Frequently asked questions
The questions KARA is actually asked, each with the page that answers it in full.
Questions KARA is actually asked. If yours is not here, info@invisiblechildren.org reaches a person, not an autoresponder.
Getting help
A child is in danger right now. What do I do?
Do not write to KARA first. Call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline on 1-800-422-4453, or 911 if a child is in immediate danger. Childhelp is staffed around the clock and can tell you what reporting looks like in your state. KARA is a small advocacy organisation and cannot take a report or intervene in a case.
The help pages set out what happens after a report, what a mandated reporter has to do, and what to expect from child protection.
I am a survivor. Can KARA help me?
Not with case work, referrals, or legal advice: KARA does none of those, and saying otherwise would waste time you may not have. What KARA has is written material, including a toolkit for adults abused as children, and the crisis routes on the help pages.
The toolkits
What are they, and what do they cost?
There are 45 of them, one for each role that sees a child, sorted into 8 groups. They are free to read in full, with no signup and no paywall. Start at who are you and pick the one that describes you.
Can I print them, teach from them, or hand them out?
Yes. They are written to be used that way: in a staff meeting, a training day, a classroom, a court volunteer induction. You do not need permission and there is no licence to buy. If you are placing them inside an institution and want to talk it through first, write to info@invisiblechildren.org.
Donating
Is KARA a registered charity?
Yes. Kids At Risk Action is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit, EIN 51-0570258, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. The Form 990 filings are public and linked from financials and accountability.
Where does the money go?
Financials and accountability is the honest answer rather than a paragraph here. KARA is small, and what that means for a donor is set out on that page.
Can I give by cheque, or by something other than a card?
Yes. Cheques go to KARA, 910 First Street So #4091, Hopkins, MN 55343. For a donor-advised fund, a stock transfer, an employer match, or a bequest, write to info@invisiblechildren.org and somebody will send whatever your provider needs.
The writing
My name, or my family, appears in an old post. Can it come out?
Yes, and you do not have to explain why. If you are the parent, guardian, or the person named, write to info@invisiblechildren.org and KARA acts within seven days. No legal proceedings are required. The full rule, including what KARA will and will not publish about a child, is on the editorial policy.
Can I republish a KARA article?
Ask first, at info@invisiblechildren.org. Much of the blog quotes newspapers of record, so the piece you want may not be KARA’s to license in full, and the answer will tell you which part is which.
How far back does the blog go?
To 2005. There are 1,912 pieces, and every address the old site ever served still works, so an old link or an old citation will still land.
The data
Where do the numbers come from?
Research and data carries the methodology. The library holds 11,766 cited sources and there are 52 state records; both are browsable, and the underlying record lives in KARA SIGNAL.
Can I use KARA’s data in my own work?
Yes, with a citation. If it is a study, a thesis, or a story, research collaboration is faster than starting from the raw pages.
Getting involved
How do I volunteer?
The volunteer page lists the roles and takes applications. Most of what KARA needs is remote, and measured in hours rather than days.
I want to become a CASA or guardian ad litem. Is that KARA?
No, and that is worth being clear about: CASA programmes are run by courts and local organisations, not by KARA. KARA runs an Ad Grants initiative to help those programmes find volunteers, and the film on that page is about what the role actually involves. To sign up, go to your local CASA programme.
Will Mike speak at our event?
Often, yes. Invite a speaker has the formats and how to ask. For a campus, campus conversations is the programme that has run at around fifty institutions.
This website
Does this site track me?
No cookies are set, nothing is sold or shared, and there are no advertising or social tracking pixels. Videos and the podcast do not contact YouTube or Spotify until you press play. The privacy page names every outside company your browser can be made to talk to, and what each one receives.
What is Quick Exit?
The button in the corner. It leaves this site immediately and replaces what is in your browser history for it, for anyone reading on a device somebody else may check. It is not perfect cover, and the privacy page says plainly what it does and does not do.