poverty and grappling with a public assistance system not designed to meet their needs. Report: Severe deprivation (russellsage.org)[
eurekalert.org

INTERNATIONAL

Canada: Motherisk’s drug and alcohol testing ‘unreliable’ in child protection and criminal cases: review
National Post – December 17, 2015
An independent review has found that a controversial hair analysis program in Toronto that tested for drug and alcohol use was “inadequate and unreliable” for use in child protection and criminal proceedings.[
news.nationalpost.com

Romania: Romania’s Adoptees in West Find Their Way Home
Balkin Insight – December 17, 2015
More and more Romanian international adoptees are seeking their biological families in Romania. In the process, they turn to the Internet, journalists, private detectives and, with less success, to the authorities. The reunions are not always a dream come true.[
balkaninsight.com

United Arab Emirates: A mother gives adoption a new meaning
Khaleej Times – December 18, 2015
Dr Albusumait is the UAE’s first Emirati woman to adopt a child from the Community Development Authority’s (CDA) Embrace programme. First introduced in 2013 to tackle the number of abandoned and orphaned children in the country, the programme has been described as a “brave concept” by some, given the fact that conventional adoption is prohibited under Sharia Law.[
khaleejtimes.com

United Kingdom: Law on special guardianship assessments to be reformed immediately
Community Care – December 17, 2015
The government is to amend regulations and statutory guidance for local authority court reports on special guardianship orders after a review identified major problems with the assessment process.[
communitycare.co.uk AL: County child support system honored
Artmore News – December 16, 2015
Members of the Escambia County Department of Human Resources child support staff, members of the 21st Judicial Circuit (judges and DA staff) were honored Friday, December 11, with presentation of awards from the Alabama Department of Human Resources.[
atmorenews.com

CA: Agency struggles under the difficulties in determining child abuse
KION – December 16, 2015
The Monterey County Child Protective Services said it receives 2,600 referrals of child abuse and neglect each year. That agency and police will investigate but sometimes have a hard time finding signs of abuse or neglect.[
kionrightnow.com

GA: DFCS worker failed to investigate signs of child abuse
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution – December 16, 2015
A state child protection worker and her supervisor failed to investigate injuries spotted on a 2-year-old girl in foster care, who police say later died of abuse, according to documents obtained Wednesday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.[
myajc.com

MD: Worcester County DSS encourage folks to become foster families (Includes video)
WMDT – December 16, 2015
There are more than 300,000 children living in the foster care system in the United States and the Department of Social Services needs more families willing to take them in.[
wmdt.com

OK: Local hospital, university come together to help fight child abuse
KRMG – December 16, 2015
OU-TU School of Community Medicine is teaming up with St. Francis Hospital to investigate child abuse cases in our area.[
krmg.com

WA: King County votes to give county employees parental leave
Bellevue Reporter – December 16, 2015
The King County Council voted this month to give 12 weeks of parental leave to certain county employees starting next year, marking a bold new step for county operations.[
bellevuereporter.com

US: Report: Safety Focus Hinders Development of Foster Kids (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 17, 2015
A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows how child-welfare policies focused on safety and liability do not always allow kids in foster care to “just be kids.” Report: AECF TheRoadToSuccess Full (aecf.org)[
publicnewsservice.org

US: & MO: Students in foster care can stay at their original schools with Every Student Succeeds Act (Includes video)
KSHB – December 16, 2015
Children in foster care are frequently forced to change schools as they move from one foster home to another. It’s common for them to attend several different schools during a single school year. Fact Sheet: Congress Acts to Fix No Child Left Behind: Fact sheet congress acts fix no child left behind (whitehouse.gov) Information Gateway resource: Education and the Child in Foster Care: Education and child (childwelfare.gov)[
kshb.com

US: An Adoption Story: Planting the Seeds of Hope Part 2 (Opinion)
Huffington Post – December 16, 2015
According to an ABC News report there are 126,000 children in our foster care systems that are currently waiting to be adopted. Sadly, more than 20,000 children each year never leave the system, they remain in foster care until they “age out.” Part 1: An adoption story plantin b (huffingtonpost.com)[
huffingtonpost.com

US: Pregnancy Prevention, Family Planning Can Help Curb Maltreatment Mortality
The Chronicle of Social Change – December 16, 2015
But anyone who has worked with children in foster care knows that more of these youth come from larger, closely spaced sibling groups than one would expect in the general population. Indeed, research shows a strong relationship between larger families and child maltreatment.[
chronicleofsocialchange.org

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Adoption rates slump, Australians wait years to adopt overseas children
The Sydney Morning Herald – December 17, 2015
Adoption rates in Australia have hit a record low and prospective parents are waiting more than five years to adopt overseas children.[
smh.com.au

Canada: Child-services review overlooks social workers disregarding rules: B.C. lawyer
The Globe and Mail – December 15, 2015
A review of British Columbia’s child welfare system released this week fails to hold to account social workers who put children in harm’s way, says the lawyer for a woman whose case triggered the review. Report: Plecas Review Report Part One (scribd.com)[
theglobeandmail.com

Fiji: Guidelines on child abuse and neglect launched
The Fiji Times Online – December 17, 2015
The Inter-agency Guidelines on Child Abuse and Neglect was signed and launched in Suva today.[
fijitimes.com

International: Malibu’s Global Reach
The MalibuTimes – December 16, 2015
While located here physically, her heart is far away, on the other side of the globe, in Ghana. Specifically, her heart is with hundreds of Ghana’s orphaned children, and 24-year-old Tatum Lyon is nearly single handedly building a new orphanage to help save their lives.[
malibutimes.com

South Korea: South Korean government seeks to change perception of adoption (Includes video)
Channel NewsAsia – December 17, 2015
It used to be said that South Korea?s biggest export was babies, as thousands of unwanted Korean children have been adopted by parents overseas, mainly in the United States. But in recent years, the government has encouraged more Koreans at home to adopt. That state-sponsored encouragement message seemed to fall on deaf ears and so Korean celebrities have joined the campaign.[
channelnewsasia.com

United Kingdom: Parents who record child protection meetings: what social workers need to know
Community Care – December 17, 2015
Since a group of family lawyers found councils? guidance on recording child protection meetings was patchy and unclear, the sector has rushed to offer solutions to a problem The Transparency Project said was exacerbating misunderstandings between parents and social workers.[
communitycare.co.uk

Zimbabwe: Govt Steps Up Fight Against Child Abuse
The Herald – December 17, 2015
Government has launched a reporting structure for identifying and responding to all forms of child abuse, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Priscah Mupfurmira said yesterday.[
herald.co.zw

AK: Abuse of Alaska children even worse than grim stats suggest, study says
Alaska Dispatch News – December 15, 2015
The study authors point out repeated maltreatment can take place over years, and that short window may serve as a good indicator of child protective performance, but ignores chronic maltreatment. Study: 2015 RepeatMaltreatmentAlaska (iser.uaa.alaska.edu)
lists.icfwebservices.com

AZ: Arizona child-welfare agency’s performance declared ‘unacceptable’
Arizona Republic – December 15, 2015
Lawmakers frustrated by a lack of progress and answers from the state’s child-welfare agency gave the Department of Child Safety the equivalent of a failing grade on Tuesday. Also: Arizona child welfare agency gets rare lawmaker rebuke: Arizona child welfare agency gets rare lawmaker rebuke (kctv5.com)
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Drugging Our Kids: California courts step up scrutiny of foster care use of psychiatric drugs
San Jose Mercury News – December 16, 2015
Driven by new legislation and a motivation to create more meaningful oversight, California’s courts are calling for far more justification before judges authorize the use of powerful psychiatric drugs that are now too freely prescribed to foster children. Information Gateway resource: Professional Standards and Accreditation: Standards (childwelfare.gov)
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Children’s Bill of Rights sought in SJ County
Recordnet.com – December 15, 2015
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday directed staff to help create a Children’s Bill of Rights, which will present a list of essential goals the Children’s Alliance will attempt to accomplish for county youth.
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Couple accused of killing two children and torturing a third had previous contacts with Salinas Police, county social services.
Monterey County Weekly – December 15, 2015
In the past six months, Salinas police say two anonymous calls were made reporting child abuse at the couple’s East Salinas house near the corner of Fremont Street and Madeira Avenue. Also: Two children found slain in Northern California storage unit: Children found slain northern california storage unit article 1.2467055 (nydailynews.com)
lists.icfwebservices.com

LA: DCFS child welfare program receives national reaccreditation
Bossier Press-Tribune – December 15, 2015
Today, the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services’ Child Welfare Program received national reaccreditation. One of only five states to achieve this accolade, Louisiana’s Child Welfare program has been accredited through the Council on Accreditation (COA) since 2004.
lists.icfwebservices.com

MI: Kresge Foundation funds WMU’s statewide effort to boost foster youth college graduation rate
Western Michigan University Magazine – December 15, 2015
The new three-year award from Kresge for Phase 2 of the effort follows successful completion of work funded initially in late 2011. The new award and matching funds triggered by the award will bring $900,000 to WMU to support Fostering Success Michigan.
lists.icfwebservices.com

MN: Ramsey County approves 2016-17 budget with spending, tax increases
TwinCities.com – December 15, 2015
The money will help cover 12 new child protection workers, a veterans services officer, additional probation officers and two new sheriff’s deputies.
lists.icfwebservices.com

OK: Saint Francis, OU-Tulsa establish state’s first child-abuse pediatric fellowship
Tulsa World – December 15, 2015
The training fellowship will help recruit child-abuse pediatricians, which is a relatively new certification. These specialists are called in for consultations, which includes a review of the tests and analyses of other sub-specialists who have treated the child.
lists.icfwebservices.com

PA: Lawmakers aim for budget by week’s end
Associated Press – December 14, 2015
Pressure to resolve the fight has ratcheted up amid a social services sector increasingly crippled without billions in state aid and mounting borrowing by school districts and counties that could exceed $1 billion soon, if not already.
lists.icfwebservices.com

RI: Child advocate’s report shows cases of abuse and neglect
WPRI/Associated Press – December 15, 2015
According to the report issued by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Tuesday, in the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, the state Department of Children, Youth and Families investigated 3,270 reports of abuse or neglect. Report: rikidscount.org
lists.icfwebservices.com

