West Virginia

Child maltreatment victims
NCANDS, FFY2024

Entered foster care
AFCARS, FY2022

In foster care on Sept 30
AFCARS, FY2022

June 21, 2026 · KARA Reporting

Fixing CPS - (35 Minute Podcast)

For a Deeper Dive on this or other topics, hit the DEEP DIVE button on the lower right corner of this page. This conversation about how the safety and wellbeing of abused and neglected children is directly tied to measur

June 19, 2026 · KARA Reporting

Best & Worst States For America's Children

Where does your state rank in protecting children & what can you do to make improvements. These statistics tell the stories of our best and worst states around the nation

Arizona · Arkansas · California · Connecticut · Florida · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Iowa · Louisiana · Maine · Massachusetts · Minnesota · Mississippi · Nevada · New Hampshire · New York · North Dakota · Oklahoma · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wyoming

June 6, 2026 · KARA Reporting

America’s Child Abuse Emergency: 546,000 Victims, 2,000 Deaths, and a System That Chooses This

Child abuse in the United States is not rare or random. It is the predictable outcome of policy choices. In 2023, about 546,000 children were confirmed victims of abuse or neglect and an estimated 2,000 were killed, rou

Alaska · Florida · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Maine · Massachusetts · Minnesota · Mississippi · Montana · New Hampshire · New Jersey · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Dakota · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia

May 27, 2026 · KARA Reporting

Foster Child Self-Harm & Suicide June 2025

Childhood trauma, suicide and self-harm among American youth are at historic highs, with alarming increases among fosters, preteens, girls, LGBTQ+ youth, and children of color. Suicide is now the second leading cause of

Alaska · Idaho · Nevada · New Hampshire · New York · West Virginia

May 5, 2026 · KARA Reporting

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

• “Since 2020, national and state test data show steep declines in foundational reading and math skills that are not bouncing back on their own. If current trends hold, by 2034 a majority of U.S. students will need remed

Alabama · Arizona · California · Connecticut · Hawaii · Louisiana · Massachusetts · Mississippi · Nevada · New Mexico · New York · Oregon · West Virginia

March 4, 2026 · KARA Reporting

Child Abuse Sad Stories & Statistics (1ST 45 days in 2026))

Child abuse doesn’t stop for holidays or election years. In just the first 45 days of 2026, sad stories and new statistics are already piling up. This post tracks those cases and numbers to show how many invisible childr

Georgia · Ohio · West Virginia

February 26, 2026 · KARA Reporting

COVID + ICE RAIDS Impacting America's Schools

COVID school closures and ICE raids have combined to drive U.S. reading, math, history, and civics scores to historic lows. This post outlines national NAEP data, the states with the deepest learning loss, and what these

Alabama · Arkansas · Louisiana · Massachusetts · Minnesota · Mississippi · New Mexico · Oklahoma · West Virginia

February 8, 2026 · KARA Reporting

The Cost of Children Waiting for Their Voice In Court (Guardian ad Litem)

Hundreds of children in Minnesota’s child protection system are waiting for a guardian ad litem – the only independent voice they have in court. Every extra month in foster care deepens trauma and drives up costs. This a

Florida · Minnesota · Oregon · West Virginia

November 4, 2025 · KARA Reporting

Fixing CPS - A Meaningful Conversation (35 Minute Podcast)

Fixing CPS with greater transparency in Child Protective Services. This conversation is about the many things impacting the safety and wellbeing of abused and neglected children. The lack of transparency being discussed

October 22, 2025 · KARA Reporting

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

This article is derived from Hana Ikramuddin's excellent Imprint News Article about Fosters not being notified of their rights - Read the Imprint article here. Hana tells us the story of AIayna Ghost’s years in Foster Ca

Alabama · Alaska · California · Colorado · Illinois · Kansas · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Nevada · New Jersey · New York · Oregon · South Dakota · Texas · Washington · West Virginia · Wyoming

February 19, 2025 · KARA Reporting

Child Death and Public Non Disclosure (thank you Marie Cohen)

Much of this article is taken from Marie Cohen's remarkable research at the American Enterprise Institute. For those of you concerned with Child Protective Services in your community, Marie's article is detailed and powe

Minnesota · Rhode Island · Tennessee · Texas · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin

January 23, 2025 · KARA Reporting

The War On Fosters

Why do so many fosters aging out of care struggling in school, becoming homeless, addicted, have criminal records and unable to hold down a job?

Minnesota · West Virginia

June 9, 2024 · KARA Reporting

Non-Transparency In Child Protective Services (find your state here)

Read more below to follow the conversation about the absence of transparency in Child Protective Services

Illinois · Maine · Texas · Washington · West Virginia

October 4, 2021 · KARA Reporting

October Is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Watching your mother being beat up or raped is the same trauma as being beaten or raped to a five or nine year old. Untreated trauma lasts forever and it changes a person forever. The United Nation's-Secretary General An

Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming

August 27, 2020 · KARA Reporting

COVID Child Abuse Update for July - August 2020

Almost every school building in the country is closed Fewer than half of students are participating in online learning in some schools, The reporting of child abuse is dropping by as much as 70% since schools shut their

Florida · Maryland · New Jersey · North Carolina · Texas · Virginia · West Virginia

July 18, 2020 · KARA Reporting

For New Mexico's At Risk Children - Life is Very Hard (find your state here)

Across the board, America's Southern States seem to maintain an anti tax mantra that devalues the well-being of other people's children. This clear from the KIDS COUNT statistics over the years. This is their most recent

Alaska · District of Columbia · Idaho · Illinois · Louisiana · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Nebraska · New Mexico · North Dakota · Puerto Rico · South Dakota · Texas · West Virginia

April 27, 2020 · KARA Reporting

Violence Against Children & Covid19 – (it’s own pandemic) part IV

speaking on critical issues impacting abused and neglected children for many years. Shelter In Place locks abused children in toxic homes With no escape to the safety of a classroom Domestic violence is rising and law en

California · Florida · Nevada · Ohio · Tennessee · West Virginia

December 18, 2019 · KARA Reporting

Sad Stories Child Abuse - Child Death Articles & Statistics

These stories, articles and statistics tell the stories of childhood trauma and death in America over the past few months - INVITE KARA’S INVISIBLE CHILDREN Program into your community.

