Legally Kidnapped

Shattering Your Child Welfare Delusions Since 2007


Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Teen tried as adult for strangling foster parents

Teen tried as adult for strangling foster parents

Prosecutors say a 15-year-old California boy will be tried as an adult for strangling his Oakland foster parents and stuffing their bodies in a car.

Frankenmuth woman charged with torturing, abusing 2 children

Frankenmuth woman charged with torturing, abusing 2 children

A Frankenmuth Township woman has been arraigned on charges of torture and first-degree child abuse of her two foster children.

Republic Foster Parent Mark O'Brien Charged with Sodomy, Child Abuse and Possession of Child Pornography

Republic Foster Parent Mark O'Brien Charged with Sodomy, Child Abuse and Possession of Child Pornography

A Republic foster parent is charged with molesting the children he was trusted to care for. Two different children say Mark D. O’Brien abused them while they lived with him at his home on Maple Avenue in Republic.

State moves to suspend foster child placements with Hyattsville company

State moves to suspend foster child placements with Hyattsville company

Maryland's second-largest foster care provider failed to track background checks, training and other requirements for its foster parents, putting the children at risk, according to state officials who are moving to suspend new placements in its homes.

Adoptive parents sue Sacramento agency after violent birth mom calls them

Adoptive parents sue Sacramento agency after violent birth mom calls them

John and Kathyrn Clark thought their lives were in danger when they were contacted, out of the blue, by their adopted son's biological mother.

Note: Dear Mr and Mrs Clark, didn't you know? When you help the child protective industry steal somebodies kid, it tends to piss them off.

Sri Lankan Children Up For Forced Adoption In The UK

Sri Lankan Children Up For Forced Adoption In The UK

What would have been a perfectly normal day for Shakira Wahab, living in the UK with her husband Fayaz and three kids, turned out into a long drawn out nightmare, resulting in her landing behind bars and having her children taken away from her and fostered with strangers.

Task force: Foster care reform begins with funding

Task force: Foster care reform begins with funding

Adding to the possible reforms of Oklahoma's child-welfare system, the legislatively created Foster Care System Improvement Task Force has pitched in its suggestions starting with "adequately funding" the recommendations.

Adoptive parents say CPS failed to protect their identities

Adoptive parents say CPS failed to protect their identities

John and Kathyrn Clark thought their lives were in danger when they were contacted, out of the blue, by their adopted son's biological mother.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Teenager jailed for having sex with 12-year-old

Teenager jailed for having sex with 12-year-old

A TEENAGER who had sex with a runaway 12-year-old girl was jailed for 15 months.

Oakland couple Susan Poff, Robert Kamin mourned

Oakland couple Susan Poff, Robert Kamin mourned

Friends and relatives said Susan Poff and Robert Kamin of Oakland were the perfect pair to adopt a foster child.

Oakland police chief: My officers are exhausted

Oakland police chief: My officers are exhausted

It didn’t take interim Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan long to respond when he was asked early Monday how his officers were doing.
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Note: You will have to scroll down for this.

Meanwhile, Oakland police have arrested a 15-year-old boy they say killed his foster parents in a double murder discovered Friday night.

Barahona child death sparks bill to improve state oversight

Barahona child death sparks bill to improve state oversight

A bill that could change the way state investigators handle cases of child abuse or neglect is working its way through legislative committees in Tallahassee, almost a year after the death of 10-year-old Nubia Barahona exposed major flaws in Florida's child welfare system.

15-year-old arrested on suspicion of murdering adoptive parents

15-year-old arrested on suspicion of murdering adoptive parents

A 15-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his adoptive parents after reportedly rowing with them over how much time he was spending at an Occupy protest camp.

Brothel Madam Fights To Get Adopted Daughters Back

Brothel Madam Fights To Get Adopted Daughters Back

A woman who ran a brothel with her teenage daughter wants her two adopted daughters back, and she is going to court to get them.

They just busted another Foster Molester

EXCLUSIVE: Foster parent charged in molestation of children

We've learned of sex charges against a 68 year old foster parent, but there are questions swirling about the charges.

Note: Yeah, they're gonna like you in jail there buddy.

Gabriel Aubry, Halle Berry custody war sends kid to therapy

Gabriel Aubry, Halle Berry custody war sends kid to therapy

Gabriel Aubry and Halle Berry's constant legal bickering over custody of their 3-year-old daughter is prompting concerns about the child's emotional well-being. Officials with the Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services are recommending therapy for little Nahla.