WV: Universities join forces to advance social work
Bluefield Daily Telegraph – December 16, 2015
Marshall University has joined with Concord University and West Virginia State University to advance the profession of social work and improve the well-being of West Virginia’s children and their families.
lists.icfwebservices.com

WV: Birth certificates being revised for same-sex couples’ kids
Charleston Gazette-Mail – December 15, 2015
Karen C. Villanueva-Matkovich, general counsel for DHHR, wrote in a letter on Dec. 9 that the Office of Vital Statistics had “begun to implement changes to current policies and procedures to ensure that the constitutional rights of all West Virginia citizens are protected.”
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Advocates hope new federal school law will help kids in foster care (Includes video)
KMBC – December 15, 2015
The new federal law, known as “Every Student Succeeds” replaces the old “No Child Left Behind” law. It said foster children should stay in their original schools whenever possible.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Bill Would Give Former Foster Youth Early Access to Tax Credit
Youth Today – December 15, 2015
The Foster EITC Act (S 2327) would allow certain former foster youth to access the Earned Income Tax Credit at age 18, rather than waiting until age 25.
lists.icfwebservices.com

INTERNATIONAL

Russia: Official says number of foreign adoptions in Russia fell fourfold since 2010
TASS – December 15, 2015
The number of Russians willing to adopt children has grown almost twofold in three years, children’s ombudsman Pavel Astakhov said on Tuesday.
lists.icfwebservices.com
AZ: Foster family shortage means some kids sent out of county
Nogales International – December 11, 2015
Until fairly recently, Lee-Eng’s home was one of the only foster sites in Santa Cruz County. Fernando Ramirez, a foster licensing specialist with Catholic Community Services, said that there were just two as of September 2014. That number has since grown to 12 and several more are being trained, Ramirez and a representative from the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) confirmed. However, that supply still does not meet demand, especially for teenagers, several people involved in the local foster system said.
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Report: Foster Care Strives to Provide a More Typical Life (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 14, 2015
Children in foster care need to have the same kinds of life experiences as other kids to increase their sense of success and belonging. That’s one conclusion of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, part of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Its new report is designed to help state agencies implement a 2014 federal law to strengthen families, in part by moving toward what’s known as a “prudent parenting” model for foster care. Report: Aecf whatyoungpeopleneedtothrive (aecf.org)
lists.icfwebservices.com

GA: & US: Georgia Won’t Process Benefits Application For Syrian Refugee Family
Talking Points Memo – December 11, 2015
The state of Georgia won’t process the application for food stamps and other state benefits filed by a newly arrived Syrian refugee family last week, the state Department of Human Services confirmed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday. The federal government has told Deal that he must roll back his executive order in order to comply with federal law.
lists.icfwebservices.com

GA: Foster parents needed in north Georgia
Daily Citizen – December 06, 2015
“Because of the current shortage of foster homes, a majority of children cannot be placed in homes within their home county or area. This makes visitation with family difficult and often results in changing schools, which disrupts learning and reduces important social support networks for the children,” said Peg Densmore, Centerstone’s therapeutic foster care coordinator for north Georgia.
lists.icfwebservices.com

IN: Let Children be Children: Improving Foster Care (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 14, 2015
Milestones of youth, playing a sport or learning to drive, are out of reach for many children in foster care in Indiana. But child welfare groups are using a new law to make the lives of children in care a bit more normal.
lists.icfwebservices.com

KS: Lawrence Housing Authority seeks new property for children aging out of foster care (Includes video)
WOW 6 – December 11, 2015
The housing authority wants to purchase the property at 1725 New Hampshire St in hopes of providing housing for young adults who know longer qualify for foster care. The property includes six housing units, five one-bedroom and one studio.
lists.icfwebservices.com

KS: Top Kansas child welfare official rejects anti-gay criticism
Associated Press – December 11, 2015
Kansas’ top child welfare official says allegations that she attempts to block potential adoptions by same-sex couples are “fiction” and decisions about troubled children are driven by a desire to find the best homes for them, not anti-gay bias.
lists.icfwebservices.com

LA: Campbell part of Edwards’ transition team
Minden Press-Herald – December 11, 2015
Retired Judge John C. Campbell was appointed by Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards to be a part of a sixth transition team committee. The Children and Family Services Committee will make recommendations on ways in which the state can better empower Louisiana families and prioritize the safety and well-being of our children. The committee is also tasked with identifying ways in which the Department of Children and Family Services can be fully staffed and funded in order to fulfill its mission.
lists.icfwebservices.com

MA: Child welfare worker in Bella Bond case given ‘written warning’
Boston Herald – December 11, 2015
The child welfare worker who was at the center of scathing report that criticized the state’s handling of past cases involving baby Bella Bond did not “properly follow” policies in some cases, according to officials, who ultimately decided to give her minor discipline in the form of a “formal written warning.”
lists.icfwebservices.com

ME: Finding the invisible population: A look at youth homelessness (Pt. 2 of a series)
Bangor Daily News – December 13, 2015
As an outreach worker for Shaw House on Union Street in Bangor, there’s no such thing as an average day. Fleming could spend an entire eight hours exploring all the places where homeless youth tend to congregate. Pt. 1: How homeless youth are finding their ‘home’ at Shaw House: How homeless youth are finding their home at shaw house (bangordailynews.com) Information Gateway Resource: Promoting Protective Factors for In-Risk Families and Youth: A Guide for Practitioners: childwelfare.gov
lists.icfwebservices.com

MI: Troubled DHHS software improves
Lansing State Journal – December 11, 2015
The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services claims it’s fixed nearly two-thirds of the defects in a glitch-ridden child welfare software program that gave caseworkers incomplete information and delayed payments to foster families.
lists.icfwebservices.com

NM: New Mexico lawmakers consider infrastructure spending
Associated Press – December 11, 2015
Funding will be made available to only a small fraction of the new request for improvements to prison facilities, foster care housing, medical centers, roads and bridges. Appropriations for the current year were $294 million.
lists.icfwebservices.com

NY: Fighting Foster Care: How the System is changing for the Better
Borderless News and Views – December 11, 2015
Foster care is a valuable service provided by The Children’s Aid Society who are rescued from unsafe or unstable homes. In the past, foster homes were sometimes viewed with criticism and concern, as some questioned the credentials of those appointed to care for children in need. However, in recent years the system has been improving through a series of important changes that help to better prepare, monitor, and coordinate foster families and their needs.
lists.icfwebservices.com

NY: Family alleges DSS missed abuse clues (Correction)
Glens Falls Post-Star – December 09, 2015
The family of a boy who was allegedly physically abused by a foster parent late last week claims that foster children were removed earlier this year from the home of the alleged abuser because of injuries but were returned after a day.
lists.icfwebservices.com

OK: KTUL Investigates Child Abuse: The state of Oklahoma’s children (Includes video)
KTUL – December 10, 2015
As horrific and heartbreaking as these two cases are, detectives with the child crisis unit in Tulsa told KTUL, they are just a small fraction of what they see every day. “Number of cases that are reported on the news pales in comparison to the number of reports we get on a daily basis,” said Sgt. Michael Brown. Brown said the recent cases in Oklahoma aren’t unusual, but he has seen a steady increase over the last 10 to 15 years.
lists.icfwebservices.com

OR: Child abuse reporting laws variable
Argus Observer – December 11, 2015
Federal funding, in conjunction with a new law passed by the Oregon Legislature, prohibits Project DOVE from reporting suspected child abuse to the Department of Human Services.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: More Than 10,000 Unaccompanied Minors Apprehended on U.S. Border in Last Two Months (Includes video)
NBC News – December 12, 2015
The number of children who are caught trying to slip across the U.S.-Mexico border alone and illegally has quietly surged again more than a year after President Obama referred to the problem as an “urgent humanitarian situation.” While the world has been focused on Europe’s migrant crisis, apprehensions of unaccompanied minors along America’s own border have exploded: More than 10,000 undocumented children have been stopped in just the last two months, according to U.S. Border and Customs Protection.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Federal Judge Dismisses Anti-ICWA Suit
Indian Country Today Media Network – December 11, 2015
On Thursday a federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia dismissed a suit challenging both the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act and the new federal guidelines that were implemented last February by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, citing a lack of subject matter jurisdiction and standing in the case.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Five ways cities can reduce infant mortality: Saving the Smallest
Cleveland.com – December 11, 2015
Six years ago, Baltimore’s infant mortality rate was among the highest of big cities nationally. It was even higher than Cleveland’s is now, at 13.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. Now, Baltimore’s rate has dropped by 24 percent, and health officials there as well as independent research groups have credited the city’s B’More for Healthy Babies initiative, launched in 2009.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Home Is Everything for Children in Foster Care System (Opinion)
Huffington Post – December 11, 2015
To begin with, there is a tremendous need for more families to open their homes to foster children. These children need loving foster parents to care for them either for a transitional period or longer-term.
lists.icfwebservices.com

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: ‘Only bishops’ could refer child abuse allegations to police, commission hears
The Sydney Morning Herald – December 11, 2015
Only bishops could refer child abuse allegations they discussed within a Catholic Church committee to the police, despite the fact one of its members was a police officer, a royal commission has heard.
lists.icfwebservices.com

Cambodia: Child abuse costs Kingdom: study
The Phnom Penh Post – December 10, 2015
Violence against children cost Cambodia approximately $168 million in 2013, or just over 1 per cent of GDP, according to a new report from the government and UNICEF that explores the economic impacts of physical abuse.
lists.icfwebservices.com

China: Chinese Consul General Thanks US Families for Adopting Children from China
Yibada – December 10, 2015
Chinese Consul General Luo Linquan, along with his wife Qiao Li, held a reception for 29 U.S. families who adopted children from China, where the success of adoption was celebrated by parents, more than 30 children and the consulate staff and their families, as reported by Women of China.
lists.icfwebservices.com

United Kingdom: Health visitors’ jobs fear as report highlights threat to babies’ life chances
Unite the Union – December 14, 2015
A possible decline in the health visitor workforce, and a massive shortfall in school nurses, could jeopardise the life chances of the estimated 200,000 babies living in ‘complex’ family situations, Unite, the country’s largest union, warned today.
lists.icfwebservices.com

United Kingdom: Cameron promises takeovers will end child protection failures
Yorkshire Post – December 13, 2015
Highly rated children’s services departments in Yorkshire will be asked to takeover failing neighbours as part of a major overhaul of child protection set out by the Prime Minister today. Also: Experts to seize control of social services departments if children are at risk: Experts to seize control of social services departments if children are at risk (socialdashboard.com)
lists.icfwebservices.com