California · Mississippi · New York · Tennessee · West Virginia

December 1, 2018 · KARA Reporting

Teachers As First Responders

What's it like to be a first grade teacher frightened by an out of control little boy who kicks, punches or stabs classmates with pencils? Is the principal trauma informed? Are their teams of trauma informed teachers or

August 16, 2018 · KARA Reporting

Medicating Very Young Children July 2018 (part 6)

6 to 12 million children a year are reported to child protection services and in many states, About 1/3 of foster children are required to take psychotropic medicines

Arkansas · California · Kentucky · Louisiana · West Virginia

June 9, 2018 · KARA Reporting

Child Welfare by State (statistics & news April 2018 (8) neglect

Today, many state ward children are the 4th and 5th generation of abused children raising their own families without parenting skills and with serious drug, alcohol and mental health issues 37% of children overall and 57

Idaho · Maryland · Minnesota · North Dakota · South Carolina · Tennessee · West Virginia · Wisconsin

December 14, 2016 · KARA Reporting

December 2016 Sad Stories Part 1

MD: Youth homelessness in Baltimore higher than previously thought The Baltimore Sun - November 30, 2016 More than 1,400 young people under the age of 25 were unaccompanied by a parent or guardian, without a safe, stable

Michigan · Minnesota · New Jersey · North Carolina · South Dakota · Texas · Utah · West Virginia

February 22, 2016 · KARA Reporting

More Americans Killed By Toddlers With Guns Than Terrorists

Toddlers with guns have murdered 5 people with guns in America this year, terrorists 3. Would we be safer if the NSA were spying on children, or just keeping an eye on pistol packing families? Here's a list of this years

Alabama · Arizona · California · Florida · Idaho · Indiana · Iowa · Kentucky · New Jersey · New York · Ohio · South Carolina · Tennessee · Texas · West Virginia

May 6, 2015 · KARA Reporting

Child Protection Stories Around the Nation (find your state here)

Child abuse reports gathered from around the nation from January through May 4th (find your state here). Post comments here about how your state is protecting children. All adults are the protectors of all children (pass

Alabama · California · Colorado · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Iowa · Kansas · Louisiana · Michigan · Minnesota · Missouri · Nevada · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · Pennsylvania · Vermont · West Virginia · Wisconsin

May 6, 2015 · KARA Reporting

KARA Child Abuse Reporting This Spring (March, April, May)

Recent child abuse reporting from around the nation (find your state here)

Alabama · California · Colorado · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Iowa · Louisiana · Michigan · Minnesota · Missouri · Nevada · New Jersey · New York · North Carolina · Ohio · Pennsylvania · Vermont · West Virginia · Wisconsin

February 28, 2015 · KARA Reporting

Sad Children Stories From February

The following sad stories have been gathered from around the nation and give an indication of how different states are handling child abuse and child protection. Find your state here;

Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Indiana · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New York · Ohio · Oregon · Pennsylvania · South Carolina · Texas · Utah · Vermont · West Virginia · Wisconsin

August 14, 2014 · KARA Reporting

This Week's Child Death Reporting

DFCS child death cases spike in 2013MyAJC.comThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a series of stories in 2013 and 2014 cataloging Georgia's failure to protect children from abuse and neglect …

Colorado · Georgia · North Carolina · Oklahoma · Rhode Island · West Virginia

April 1, 2014 · KARA Reporting

Bad Day In The News For At Risk Children

Friends of KARA, please appreciate that these children don't get much press and aside from the blaming of caregivers and social workers, not much investigating is done and few solutions are offered. The issues are uncomf

Connecticut · Georgia · Michigan · Nebraska · West Virginia

February 21, 2014 · KARA Reporting

Snakes In Guatemala vs Guns In America

Last weekend, after 20 years of handling snakes, Jamie Coots received his final bite. A rattler got him in the back of the hand. It happened as Coots, a Pentecostal minister, was leading the Saturday night service at his

Alabama · Arizona · California · Florida · Georgia · Idaho · Indiana · Kentucky · Ohio · Tennessee · West Virginia

February 14, 2013 · KARA Reporting

Bigger Armies & More Wars - Why Americans Hate Children

Just yesterday a tea party fellow I know (RW) was telling me about the wisdom in former MN Governor Tim Pawlenty’s words, “children that are victims of failed personal responsibility are not my problem, nor are they the

Alabama · Alaska · Florida · Indiana · Louisiana · Minnesota · Mississippi · New Mexico · South Carolina · Texas · West Virginia

April 19, 2012 · KARA Reporting

From Child Welfare In The News

AZ: Money for foster care in Arizona could be cut by more than half ABC15.com April 18, 2012 The Chandler couple doesn’t understand why state lawmakers would even consider a 60 percent cut to Child Protective Services. U

Arizona · California · Florida · Indiana · Kansas · Maryland · Massachusetts · Nebraska · North Carolina · South Carolina · Tennessee · Washington · West Virginia