Events held for LGBT adoption week

Events held for LGBT adoption week

Events are being organised in London as part of the UK's first ever Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Adoption and Fostering Week.

Note: This is what we call Target Marketing. They must target new markets because other markets are flooded. The markets are flooded because of an overabundant supply of product (stolen kids).  It's a matter of business.  

13-year-old driver to be charged for stealing foster parents’ SUV

13-year-old driver to be charged for stealing foster parents’ SUV

A 13-year-old living in Huber Heights must confront criminal charges in Indiana after he allegedly stole a Sport Utility Vehicle from a foster parent in an effort to return to his native Cincinnati.

Florida debates when to stop cash assistance for former foster kids

Florida debates when to stop cash assistance for former foster kids

The question of cash assistance for former foster children in Florida is dividing the House and Senate.

Gov wants incarcerated juveniles 'close to home'

Gov wants incarcerated juveniles 'close to home'

Gov. Andrew Cuomo continues to build on reforms to the state's juvenile justice system by proposing the "Close to Home" initiative which would allow New York City's youth to be treated in facilities near their homes.

Michigan father fights law to gain custody of daughter

Michigan father fights law to gain custody of daughter

A Michigan father is fighting for custody of his young daughter against a law that dates back to the mid-1950s.

Colorado father fights for custody of daughter adopted in Utah

Colorado father fights for custody of daughter adopted in Utah

Robert Manzanares has only seen his daughter one time in four years, because the child's birthmother decided to allow the baby to be adopted by her brother and sister-in-law in Utah.

Study: Higher taxes are better for children

Study: Higher taxes are better for children

According to Foundation for Child Development's latest Child and Youth Well-Being Index states with higher taxes are better for children.

Foster care agencies demand more cash

Foster care agencies demand more cash

THE biggest shake-up in foster care in the state's history has hit a snag as child welfare agencies demand more government funding to take on responsibility for thousands of children in care.

How America made its children crazy

How America made its children crazy

Now we know that computers don't help children learn and that drugs don't help them concentrate, because the establishment mandarins who sold us the computers and drugs have conceded failure. In the January 29 New York Times, [1] a prominent professor of child development shows that attention-deficit-disorder drugs only harm the three million children who take them. One out of 10 American children have been diagnosed with so-called Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and most of them have been medicated. [2]

Bill Would Ban Aborted Fetuses in Food

Bill Would Ban Aborted Fetuses in Food

An Oklahoma bill that would ban the sale of food containing aborted human fetuses has some people wondering: What food currently contains aborted human fetuses?

Note: Now you know where the Mystery Meat from your school lunches comes from.

The judge, the madam and the babies she ‘bought’

The judge, the madam and the babies she ‘bought’

A notorious madam, convicted of running a brothel with her teenage daughter, goes to court next month, desperate to prove she’s fit to be the adoptive mom of two little girls.

Letter: Human Trafficking Hits the Super Bowl

Letter: Human Trafficking Hits the Super Bowl

The number of human-trafficking cases increases significantly in cities that host major sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, according to children's rights advocates and law enforcement officials. In the weeks leading up to the 2010 World Cup, 40,000 sex workers were take to South Africa, and the attorney general of Texas anticipated 10,000 cases of human trafficking leading up to the Super Bowl last year in Dallas, according to published reports.

State work group on adopted child abuse will meet in Feb.

State work group on adopted child abuse will meet in Feb.

The state work group examining last year's spike in adoption abuse cases — including that of a Bunker Hill-area couple accused of starving five adopted children — will hold its first meeting next month.

'Too old to keep baby'

'Too old to keep baby'

Two foster parents are gearing up for a tug-of-love battle to keep an adored baby who has been living with them since last March.

Midlothian council fined £140,000 for sending sensitive data to wrong people

Midlothian council fined £140,000 for sending sensitive data to wrong people

Information Commissioner's Office penalises council over five breaches of data involving children's social service reports

Colorado native hopes to regain custody of his child

Colorado native hopes to regain custody of his child


Jon Bowman reports. Jan. 29, 2012.

After Baby P, what is life like for a social worker?

After Baby P, what is life like for a social worker?

After scandals such as Baby P, many social workers feel criticised from all sides. The difficult nature of their job is revealed as the BBC is given unprecedented access to the Bristol child protection team.