United Kingdom: More children missing from foster care
BBC News – December 11, 2015
The problem and dangers associated with children going missing from care were highlighted by the investigation into child sexual abuse in Rochdale.
lists.icfwebservices.com

United Kingdom: Northern Ireland child abuse: Children’s commissioner to monitor police action
BBC News – December 11, 2015
The children’s commissioner has said she will monitor what action police take to address failings identified in a child sexual exploitation report.
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Share the Spirit: Beyond Emancipation helps former foster youths take control of their lives
Contra Costa Times – December 09, 2015
Beyond Emancipation helped her on both counts. During her two years in the transitional home, Ruiz-Castillo began working to pass the high school equivalency exam and, through the nonprofit’s new employment program, she got a paid internship with the Mandela Foods Cooperative in West Oakland that turned into a good-paying job.[
Share spirit beyond emancipation helps former foster youths (contracostatimes.com)

FL: Florida Helping to Change Foster-Care Experience (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 11, 2015
A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows how the federal Strengthening Families Act can help remove some of the barriers to typical adolescent activities. Report: Aecf whatyoungpeopleneedtothrive (aecf.org)[
publicnewsservice.org

IL: Adoptees in Chicago Take On a Different Kind of Immigration Fight (Includes audio)
WBEZ – December 09, 2015
A loophole in U.S. immigration law has left tens of thousands of international adoptees without U.S. citizenship. Some of these adoptees now risk deportation. Chicagoans Becky Belcore and Cori McMillan have been leading a national campaign to prevent the deportation of one of those adoptees, a 40-year-old man in Oregon named Adam Crapser.[
wbez.org

KS: Barbara Shelly: Kansas services are corroding on Gov. Sam Brownback’s watch (Opinion)
The Kansas City Star – December 10, 2015
Kansas’ child protection system is under fire on a number of fronts, so it came as no surprise when news services reported recently that Michael Myers, director of prevention and protection services, was leaving the Department for Children and Families. What struck me as curious was that he was there at all.[
kansascity.com

KS: Committee Puts Off Investigation Of Gay Adoption Bias By Kansas Agency
KCUR – December 10, 2015
The Legislative Post Audit Committee voted Thursday to delay considering an audit into allegations of bias at the Kansas Department for Children and Families against adoptions by same-sex couples.[
kcur.org

KY: Same-sex parental rights an issue before Kentucky high court
Associated Press – December 10, 2015
The Kentucky Supreme Court is considering whether a woman has a right to intervene in an adoption case involving the child of her former same-sex partner.[
wkyt.com

LA: Three locals named to Edwards’ education transition committee
KPLC – December 11, 2015
The committee will make recommendations on ways in which the state can better empower Louisiana families and prioritize the safety and well-being of our children. It will also identify ways in which the Department of Children and Family Services can be fully staffed and funded in order to fulfill its mission.[
kplctv.com

MN: ‘Critical need’ for foster parents in the Twin Cities (Includes video)
KARE – December 10, 2015
“We’ve had foster parents who have been doing this for 25, 30, 35 years and they’re retiring,” she said. So counties are trying to get the word out in hopes of finding people who can help our most vulnerable.[
kare11.com

MT: County to extend Emma’s House partnership
Ravalli Republic – December 11, 2015
The idea to create centers where children can feel safe while disclosing information vital to officials concerned both about the child’s welfare and potential prosecution of sexual offenders dates back a couple of decades on a national level, Fulbright said.[
ravallirepublic.com

NM: State seeks alternate proposals for new child welfare office
WRAL – December 10, 2015
New Mexico officials are holding off on spending roughly $10 million to buy and office complex to house the Albuquerque offices of the Department of Children, Youth and Families, instead seeking competitive proposals for leased space.[
wral.com

NY: Telestory Unites New York Children ? Briefly ? with Incarcerated Parents
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange – December 09, 2015
Telestory iJJIE New York Metro Bureau logos a free city program that connects children to their incarcerated parents through video conferencing. Families can talk to and read to one another face-to-face through a camera and a flat-screen television.[
jjie.org

OH: Court’s partnership with schools, Legal Aid seeing benefits
The Akron Legal News – December 11, 2015
Looking to boost educational outcomes for Cincinnati students in foster care, four community partners in Hamilton County examined how they can improve the lives of these children in school. Information Gateway resource: Building Agency/Community Partnerships: Partnerships (childwelfare.gov)[
akronlegalnews.com

OH: Foster care: Budget suffers, families needed
Hillsboro Times Gazette – December 10, 2015
n recent weeks, the Highland County Commissioners have been increasingly struggling with how to pay for a surge in the number of children being displaced from their homes and needing foster care.[
timesgazette.com

UT: Utah Foster Care Tears Down Barriers to a Better Life (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 11, 2015
Kids in foster care don’t just need a place to live they need a family to love them in good times and bad, now and in the future so the system needs to do a better job of vetting potential foster parents. That’s one finding of a report from the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, part of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The report also recommends states reduce the use of group homes and give kids over 14 more input into decisions about their own case. Report: Aecf whatyoungpeopleneedtothrive (aecf.org)[
publicnewsservice.org

VT: The Table: Protecting Vermont’s children (Video)
Burlington Free Press – December 09, 2015
How could Vermont improve its child protection system? Vermont’s child welfare system has been rocked by tragedy and strained by drug-related cases. Gov. Peter Shumlin recently pledged to hire dozens of new employees to lighten the load. State leaders discussed the issues Wednesday at The Table.[
burlingtonfreepress.com

US: Legal Battles Over Parenting And Adoption Rights For Same-Sex Couples (Includes audio)
NPR (Dianne Rehm Show) – December 10, 2015
Last month a judge in Utah ordered a lesbian couple to give up their foster daughter to heterosexual parents. The order was reversed. But the decision highlighted a lack of parenting and adoption protections for same-sex couples. Although the Supreme Court affirmed the right to same-sex marriage nationally in June, many states have not changed their parenting rights policies.[
thedianerehmshow.org

US: States must now track the educational progress of foster youth
EdSource – December 10, 2015
For the first time, improving the educational outcomes of foster youth is part of the nation’s education law. The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, signed Thursday by President Barack Obama, requires states to track achievement test and graduation data for foster youth as a separate subgroup. Also: Federal Education Overhaul: What It Means for Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice: chronicleofsocialchange.org[
edsource.org

INTERNATIONAL

Canada: Christy Clark says B.C. children’s ministry to only get more funding if economy grows
CBC News – December 10, 2015
The Ministry of Children and Family Development will get more money if that is what an independent review calls for–but the money will only be available if the economy has grown, says B.C. Premier Christy Clark.[
Christy clark mcfd economy 1.3360084 (cbc.ca)

United Kingdom: Judge Rejects Race Rules In Landmark Test Case, Puts African Boys In Care Of Loving White Family
The Huffington Post UK – December 10, 2015
Senior judges have rejected claims that children shouldn’t be adopted by parents of a different race. The Court of Appeal rule said racial identity should not be prioritised over the need for a loving family.[
huffingtonpost.co.uk

United Kingdom: Teachers and medical staff among 682 child abuse suspects arrested
The Guardian – December 10, 2015
A senior police chief has expressed fears that child abuse in Britain is on the rise as new data revealed teachers and medical staff were among hundreds of potential sex offenders arrested in the last nine months.[
theguardian.com

AR: Judges: More Info, Training, Caseworkers Needed To Decide Child Neglect Cases
KUAR – December 09, 2015
Members of the Arkansas Judiciary say inefficiencies, lack of information and inadequate staffing are the main hurdles to deciding where to place neglected and abused children in the state.[
Judges more info training caseworkers needed decide child neglect cases (ualrpublicradio.org)

AR: Couples Ask Court to Deny Stay in Birth Certificates Case
Associated Press – December 03, 2015
An attorney for three-same sex couples who sued Arkansas to require both spouses be listed on children’s birth certificates is asking the state’s highest court to not block a judge’s ruling striking down part of the state’s birth certificate law.[
sfgate.com

CO: State on Track to Help Kids in Foster Care (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 10, 2015
Becky Updike, vice president for child and family services with Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, says since kids in foster care frequently have a history of experiencing trauma, removing barriers is critical to healthy development. “So anything we can do to help them feel like a typically developing child,” says Updike. “And have the experiences other kids have, it just enriches their ability to fit in and thrive and move on beyond the trauma.”[
publicnewsservice.org

FL: Same-Sex Marriage Battles Are Far From Over In Florida
The Daily Caller – December 09, 2015
“All we want to do is love, protect, and provide the best opportunities for our children and to be treated equally under the law. Without being on our son’s birth certificate, in the event of an emergency or if something were ever to happen to my wife, I am not sure where that would leave us.”[
dailycaller.com

KS: DCF audit: Child welfare system warrants more scrutiny
The Garden City Telegram – December 09, 2015
A document circulated to media outlets in a 2013 case in Johnson County provides ample justification for a legislative audit, as called for by Rep. Jim Ward, D-Wichita, of how the Kansas Department for Children and Families treats foster parents who are gay or lesbian.[
gctelegram.com

KS: Woman in 2013 court ruling critical of DCF sought protection order
The Topeka Capital-Journal – December 09, 2015
Under questioning about a 2013 court ruling that found a state agency had singled out a lesbian couple in an adoption case, Gov. Sam Brownback suggested during an interview reporters should find out where the then-2-year-old child at the heart of the case is now.[
cjonline.com

MA: Child abuse limitations amendment retroactive (Requires subscription)
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly – December 09, 2015
The Supreme Judicial Court has vacated a 2012 Superior Court judgment dismissing a plaintiff’s complaint alleging that her uncle sexually abused her between 1968 and 1977.[
masslawyersweekly.com

MI: Senate passes bill to keep siblings together in foster care
Associated Press – December 09, 2015
Bills requiring child-placing agencies to make reasonable efforts to keep siblings together in the foster care and adoption systems have advanced in Michigan’s Legislature.[
wnmufm.org

NC: More than 100 babies born dependent on drugs at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in 2015
WECT – December 09, 2015
The number of babies born dependent on drugs, known as neonatal abstinence syndrome, has nearly tripled since 2010.[
wect.com

NC: New Child Advocacy Center puts victims first
Blue Ridge Now – December 09, 2015
In Henderson County, 157 children are currently in the custody of the Department of Social Services. Each month, an average of 100 reports are received that a child or multiple children within a household are not safe in their home, according to DSS reports.[
blueridgenow.com

NM: Child abuse cases overwhelm social workers in New Mexico
Associated Press – December 09, 2015
Child welfare officials are seeking a $12 million budget increase in hopes of lightening the caseloads of the state’s overburdened social workers. Information Gateway resource: Caseload and Workload Management: Case work management (childwelfare.gov)[
krqe.com

NY: Policy shift improves outcomes for addressing cases of child neglect
News Center: University at Buffalo – December 09, 2015
Child protection services personnel respond to some 3 million reports of maltreatment per year, including child neglect and physical or sexual abuse. Although families are dealing with a variety of issues, and pose different levels of risk to children and youth, many states respond identically to all incidents, regardless of their nature.[
buffalo.edu

OH: Foster care hurts 2016 county budget
Hillsboro Times Gazette – December 09, 2015
Highland County Commissioner Shane Wilkin said Wednesday that updated budgets from county departments have been received by commissioners, and they will be reviewed wtih a draft of the overall budget provided to Highland County Auditor Bill Fawley within the week.[
timesgazette.com

OK: Tulsa DA Seeing ‘Disturbing Pattern’ As Child Abuse Cases Increase (Includes video)
KOTV – December 09, 2015
“The load is going to be heavy for us for a long time just because of what’s happened in this last year. I have no way to explain it, I’ve seen a disturbing pattern or trend that’s developing, and we need to get a handle on it,” Kunzweiler said. “I still have to ask people in my office to do something to bring justice to the children whose lives have been taken too early.” Also: Another Area Child is Dead. Is Child Abuse Increasing?: Another area child dead child abuse increasing (publicradiotulsa.org)[
newson6.com

OR: DHS investigating 7 foster homes (Correction)
Statesman Journal – December 04, 2015
Children have been removed from one foster home as part of a DHS investigation ordered by Gov. Kate Brown and increased media scrutiny of the agency.[
kgw.com

PA: 1st Anti-Child Abuse Grants From Penn State’s $48M Issued
Associated Press – December 09, 2015
The first round of grants to combat child sexual abuse in Pennsylvania was awarded Wednesday from a $48 million fund endowed by Penn State as a result of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.[
abcnews.go.com

PR: Puerto Rican courts ruling for first time allows adoption of child by same-sex couple
Associated Press – December 09, 2015
A Puerto Rico court has for the first time allowed a same-sex couple to adopt a child. Wednesday’s ruling involves a woman whose longtime partner gave birth to a girl through artificial insemination. The woman had been fighting to adopt the girl for two years.[
neurope.eu

TX: Experts, Activists Challenge Detention Child Care Licenses
Texas Observer – December 10, 2015
Dozens of activists gathered for a public hearing and press conference in Austin on Wednesday, hoping to block family detention centers from becoming licensed child care facilities.[
texasobserver.org

TX: State Takes Lead Helping Kids in Foster Care (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 10, 2015
In the last session, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1407, a law that makes it easier for children to do things others take for granted, such as playing sports or having an after school job. When fully implemented, SB 1407 will put Texas in compliance with the Strengthening Families Act, a measure passed by Congress in 2014 to improve the experiences of children in foster care.[
publicnewsservice.org

UT: A Child-Centered View of Foster Parenting by Same-Sex Couples
Jurist – December 08, 2015
A unique provision in Utah law emphasizes “the moral climate of the potential adoptive placement” as something a court must take into consideration before approving an adoption. This provision would likely influence judges in approving foster care placements as well, as these are often a prelude to adoption.[
jurist.org

WA: Family alleges DSS missed abuse clues
Glens Falls Post-Star – December 09, 2015
The family of a boy who was allegedly physically abused by a foster parent late last week claims that foster children were removed earlier this year from the home of the alleged abuser because of injuries but were returned after a day.[
poststar.com

US: Teen Pregnancy Prevention: An Overlooked Weapon Against Child Fatalities (Opinion)
Chronicle of Social Change – December 09, 2015
In her testimony before CECANF, Angela Diaz, director of New York?s Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, discussed the connection between teenage parenthood and child maltreatment fatalities. In serving for many years on a child fatality review panel, she noticed that in many of these cases, the mother began childbearing in adolescence, and had more closely spaced children thereafter.[
chronicleofsocialchange.org

US: The Tragic Story of a Mother and Her Newborn Who Are Both Addicted to Drugs
First To Know – December 09, 2015
Social service agencies are falling short, too. Of the 110 deaths Reuters uncovered, 74 other cases appear similar to Jacey’s: Child protection authorities were alerted by the hospital to a drug-dependent newborn, but social workers either chose not to pursue the case or failed to adequately respond. Part two in a series: Helpless & Hooked: the most vulnerable victims of America’s opioid epidemic.[
firsttoknow.com

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Religious freedom wins in Victoria same-sex adoption law
The Catholic Leader – December 10, 2015
Religious adoption agencies can freely refuse same-sex couples wanting to adopt a child in Victoria under an amended bill that passed yesterday.[
catholicleader.com.au

Canada: Adoptions rise for B.C. children in need (Includes audio)
The Canadian Press – December 09, 2015
An update released Wednesday by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, B.C.’s representative for children and youth, shows improvement in some areas of the province’s adoption goals. The report shows the number of approved adoptive homes rose from about 31 to 39 per month between 2013 and 2014. Also: B.C. far from reaching foster children adoption target: vancouversun.com[
globalnews.ca

Canada: Human rights tribunal decision on First Nations child welfare ready by end of January (Video)
APTN National News – December 09, 2015
Children’s advocate Cindy Blackstock gave the news to the Assembly of First Nations special gathering in Gatineau, Que. Wednesday.[
aptn.ca

Cuba: Third World Child Welfare
Fort Worth Weekly – December 09, 2015
A Fort Worth CEO has returned from Cuba with new ideas about caring for U.S. children. Despite having built their child welfare system in a nearly isolated state, Landry said, “in many cases the way their child welfare and early childhood schooling is handled is remarkably similar to what we’ve done in the States. And the quality of the care we saw was at least as good and in some cases considerably better than what is sometimes offered here in the U.S. They have a tremendous value for children and the communities.”[
fwweekly.com

India: Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children 2015 will help expand adoption programme in the country and address delays in adoption process: Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi
Business Standard – December 10, 2015
The main features of the Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children 2015 include: provisions for linking the orphan/abandoned/surrendered children of all Child Care Institutions (CCIs) to the adoption system, making the entire adoption process online, treating NRI Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) at par with the domestic PAPs and reducing the timeframe for completion of Home Study Report of the PAPs from two months to one month. Also: New adoption guidelines should expand prog: news.webindia123.com[
business-standard.com

Ireland: Bishop apologises for alleged child abuse by former parish priest
thejournal.ie – December 10, 2015
Bishop Francis Duffy has told communities in the diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois he is “shamed” by the alleged child abuse of their former parish priest, Fr Brendan Hynds, and apologised for it.[
thejournal.ie

New Zealand: Anne Tolley supports campaign to raise age of Foster Care
Scoop Independent News – December 10, 2015
Over 13,000 people have shown their support in a nationwide campaign urging the government to raise the age of leaving state care from 17 to 21.[
scoop.co.nz

Nigeria: FG advocates adoption of IDP children in Borno
National Mirror – December 10, 2015
Disturbed by the dilemma of thousands of children who were homeless, orphans in Bama and some affected areas in Borno State because of Boko Haram insurgency, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has called on well-meaning Nigerian to come to the aid of the children by adopting them for a better Nigeria.[
nationalmirroronline.net

AR: 2 say change due at top of agency
Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette – December 09, 2015
During a discussion at the Capitol about child welfare, Justice Rhonda Wood and Circuit Judge Gary Arnold of Saline County said one of the biggest hurdles to improving services is the red tape hung by administrators at the central office of the Department of Human Services in Little Rock. Services for children range from foster placements to investigations of neglect.
lists.icfwebservices.com

AZ: Arizona ruling says grandparents can’t sue over placements
Associated Press – December 09, 2015
An Arizona court ruling says grandparents who could provide foster or adoptive homes for children in state custody don’t have a right to sue over placement decisions.
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Custody battle for baby orphaned by San Bernardino attack
Yahoo7 News – December 10, 2015
The fate of a 6-month old girl, left orphaned after her parents went on a murderous rampage in San Bernardino last week, will be decided by a US Family Court.
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Pettygrove appointed director of Merced County Human Services Agency
Merced Sun-Star – December 08, 2015
The Human Services Agency is the umbrella department for various county services and programs, such as Child Welfare Services, Medi-Cal, Veterans’ Services, Area Agency on Aging, All Dads Matter and more. The HSA partners with multiple private and public entities to provide these programs and services. Pettygrove described the HSA’s services as “focused on supporting community members during challenging times.”
lists.icfwebservices.com

IL: Child Welfare Advocates Begin Final Push For Extending Tax Credits
Progress Illinois – December 08, 2015
Child welfare advocates, such as David Lloyd, director of the Fiscal Policy Center with Voices for Illinois Children, say these credits help about 900,000 Illinois children. But the credits are slated to expire in 2017.
lists.icfwebservices.com

KS: Brownback calls for audit of Kansas foster care and adoption systems
The Kansas City Star – December 08, 2015
As criticism grows that same-sex couples have faced discrimination in the Kansas foster care and adoption programs, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback said Tuesday he favored a thorough audit of the system.
lists.icfwebservices.com

KS: Sam Brownback: DCF gives everyone a ‘fair shake’ (Includes video)
Topeka Capital Journal – December 08, 2015
Gov. Sam Brownback said Tuesday the Department for Children and Families gives everyone a “fair shake” as he offered the administration’s first extended comments after several couples and a court ruling allege DCF discriminates against gays and lesbians. Serious allegations suggest discrimination against Kansas same-sex foster parents: kansascity.com : Brownback calls for audit of Kansas foster care and adoption systems: kansascity.com
lists.icfwebservices.com