Note: Oh the poor things... Stealing children and expecting not to be criticized. Imagine that.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Adopted son suspected in Oakland couple's deaths

Adopted son suspected in Oakland couple's deaths

Friends and relatives said Susan Poff and Robert Kamin of Oakland were the perfect pair to adopt a foster child.

Special report;Behind the walls of juvenile detention centres in Tanzania

Special report;Behind the walls of juvenile detention centres in Tanzania

It is internationally agreed that the rationale behind trying children in juvenile courts and committing them to children detention facilities or prison is not punitive, but to convert and enable them to reintegrate in society upon their release.

Halle Berry's ex Gabriel Aubry agrees to take anger management classes amid child endangerment charges

Halle Berry's ex Gabriel Aubry agrees to take anger management classes amid child endangerment charges

The model knows he 'has a little bit of a temper,' according to law enforcement sources

Child with Autism Taken by Authorities, Remains in Custody

Child with Autism Taken by Authorities, Remains in Custody

Today is January 29, 2012. For Derek Hoare, this simply means it’s day number 228 — the number of days his 10-year-old daughter with autism has been kept from him by Child Protective Services in Canada.

Beshear: State protecting those who report child abuse

Beshear: State protecting those who report child abuse

You teach in a small community and suspect a student is being abused. You want to report it, but you fear retaliation. Can you come forward without the newspaper naming you as the accuser?

Socioeconomic status more influential than race in determination of child abuse

Socioeconomic status more influential than race in determination of child abuse

An Indiana University School of Medicine study has determined that a patient’s socioeconomic status has more influence than race on physician diagnosis of whether a child’s injury was accidental or caused by abuse.

1... 2... CPS is comming for you - Baby LK Report For January 29th 2012

Policy violations in Colorado social-services system found amid deaths of 43 children

Policy violations in Colorado social-services system found amid deaths of 43 children

In the past five years, 43 Colorado children died from abuse or neglect after entering the child welfare program. Every one of those deaths was marked by a policy violation or sparked concern in the way the case was handled by county social workers.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Neighbors worried about plan for at-risk teen homes

Neighbors worried about plan for at-risk teen homes

For the last few months a standoff has been brewing between First Presbyterian Church’s Eastside Academy and nearby neighbors over a proposal to provide two homes for at-risk teens.

Report reveals hospital’s role in adoption practices

Report reveals hospital’s role in adoption practices

The Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne has apologised to mothers who placed their children for adoption, after a report by Australian Catholic University’s Professor Shurlee Swain outlined the hospital’s role in past practices.

Parents demand inquiry into teenage prison deaths

Parents demand inquiry into teenage prison deaths

Call comes as report details bullying fears of children in custody

State didn't do review of Nelson County toddler's 2009 death

State didn't do review of Nelson County toddler's 2009 death

After an extended legal battle with Kentucky's two largest newspapers, the state's child-protection agency began releasing extensive records on Friday about children who died as a result of abuse.

Child death disclosure hindered by Bureaucratic circumventing, ignorance? Part 4

Child death disclosure hindered by Bureaucratic circumventing, ignorance? Part 4

Is mandatory disclosure, being thwarted by insufficient findings and information?

3-year-old adoptee at center of unusual custody fight

3-year-old adoptee at center of unusual custody fight

A former Illinois prosecutor who said he helped raise his ex-wife's adopted son is seeking custody and visitation rights in an unusual and emotional court battle.

Petition To Remove “Offensive” Books From Amazon, Protecting The Children Or Blatant Censorship?

Petition To Remove “Offensive” Books From Amazon, Protecting The Children Or Blatant Censorship?

Should Amazon refuse to sell certain titles of books because some customers find the content offensive? According to Milli Hill of Somerset, United Kingdom, a parenting columnist for Somerset Life Magazine and blogger for The Mule, the answer is a resounding yes.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Use of restraint in youth jails on the rise

Use of restraint in youth jails on the rise

Use of controversial restraint techniques in youth jails is on the rise despite falling numbers of children in custody, CYP Now can reveal.

Jerry Sandusky issues request to see his grandchildren

Jerry Sandusky issues request to see his grandchildren

Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, currently under house arrest as he awaits trial for over 50 counts of child sex abuse, will ask a judge if he can regain contact with his grandchildren, the Harrisburg Patriot-News reports.