MI: Bill aims to keep siblings together in foster care
Associated Press – December 08, 2015
Bills requiring child-placing agencies to make reasonable efforts to keep siblings together in the foster care and adoption systems have advanced in Michigan’s Legislature. Information Gateway resource: Research on the Benefits of Keeping Siblings Together: Research (childwelfare.gov)
lists.icfwebservices.com

MN: Minnesota House DFL leader calls for breakup of Department of Human Services
Minneapolis Star Tribune – December 08, 2015
The Department of Human Services has a two-year budget of $33.8 billion and more than 6,000 workers whose duties range from overseeing child protection to managing the Minnesota Sex Offender Program to providing health care for the needy. It oversees different populations, requiring vastly different skills.
lists.icfwebservices.com

TX: Could Texas Foster Care Ruling Be Imminent?
The Texas Tribune – December 09, 2015
One year after a federal district judge heard evidence alleging that Texas Child Protective Services had violated foster children’s civil rights, both lawyers for the state and the advocates who filed suit are anxiously awaiting a potentially sweeping legal decision.
lists.icfwebservices.com

WI: Dane County District Attorney, Human Services disagree on approach to corporal punishment
Capital Times – December 09, 2015
For months, Ozanne and human services officials have been having conversations about the role of prosecution and law enforcement in child treatment cases. That conversation has ramped up with state legislation that would add to the definitions of child abuse and neglect and require reporting to law enforcement on all cases child protective services receives.
lists.icfwebservices.com

WI: Rock County opposes changes to child abuse and neglect reporting laws
Gazette Extra – December 08, 2015
Informing law enforcement about every child abuse and neglect call could improve outcomes. It also could add needless paperwork, violate state standards and create another unfunded mandate, Rock County officials said.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Striving for Normalcy (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 09, 2015
The federal Strengthening Families Act is helping children in foster care have some of the formative experiences that children in intact families may take for granted.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Print Media Coverage of Child Fatalities When a Human Service Agency is Involved (Opinion)
Legal Notes – December 08, 2015
From a journalistic and social policy perspective, publicity of child fatalities poses a quandary. Such focus shines a bright light so that additional facts may be revealed and considered. It can also ensure that those overseeing the child welfare and justice systems will act honestly by subjecting their judgments to public scrutiny.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Work-First Welfare Policies Don’t Work for Infants on TANF
CLASP – December 08, 2015
With the growing evidence about the importance of the first year of life for children’s long-term success, it’s time to redesign TANF programs to meet the developmental needs of infants and support the families who are raising them. Report: TANF and the First Year of Life Making a Difference at a Pivotal Moment (clasp.org) : Information Gateway Resource: Reform Related to TANF: childwelfare.gov
lists.icfwebservices.com

INTERNATIONAL

Canada: Injured toddler prompts advocate to call for foster care changes
iNews880 – December 08, 2015
Alberta’s child and youth advocate wants the province to do a better job of matching foster kids with caregivers. Report: InvRev Two Year Old Teanna 2015Nov30 (ocya.alberta.ca)
lists.icfwebservices.com

United Kingdom: By rushing to speed up forced adoptions we are letting children down (Opinion)
The Conversation – December 09, 2015
Most adoption orders for children in care in England are made without parental consent, and are sometimes referred to as “forced” adoption. With political pressure mounting to speed up the adoption process, we are at risk of rushing through more of these adoptions, despite serious concerns on whether this is the best option for the children involved.
lists.icfwebservices.com

AK: Volunteers can do so much for the growing numbers of Alaska’s foster children (Opinion)
Alaska Dispatch News – December 07, 2015
All children should have a loving home and the opportunity to succeed. That’s unfortunately not the case for many Alaska foster youth. Today 40 percent end up homeless, or couch-surfing at someone else’s home, at some point after leaving foster care. Seventeen percent end up in jail.
lists.icfwebservices.com

AR: Rapert: State Capitol Week in Review (Opinion)
Log Cabin Democrat – December 05, 2015
The state Division of Children and Family Services has eliminated a backlog of more than 1,200 foster parent inquiries, which is evidence that it is improving its procedures for handling cases. In November, 50 new homes were added, bringing the total number of foster homes in Arkansas to 1,385.
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Head of LA’s New Office of Child Protection Sees Big Challenge With No Specific Authority
Youth Today – December 07, 2015
The job was created by the LA County Board of Supervisors at the recommendation of a blue-ribbon commission empaneled by the supervisors in the wake of the horrific killing of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez.
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Where Do The Children Go When They Are Taken Away? (Opinion)
Huffington Post – December 07, 2015
Today, when a child is taken by protective services, they are placed in any random persons home, as long as the person obtains a license to become a foster parent, is older than 18, and passes a criminal background check.
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Fostering our state’s neediest kids with love (Opinion)
Woodland Daily Democrat – December 05, 2015
Yet California has about 5,800 foster youth living in large group homes, with an alarming 1,000 of them having been placed in this unnatural environment for more than five of the most formative years of their lives.
lists.icfwebservices.com

CO: County announces child welfare citizen review panel appointees
Aspen Daily News – December 07, 2015
Appointees for Pitkin County’s Child Welfare Citizen Review Panel were announced this week and gained approval from the county commissioners. Information Gateway resource: Training for Community Partners: Citizen Review and Foster Care Review Boards childwelfare.gov
lists.icfwebservices.com

FL: Dunkelberger: DCF chief says tragedies must be seen in context
Lakeland Ledger – December 06, 2015
Mike Carroll, the state agency head who oversees Florida child welfare services, says the Department of Children and Families is making progress in protecting some of the state’s most vulnerable residents in the wake of tragic deaths of two Southwest Florida children.
lists.icfwebservices.com

FL: Jonathan Schumm’s father testified in landmark case on same-sex adoption
Topeka Capital-Journal – December 05, 2015
When the state of Florida sought in 2008 to defend its ban on same-sex couples adopting children, one of the key experts it called to the stand was Kansas State University academic Walter Schumm.
lists.icfwebservices.com

MN: Governor Dayton Appoints Emily Johnson Piper to Serve as Human Services Commissioner (Press release)
Office of the Governor of Minnesota – December 07, 2015
Beginning Monday, December 14th, Piper will succeed Commissioner Lucinda Jesson, who was appointed by Governor Dayton last week to serve on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Commissioner Piper will bring more than a decade of legal, policy, and management experience to the position.
lists.icfwebservices.com

MS: State judge steps down to run foster care system
Associated Press – December 07, 2015
Associate State Supreme Court Justice David Chandler is stepping down from the bench to take over Mississippi’s troubled foster care system.
lists.icfwebservices.com

ND: Sentence of separation: Unlike drops in other states, ND’s juvenile delinquents in institutions increased
Fargo Forum – December 07, 2015
North Dakota officials said they’re not convinced that Pew’s analysis, which uses data from a federal survey, is an accurate representation of the state’s juvenile justice system. But they couldn’t point to specific flaws in the data, which shows that North Dakota’s rate of youth per 100,000 who were ordered to live in juvenile facilities climbed from 196 in 2001 to 231 in 2013.
lists.icfwebservices.com

NY: When Removing a Child From an Abusive Situation at Home Isn’t the Answer
Care2 – December 07, 2015
During the early 1990s, New York City had a sky-high number of kids in foster care. Now, it’s safely keeping them with their families.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Most states ignore U.S. law protecting drug-endangered newborns
Reuters – December 08, 2015
After the 2003 provisions were enacted, some states passed laws to meet the federal requirements. Most did not. A Reuters survey of state child protection officials and an examination of state statutes show that today, no more than nine states and the District of Columbia have laws that satisfy the federal provisions.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Bad science vs. gay parents
Los Angeles Times – December 07, 2015
But a closer look shows that what is being cited as “science” in these situations is anything but. In fact, flawed scholarship is being used as a smokescreen to create the illusion of legitimate debate where none exists.
lists.icfwebservices.com

INTERNATIONAL

International: Tulane Study Highlights Value Of Quality Foster Care (Includes audio)
WWNO New Orleans Public Radio – December 07, 2015
A new study involving a Tulane expert on child psychology shows that quality foster care can help reverse damage done to abused boys. Without the intervention, children can become callous and unemotional. Study: High-Quality Foster Care Mitigates Callous-Unemotional Traits Following Early Deprivation in Boys: A Randomized Controlled Trial: J.jaac.2015.09.010 (dx.doi.org)
lists.icfwebservices.com
Reuters has just published what one presidential appointee calls a “groundbreaking and heartbreaking” investigative series about drug-dependent babies who died preventable deaths after being sent home with mothers who took opioids during their pregnancies.

We document 110 examples of babies who have died since 2010 – not from the drugs in their systems at birth but from failures by health care workers to report them, or social services to protect them after those newborns are released from hospitals.

Reuters found that thousands more babies born drug-dependent are at risk each year because social service workers never learn about them. The investigation also shows how a federal law meant to protect these newborns is largely being ignored. One former Congressman calls the problems Reuters uncovered a “national disgrace.”

The news agency also profiled one community that has come up with a solution to keep babies safe and help their mothers care for them.

Here’s a link to the series: reut.rs/1NSc7uC

AZ: Tuition program enables foster youth to earn college degree
KTAR News – December 04, 2015
A series of “unfortunate circumstances” early in Breanna Carpenter’s sophomore year of high school placed her in the Arizona foster care system. That didn’t stop her from realizing her dream of attending college, thanks to a state program that pays tuition for foster youth.
lists.icfwebservices.com

CA: Family of Contra Costa County teen who died in foster care files wrongful death lawsuit
Contra Costa Times – December 06, 2015
Sixteen-year-old Steven Unangst lay choking and thrashing in his bed the night before he died in foster care in Contra Costa County, a newly filed lawsuit alleges, but his foster parent failed to seek medical attention for the teen later found to have ingested a lethal mix of prescription pills.
lists.icfwebservices.com

DC: Children in Foster Care System Slept At CFSA Office, in Hotels This Year
City Paper – December 04, 2015
Several children in the care of D.C.’s child welfare agency stayed overnight at its office and in hotel rooms between January and June of this year, according to the Child and Family Services Agency’s court-appointed monitor, “a reoccurrence of an unacceptable practice that has not appeared at this level for many years.”
lists.icfwebservices.com

FL: Hundreds of students homeless in Brevard (Includes video)
Florida Today – December 06, 2015
D.P. is one of almost 2,000 students in Brevard Public Schools who are homeless, a number that is gradually increasing, said Sally Shinn, homeless liaison and resource teacher for BPS. “We are identifying more than ever,” she said, noting that those who are couch surfing, doubled up with other families or living in a hotel are also considered homeless.
lists.icfwebservices.com

FL: State purges 9,000 children from medical system in cost-saving overhaul
Miami Herald – December 06, 2015
Emails and other records obtained by the Herald show the screening process imposed earlier this year was part of a deliberate attempt to reduce spending on kids like Aref, by making the number of youngsters in a program called Children’s Medical Services shrink to line up with the money the state wanted to spend.
lists.icfwebservices.com

FL: DeLand group home for foster care children gets new technology
Daytona Beach News Journal – December 04, 2015
“Our goal is to introduce kids to technology and close the technology gap because 50 percent of the kids in foster care are at risk for dropping out of school,” said Kimberly Pleasants, executive director of a division of the Children’s Home Society of Florida that includes Volusia, Flagler, and Putnam counties.
lists.icfwebservices.com

FL: Nearly Two Years On The Job, DCF Head Talks Tenure During Initial Confirmation Hearing (Includes audio)
WUSF Public Media – December 04, 2015
The head of Florida’s child welfare system gained unanimous approval during his initial Senate confirmation hearing Thursday.
lists.icfwebservices.com

KS: More same-sex couples accuse DCF of discrimination
Garden City Telegram – December 07, 2015
More same-sex couples are saying they faced unfair treatment from the Kansas Department for Children and Families after two cases surfaced showing the agency recommended taking children from lesbian foster parents who sought to adopt.
lists.icfwebservices.com

KS: Deaths of home-schooled kids across US shocking, but lawmakers reluctant to create new rules
Associated Press – December 06, 2015
“It’s largely a conservative thing, but even progressive home-schoolers tend to resist oversight,” said Rachel Coleman, co-founder of the nonprofit Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “Part of it is because there is an assumption that parents always know what’s best for their children.”
lists.icfwebservices.com

KS: DCF foster care official retiring after year on the job
Hutchinson News – December 04, 2015
Michael Myers will retire at the end of December.
lists.icfwebservices.com

KS: Judge in 2013 ruling: DCF conducted ‘witch hunt’ against lesbian foster parents
Wichita Eagle – December 04, 2015
A 2013 sealed court ruling that was distributed to reporters Friday casts doubt on the assertion by officials with the Kansas Department For Children and Families that the agency does not weigh sexual orientation in foster care and adoption cases.
lists.icfwebservices.com

LA: NOPD hires social workers to help sexual assault investigators
The Times-Picayune – December 04, 2015
The New Orleans Police Department announced Friday (Dec. 4) the hiring of three full-time social workers who will accompany detectives to sexual assault scenes to offer victims assistance and support, and help guide them throughout the investigation.
lists.icfwebservices.com

MA: Jaime Caron of Northampton to run reopened central region Department of Children and Families office in Worcester (Requires registration)
Daily Hampshire Gazette – December 01, 2015
Jaime Caron, a Northampton resident and longtime Department of Children and Families employee, has been selected to lead a central regional office the agency is reestablishing in January. Budget cuts led the child welfare agency to close the central office in 2009 and merge it with the western Massachusetts regional office, which then became responsible for more than half of the agency’s geography and cases.
lists.icfwebservices.com

MN: Agencies work together to combat child maltreatment
Brainerd Daily Dispatch – December 04, 2015
Child abuse is not as it was 20 years ago, according to members of the Crow Wing County Child Protection Team. It’s not just about a child being physically hit or having bruises. It’s about neglect, emotional abuse, mental illnesses and can be caused by parents using drugs, controlled substances or alcohol or going through divorce. Also: What does the Child Protection Team do?: 3896979 what does child protection team do (brainerddispatch.com)
lists.icfwebservices.com

MT: Protect Kids panel has first meeting
Great Falls Tribune – December 04, 2015
A panel tasked with looking at reforms to the state’s child protection system had its inaugural meeting Friday, with members updated on current services, learning how these programs interact with other agencies, future challenges, complaints from the public and then plotted its next course of action.
lists.icfwebservices.com

ND: State to Begin Child Sex Trafficking Education (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 07, 2015
Starting next week, human trafficking experts will be talking with social workers, police and foster parents. Shari Doe, director of North Dakota’s Children and Family Services Division, says the idea is to help these professionals identify possible victims and how to get them the best help available.
lists.icfwebservices.com

NE: Child welfare sees increase in out-of-home care
Beatrice Daily Sun – December 04, 2015
The Nebraska Foster Care Review Office said Thursday that the number of children in out-of-home care increased during the year that ended June 30, compared with the year before.
lists.icfwebservices.com

OH: How passing legislation that seeks to extended foster care to age 21 may impact youth (Includes video)
NewsNet 5 Cleveland – December 04, 2015
She said, “For some issues it was hard for me. I feel like nobody’s ready to be kicked out at 18 and I know friends and family members who still live with their parents at like 23, 24, who just need help, so it just feels like it wasn’t fair at all, but I mean, that was just the rules.” Also: Foster Care Benefits Bill Passes Ohio House: Foster care benefits bill passes ohio house (hometownstations.com)
lists.icfwebservices.com

OK: Frye named director of Chickasaw Nation recovery resource services
Daily Ardmoreite – December 06, 2015
“Mrs. Frye has demonstrated her commitment to helping Chickasaw people in challenging situations as an Indian Child Welfare worker,” Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby said. “She has the skills and compassion necessary to serve effectively in this very important role.”
lists.icfwebservices.com

PA: Column: More dropped calls at child abuse hotline, as auditor investigates
Daily Item – December 04, 2015
Human Services Secretary Ted Dallas acknowledged during an interview Friday that 1 in 4 people who call the hotline get a busy signal or are put on hold so long, they hang up.
lists.icfwebservices.com

SC: Column: South Carolina must have control over refugee resettlement here (Opinion)
Aiken Standard – December 07, 2015
Before settling refugees in a community we need to ascertain the capacity of social service agencies, child welfare agencies, child care facilities, educational facilities, health care facilities, translation and interpreter services, and law enforcement agencies to meet the existing needs of the community’s current residents considering budgetary and other restraints.
lists.icfwebservices.com

TN: $1.4M development to aid youth aging out of foster care (Includes video)
WJHL – December 04, 2015
The Keystone Development, a subsidiary of the Johnson City Housing Authority, announced plans to use a grant totaling $500,000 from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency and additional grant funding, to construct a $1.4 million apartment complex on Baker Street in Johnson City. Also: $500K grant to build Johnson City housing for homeless vets, teens coming from foster care: 500K grant to build housing for homeless vets teens coming from foster care (johnsoncitypress.com)
lists.icfwebservices.com

WA: DHS investigating 7 foster homes
Statesman Journal – December 04, 2015
Children have been removed from one foster home as part of a DHS investigation ordered by Gov. Kate Brown and increased media scrutiny of the agency.
lists.icfwebservices.com

WA: Fighting Trauma: Aiding children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences just got a little easier
The Inlander – December 04, 2015
Study after study documents the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on a person’s health and brain development. Most recently, research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that the more ACEs people had, the higher their risk of suffering heart disease, diabetes or stroke as an adult, even if the trauma ended decades ago. Information Gateway resource: Caseworkers (childwelfare.gov)
lists.icfwebservices.com

WI: Legislation on child abuse reporting draws concerns from Dane County social workers
Capital Times – December 04, 2015
Wisconsin legislation that would change how child abuse and neglect cases are handled is drawing sharp disagreement between Dane County prosecutors, law enforcement officials and social services providers about what is best for children.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: Child Welfare Advocates Begin Final Push for Extending Tax Credits (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 07, 2015
Congress soon will break for the holidays, but there’s still a big issue on the table whether or not to make permanent or even just extend parts of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. Child welfare advocates, such as David Lloyd, director of the Fiscal Policy Center with Voices for Illinois Children, say these credits help about 900,000 Illinois children. But the credits are slated to expire in 2017.
lists.icfwebservices.com

US: The Adoption System’s Lost Children
Daily Beast – December 07, 2015
Few cities and states keep track of the number of “broken adoptions”, where kids reenter the foster system when adoption just doesn’t work out, but legal experts say they’re seeing a serious problem.
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US: Op-Ed: Why attacks on same-sex parenting depend on flawed research
Los Angeles Times – December 04, 2015
Now that the Supreme Court has found a constitutional right to marry for same-sex couples, it seems logical that the parallel national debate over same-sex parenting might also be over. After all, the two issues were proxies for each other.
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US: Life Begins When You Get Out of Your Comfort Zone (Opinion)
Huffington Post – December 04, 2015
If you were to go with me to a weekly meeting of Reaching Out From Within, a self help program for men and women who are incarcerated in every Kansas prison and three in North Carolina, you would be surprised, amazed, and inspired. You would be privy to an intense, intimate discussion about a range of topics from child abuse, spouse abuse, substance abuse, sexual abuse, anger management, communication skills and other revealing topics. You would hear conversations that are “raw, real and relevant” as one of the inmates describes them.
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INTERNATIONAL

Canada: A Canadian LGBT Family Reflects On Their Adoption Process
Huffington Post – December 04, 2015
Contributing writer Beth Hallstrom went north of the boarder to get Canadian perspectives on LGBT parents and their child welfare system in this installment of the Huffington Post Gay Voices / RaiseAChild.US “Let Love Define Family®” series.
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Canada: Algoma Children’s Aid Society questions auditor general’s report
CBC News – December 04, 2015
The Children’s Aid Society of Algoma is responding to criticism from the provincial auditor general who said Wednesday that Ontario’s 47 Children’s Aid Societies are slow to investigate allegations of abuse.
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CA: Home Improvement
Santa Cruz Good Times – December 02, 2015
Within Santa Cruz County at any given time there are about 550 youths who are dependents of the local court system, also known as foster care kids.
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FL: Mini-camp unites foster siblings in Osceola
Osceola News-Gazette – December 02, 2015
The mini-camp, which was held recently, was sponsored by Green Vistas Foundation working with the Community Based Youth Advisory Board in Osceola. The camp reunited siblings who live in different foster homes. Most hadn’t seen their brothers and sisters for many months.
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IN: Program aims to give mothers ‘holistic health’
The Star Press – December 02, 2015
“I feel like a lot of people now have multi-faceted issues,” she said. “It’s not just about physical health. It’s about overall, holistic health.” So Wilson jumped on board when the Nurse-Family Partnership program expanded to Madison and Delaware County this year. The program–which has been in Indianapolis since 2011–pairs an expectant mother with a registered nurse, who meets with her regularly and helps the mother until the child turns two.
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IN: State agency sued in child abuse case
NWI Times – December 02, 2015
A man has sued the state Department of Child Services and several of its employees in connection with a Porter County child abuse case that resulted in his ex-wife and another woman being sentenced to prison time last year.
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KS: Number of children in foster care on the rise
Emporia Gazette – December 02, 2015
Close to 6,500 children in Kansas are currently in foster care, and approximately 100 of those children are from Lyon County.
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KS: Rep. Jim Ward calls for audit of Department for Children and Families after Schumm news revealed
The Topeka Capital-Journal – December 02, 2015
Ward stated Wed. he plans to file a proper request for an investigation in to whether or not DCF has discriminated against same-sex couples in adoptions & foster care.
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KY: ‘Meant to be’ modern family
The Lebanon Enterprise – December 03, 2015
Bradfordsville couple makes local history with Marion County’s first same sex adoption.
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NC: In search of a forever home: Number of children in foster care on the rise
Smoky Mountain News – December 02, 2015
Foster care agencies continue to see the number of foster care cases increase and the opportunities to reunify those children with their biological parents decrease. It’s a trend many Western North Carolina counties are experiencing.
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NY: Mayor Takes Strong Stance Following Gloversville Child Abuse Case (Includes video)
Time Warner Cable News – December 02, 2015
The mayor of Gloversville is speaking out about what the city’s police chief called the worst case of child abuse he’s ever seen. Wednesday that little boy’s mother and the man police say attacked him were in court.
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OH: Rep. Smith votes to expand foster care assistance and reform State’s guardianship laws
Jackson County Times-Journal – December 03, 2015
State Representative Smith (R-Bidwell) voted for legislation that increases the age for which persons are eligible to receive foster care and adoption assistance, as well as addresses issues associated with caring for the more than 67,000 juvenile and elderly Ohioans subject to guardianship in the state. Information Gateway resource: Standby Guardianship (and link to State Statutes database): Guardianship (childwelfare.gov)
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OR: Feds Open Investigation into Troubled Portland Foster Care Provider
Williamette Week – December 02, 2015
On Nov. 13, the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services served a sweeping subpoena on the Oregon Department of Human Services, demanding documentation of the agency’s payments to Give Us This Day from Jan. 1, 2007, until now.
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PA: Is state’s child-abuse reporting system working? Audit seeks to find out
PennLive.com – December 02, 2015
DePasquale announced on Wednesday his auditors last month began the first-ever state audit of this program overseen by Department of Human Services that runs the state’s child abuse hotline and processes applications for child abuse clearances.
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TN: Law allowing charges against moms of drug-dependent babies set to expire soon (Includes video)
WJHL – December 02, 2015
Sullivan County District Attorney General Barry Staubus pushed to get this law passed and is now trying not only to get the law renewed, he is trying to expand and strengthen it.
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TX: Targeting Child Abuse, Panel Pushes for State Advisory Board
The Texas Tribune – December 02, 2015
Seeking to reduce the number of child abuse fatalities in Texas, a group of medical, law and child welfare experts recommended Wednesday that the state create a new advisory board, as well as review teams to examine child abuse cases in each county.
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US: Clinicians Don’t Deviate from Protocol By Providing Supplemental Services (Opinion)
The Chronicle of Social Change – December 03, 2015
Therapists make small adjustments with all the parents and children we see to meet their specific clinical needs (especially children in the child welfare system). The unique contribution of the TIES clinicians lies in the special information they provide adoptive parents about the challenges of adoption.
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US: Safe Haven laws protect parents and unwanted children (Includes video)
WNCT – December 02, 2015
After multiple babies have been abandoned across the country in the last week, many people are wondering why some parents are protected while others are not.
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INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Rate of Indigenous children in child protection ‘almost equivalent to another Stolen Generation’
The Sydney Morning Herald – December 03, 2015
The rate of Indigenous Australians entering the child protection system has reached “epidemic levels” and is one of the most pressing human rights challenges facing the country, a report by the Human Rights Commission says.
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Canada: Auditor general identifies ‘gaps’ in child welfare system
CBC News – December 02, 2015
Facebook Twitter Reddit Google Share Email Related Stories ?Ontario’s auditor general slams Liberal government over litany of problems Ontario’s 47 Children’s Aid Societies are too slow to investigate allegations of abuse and far too often fail to perform basic background checks on the people involved in the care of vulnerable children, the province’s auditor general said in her latest report, issued on Wednesday.
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Canada: First Nations get more say in child welfare under proposed Manitoba law (Includes video)
CBC News – December 02, 2015
The proposed legislation would underscore the importance of indigenous communities determining and carrying out care of their children, according to traditional customs, Family Services Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross said, adding the province will consult with indigenous communities to determine what customary care would look like for each of them.
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China: FT Seasonal Appeal: China’s missing children (Includes video)
The Financial Times – December 02, 2015
For this year’s Seasonal Appeal, the Financial Times is working in partnership with Stop The Traffik, an organisation that raises awareness of this modern-day slave trade, whose victims the UN says have been found in 124 countries.
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India: Everyone can adopt a child provided they meet criteria: CARA
DNA – December 03, 2015
The Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA), in its affidavit filed in the Bombay High Court on Wednesday, has refuted the allegation that gays, lesbians and the transgender can’t adopt children as per the new adoption guidelines.
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United Kingdom: Number of migrants who reached Europe falls by third–but one million still expected
Express – December 03, 2015
Children also make up at least 30 per cent of the 589 migrant deaths so far this year,
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AR: Governor touts foster home recruitment, but intake of children increases equivalently
Arkansas Times – December 01, 2015
In other words, from Aug. 25 to Dec. 1, DCFS saw the number of children in state custody increase by 266, which means the 232 new foster beds added in the past three months fall slightly short of the number needed just to keep up with the increasing demand.
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AR: Residential home for foster children dedicated in Charleston
Arkansas News Bureau – December 01, 2015
Dedication of Maggie House, a new 33-bed residential home for children in state custody, was topped off Tuesday with the announcement of a $1.6 million donation to build another similar facility in Fort Smith next year.
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AZ: Benefit Cuts Don’t Bode Well for Arizona’s Homeless Population (Includes audio)
Public News Service – December 02, 2015
The rate of homelessness in the United States declined 11 percent in 2015, according to a new U.S. Housing and Urban Development report. Homeless numbers in Arizona also are down, but the rate of decline is only 6 percent, and could be in danger of growing.
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CA: Jeremiah’s Promise continues to ease life transitions for foster youth
Los Altos Town Crier – December 02, 2015
In the past year, the organization has expanded its services to reach more young people through an online coaching program. Foster youth around the Bay Area who are juggling school and work can log on to the computer to access resources they can’t reach in person.
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CT: Growing number of children adopted by relatives
Journal Inquirer – November 29, 2015
DCF said that rate of adopted children being placed with families has risen from 21 percent in January 2011 to 39.3 percent, and this past September was the first time the agency placed more than half the children entering care during a month with family. Information Gateway Resource: Adoption (childwelfare.gov)
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IN: State Court of Appeals: Juvenile judge erred by putting kids in child welfare system
Indianapolis Star – December 01, 2015
Marion Juvenile Court officials ordered four children into the child welfare system despite “wholly lacking” evidence of the need to do so, the Indiana Court of Appeals decided Monday. Information Gateway Resource: Courts: childwelfare.gov
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KS: & MO: Home schools face few regulations in Kansas, Missouri (Includes video)
KMBC – December 01, 2015
Kansas has very simple home-school requirements and regulations. Missouri has almost none.
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KS: Parents’ drug use spurs rise in foster children in Kansas
The Kansas City Star – December 01, 2015
Unfortunately, too many children in Kansas are being thrust into the world of drugs. The state has an all-time high number of kids in foster care, and children’s advocates point to parents’ rising use of meth and heroin as a factor.
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LA: Flip side of foster care: parents fighting for reunification (Includes video)
KPLC-TV – December 02, 2015
4,800 Louisiana children are in foster care today, according to the Department of Children and Family Services. Twenty percent of those kids are freed for adoptions, while the remaining 80 percent will be returned to their biological families.
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MO: State Rep. Rob Vescovo Files Legislation to Make Adoption a More Affordable Option
The Missouri Times – December 01, 2015
He filed legislation this week that would authorize the Missouri Children’s Division to reimburse adoptive parents for the bulk of the nonrecurring costs associated with adoption.
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OH: Rep. Tim Brown Co-Sponsored bill Expands Foster Care Assistance
The NB Xpress – December 02, 2015
A bill, Co-Sponsored by State Representative Tim Brown, passed the Ohio House of Representatives Tuesday by a vote of 91-2. The bi-partisan legislation increases the age for which persons are eligible to receive foster care and adoption assistance.
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OH: State House OKs bill extending foster care services to age 21
Associated Press – December 01, 2015
The Ohio House has passed a bill that would extend the age for people to receive foster care services to 21.
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PA: House votes to move state insurance program for children into Department of Human Services
Associated Press – December 01, 2015
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved a bill that would move a program that provides health insurance for more than 150,000 children into a new department.
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UT: Court postpones hearing to address best interests of girl living with lesbian foster parents
Salt Lake Tribune – December 01, 2015
The scheduling changes follow Judge Scott Johansen’s decision to recuse himself from the case amid wide criticism of his Nov. 10 order that directed state child welfare officials to move the child to a home with heterosexual parents.
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VA: Powerful Documentary to Raise Awareness of Heroin and Prescription Drug Epidemic (Press release)(Includes video)
Virginia.gov – November 23, 2015
In response to a heroin and prescription drug epidemic that claimed more lives in Virginia in 2014 than car crashes, Attorney General Mark R. Herring is premiering Heroin: The Hardest Hit, a powerful documentary about the danger of heroin and prescription drugs and their impact on Virginia families and communities.
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US: How Many Homeless Youth Are in America? No One Knows.
Governing – December 01, 2015
Why is it so hard to get a good count of youth homelessness? For one thing, HUD’s estimate depends heavily on the number of people using emergency shelters during winter months. That makes sense for adults, but younger people are more likely to steer clear of shelters.
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INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Church ‘completely failed’ on child abuse
Sky News Australia – December 02, 2015
Melbourne’s Catholic leaders completely failed to deal with pedophile priests as they tried to protect the church, the archdiocese’s former second-in-charge admits.
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Canada: A MMIW inquiry must examine the child-welfare system (Opinion)
The Globe and Mail – December 02, 2015
As the mandate for the inquiry on murdered and missing indigenous women takes shape, the government ought to consider the role systemic disadvantage plays in placing women and girls at higher risk for violence.
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AR: Adoptions raise cultural concern
Arkansas Online – November 29, 2015
They worry that some of the women are signing documents in a language they don’t understand and may not know that they have no rights to their children once the youngsters have been adopted. In the Marshallese culture, adoptions are open, and birth mothers often share in the child-rearing.
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CA: Additional molestation victims identified
Paso Robles Press – November 30, 2015
As a result of this new information, several additional charges will be added for each victim. San Luis Obispo County Child Welfare Services has been instrumental in finding additional victims as well as the assistance of the District Attorney’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program and the County’s Child Forensic Interview Specialist.
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CA: Police must pass along child-abuse reports, state court rules (Requires free registration)
San Francisco Chronicle – November 30, 2015
Police who get a report from the public about suspected child abuse have a duty to notify a child welfare agency immediately, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday.
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CA: Real-life scenarios play out at new social worker training facility
San Bernardino Sun – November 30, 2015
In San Bernardino County and elsewhere across Southern California, these social workers are training to experience what they might in the field, learning from mistakes and gaining confidence from a newly operational facility in Riverside, which serves as the new social worker training camp.
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CT: Sex trafficking referrals on rise
Register Citizen – November 28, 2015
The youngest victim of sex trafficking in the state Department of Children and Families’ files is 2 years old. So far this year, the department has received more than 80 referrals of possible victims of human trafficking in the state, said Tammy Sneed, director of girls’ services at DCF. Sneed said she predicts the department will surpass last year’s total of 94 referrals by the end of the year.
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FL: Rate of kids coming into Florida’s foster care rising
News Service of Florida – November 28, 2015
More children are coming into Florida’s foster-care system after a sweeping child-welfare reform law went into effect 19 months ago, but officials say the state is trying to focus on what’s best for kids in difficult situations.
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FL: ‘Pioneer’ of Daytona-based program that changed foster care dies
Daytona Beach News Journal – November 27, 2015
Gordon Johnson, the man who kept countless numbers of siblings together in foster care and changed the system with his Neighbor to Family program, has died at the age of 82. Johnson, who came to the Daytona Beach area in the late 90s, died Wednesday after a brief illness. He was the founder, president and CEO of Neighbor to Family, Inc.
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GA: Foster Care Crisis: Muscogee County officials look to churches, families as number of foster children rises
Ledger-Enquirer – November 28, 2015
“It was somewhere in the 300s last year, and now we’re at 520,” said Juvenile Court Judge Warner Kennon, who handles such cases. “It seems to be growing exponentially. About every six months, we see a big jump in the numbers. We only have about 100 beds in Columbus, so Judge (Andrew) Dodgen, Judge (Joey) Loudermilk and I have being trying to augment those beds any way possible, through church involvement.”
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IL: Report: DCFS plagued with problems, needs total overhaul (May require registration)
Chicago Tribune – November 30, 2015
Beset by failures in leadership and in treatment of the state’s most vulnerable children, Illinois’ Department of Children and Family Services is hammering out a reform plan after a panel of court-appointed experts determined the agency needs a top-to-bottom overhaul if it hopes to improve the safety and well-being of the thousands of youths in its care.
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NE: Nebraska first lady’s involvement sets her apart from predecessors
Omaha World Herald – November 29, 2015
Shore has continued to be involved with Omaha nonprofit groups devoted to children’s issues. She spoke at a March benefit for the Nebraska Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association and gave opening remarks in September at the Voices for Children Spotlight Gala.
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NJ: State would benefit from expanded mental health and addictions program | Opinion
NJ.com – November 28, 2015
New Jersey’s community system of care is a leader in integrating health care, mental health and treatment for children and adults addicted to drugs or alcohol, which means better, more comprehensive care. But we can do much better, and federal legislation may give us the chance.
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NV: Children in Crisis: ‘The polio of our generation’:Mental health troubles often land kids in emergency rooms
Las Vegas Sun – December 01, 2015
Staff in UMC’s pediatric emergency department have a nickname for Southern Nevada: the pediatric mental health vortex. “We call it the polio of our generation,” Dr. Jay Fisher said. “This is a health crisis of unbelievable proportions.”
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OH: Expand the Housing Trust Fund (Opinion)
Akron Beacon Journal – November 30, 2015
One of the more successful state initiatives of the past two decades or more is the Ohio Housing Trust Fund. Adequate housing elevates lives, as Faith emphasized. Stable housing leads to a better home life and children performing at a higher level in the classroom. Ohio has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country. Housing is part of an effective response in this and other areas of health care.
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OH: Collateral damage (Opinion)
Toledo Blade – November 29, 2015
Ohio’s opioid epidemic has thrust foster parents into the front lines of this public health emergency. The number of children displaced and harmed by their parents’ addiction to heroin appears to have skyrocketed over the past six years.
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OH: Editorial: Passage of S.B. 240 critical for foster children
Times Reporter – November 28, 2015
Each year in Ohio, more than 1,000 foster kids “age out” of the system once they hit 18. After enduring challenges no kid should have to face, they’re forced to encounter new obstacles, ones that might seem insurmountable at such a pivotal moment in their lives.
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OK: Erwin named director of Chickasaw Nation healthy lifestyles (Press release)
Chickasaw Nation – November 25, 2015
Healthy lifestyles offers residential treatment for substance abuse users wishing a fresh start. The leadership and direction of this program now falls under Benita Erwin. “I consider it an honor and a tremendous opportunity to serve in this capacity,” Mrs. Erwin said. “The Chickasaw Nation mission and values are consistent with my belief that in order to help individuals we need to serve the whole family.”
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PA: GUEST COLUMN: Children held hostage in Pa. budget standoff (Opinion)
Pottstown Mercury – November 29, 2015
Amid all the political posturing and the hard lines drawn, there has been a complete absence of logic regarding funding for child protection in Pennsylvania during the current budget impasse. In this process, some of the most vulnerable residents of Pennsylvania are being put at risk.
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VT: SCOTUS to hear Vermont case
Rutland Herald – December 01, 2015
The law requiring insurers to provide the information states that those covering fewer than 200 Vermonters can do so on a voluntary basis. However, because Liberty Mutual uses Blue Cross Blue Shield, a mandatory reporter, to administer the plan, the state has maintained that the claims data in BCBS’ possession must be submitted.
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WA: Homeless youths, their trackers, running around in circles (Opinion)
Seattle Times – November 30, 2015
Somewhere out there was a 15-year-old foster kid whose 20-year-old boyfriend had gotten hooked on heroin. Her mom was in prison. Her dad was long absent. When she got placed in the foster home of her choosing, she ran away a day later. Now, her state Department of Social and Health Services social worker has to go find her. Mike Stamp has a three-Red-Bulls-a-day kind of energy. On a recent morning, he quickly scoured Facebook looking for a digital trail to follow. “Hiding in plain sight,” the runaway girl wrote in a post. Information Gateway resource: Youth Who Run Away From Out-of-Home Care: childwelfare.gov
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WA: State grappling with big drop in number of foster homes
Tacoma News Tribune – November 30, 2015
After more than a decade, Washington state continues to struggle to meet all the requirements of a lawsuit intended to improve foster-care services for children.
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WA: Embracing the state’s young and homeless
Seattle Times – November 28, 2015
Homelessness is front and center around the Puget Sound. Perhaps less visible, but even more urgent, are the young and homeless. These are the children with no parents in sight or who are homeless with their families. Kids who run away from abuse or instability at home or from foster homes. Girls and boys on the street who are lured into the trap of pimps who exploit them. Also: Nobody wants to put runaways in detention, but what do we do? (Opinion): Nobody wants to put runaways in detention but what do we do (seattletimes.com)
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WA: The story of one homeless girl, Brittany, who was failed time and again (Opinion)
Seattle Times – November 28, 2015
The state system to deal with runaways had three chances to intervene this year for Brittany. But that system is a disjointed mess. Also: Children on the street slip through the cracks; state has misplaced priorities (Opinion): Editorial homeless youth children seattle king county dshs (seattletimes.com)
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US: Catholic Charities: maintain funding for HHS, HUD programs
Catholic Culture – December 01, 2015
Catholic Charities USA has called upon leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to maintain the current level of funding for several federal programs.
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US: High-quality foster care reduces chance of callous-emotional trait development for abandoned children early in life
Medical Xpress – December 01, 2015
A study to be published in the December 2015 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) reports that high-quality foster care can mitigate the development of callous-unemotional traits for adolescents who experienced parent deprivation in early life.
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US: Taking A Closer Look At Grandparent Caregivers (Includes audio)(Broadcast at 11:00 A.M. EST)
Diane Rehm Show (NPR) – December 01, 2015
An estimated 2.7 million grandparents in the U.S. have the responsibility of taking care of their grandchildren. In some cases the parent is still in the picture; in others, grandparents step in to become the sole provider.
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US: Birth Match, Tool to Prevent Abuse and Neglect, Slow to Spread (Opinion)
Chronicle of Social Change – November 30, 2015
The Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF) has heard from experts and stakeholders around the country and has prepared a draft of its recommendations. Among them is the suggestion that states expand a practice called “birth match,” which can identify at birth children who are at risk of child abuse and neglect.
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US: Adoption landscape changes
St. Cloud Times – November 28, 2015
Today, the process is done in the open. A birth mom clicks through online profiles, sometimes from all over the United States, to find a family she likes. Adoptive families create social media profiles and business cards, telling anyone and everyone they know that they are looking to adopt.
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US: Joint Op-Ed in The Hill: Taking care of Native children (Press release)
House.gov – November 25, 2015
In recent years and especially in the past months, there has been sensationalized news coverage about the controversial adoptions of Native American children into non-tribal families or their placement into foster care. Given the unfortunate coverage and several heartbreaking cases, it’s important to think back on how we got here and remember the centuries of injustice that Native families have faced.
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