Child Protective Services Wants To Talk To Halle Berry & Gabriel Aubry At The Same Time

Child Protective Services Wants To Talk To Halle Berry & Gabriel Aubry At The Same Time

The Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services will formally recommend that Halle Berry and her baby daddy, Gabriel Aubry, be interviewed together in connection with allegations that Gabriel pushed the nanny while holding their three-year-old daughter, Nahla, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

CPS Wants To Interview Halle Berry & Gabriel Aubry Together

Kentucky releases records in five child death cases

Kentucky releases records in five child death cases

On the night he killed his two-year-old son before turning the gun on himself, Ralph Michael Utley first violently attacked the boy's mother, punching her, kicking her and tearing out a handful of hair.

Note: Must not have been too much to hide in those cases, eh?

Hearing investigates alleged misconduct at Illinois Department of Children and Family Services

Hearing investigates alleged misconduct at Illinois Department of Children and Family Services

An attorney for Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn faced blistering questioning by legislators Friday on why the governor didn't quickly fire the head of the state's child-welfare agency last year after a report of fraudulent billing under his watch.

Judge lets state withhold more details about child abuse deaths

Judge lets state withhold more details about child abuse deaths

An appeals court judge has granted an emergency request by a state agency to temporarily withhold more details from records it must release on children killed or hurt as a result of abuse or neglect.

Hearing examines charges of misconduct at DCFS

Hearing examines charges of misconduct at DCFS

An attorney for Gov. Pat Quinn faced blistering questioning about why a former director of Illinois' child-welfare agency wasn't fired quickly after a report of fraud under his watch.

Halle Berry’s Ex Gabriel Aubry Fights Childs Abuse Claims

Halle Berry’s Ex Gabriel Aubry Fights Childs Abuse Claims

Gabriel Aubry has been formally questioned by the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services in light of Halle Berry’s child abuse claims brought on by her nanny after she was allegedly pushed into a wall.

Child Protective Services Formally Interview Halle Berry's Baby Daddy

Child Protective Services Formally Interview Halle Berry's Baby Daddy

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services has formally interviewed Halle Berry's baby daddy, Gabriel Aubry, in connection with allegations that he pushed a nanny while she was holding the former couple's three year old daughter, Nahla, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

Gov. proposes cuts for child abuse centers

Gov. proposes cuts for child abuse centers

The governor said he wants to eliminate statewide funding of nearly one million dollars. Stop Child Abuse Now, a local organization, helps children from all around Virginia who are victims of abuse and neglect.

Editorial, 1/27: Foster kids on psych drugs

Editorial, 1/27: Foster kids on psych drugs

Sen. Gwen Howard wants a task force to examine why more than one in five foster children in Nebraska is taking psychiatric medication.

Katz slowly moves DCF toward reform

Katz slowly moves DCF toward reform

Soon after accepting the governor's offer to head the Department of Children and Families, Joette Katz paid a visit to our editorial board. The appointment was a shocker. To take one of the most challenging jobs in state government, arguably the most challenging, Ms. Katz had surrendered her prestigious position as a state Supreme Court justice.

Note: Gotta love the fluff, eh?

Nebraska Child Welfare Debate Rages in Hearing

Nebraska Child Welfare Debate Rages in Hearing

The head of Nebraska's child welfare services told lawmakers Thursday that a proposal to reclaim case management duties from private contractors would destabilize the system that serves abused and neglected children.

Both sides of child welfare debate

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Parent-Child Interactions Researched at Colorado State University for Clues about Abuse

Parent-Child Interactions Researched at Colorado State University for Clues about Abuse

Can scientists predict if a child may eventually become the victim of abuse or neglect just by looking at patterns of how parents and children solve problems together? That’s the aim of a new study in Colorado State University’s Department of Human Development and Family Studies.

Note: Great. More power to take kids without evidence of parental wrong doing.

State appeals ruling that requires release of more child abuse details

State appeals ruling that requires release of more child abuse details

Kentucky child-protection officials asked the Kentucky Court of Appeals on Thursday to block a lower-court's ruling that limits its ability to remove details from public documents about children who died or nearly died from abuse and neglect.

Lawsuit claims Illinois illegally withholds treatment for kids

Lawsuit claims Illinois illegally withholds treatment for kids

A class action lawsuit against the state of Illinois alleges state welfare agencies illegally withhold treatment for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. The lawsuit could affect more than 18,000 youth with severe mental illnesses and emotional disturbances in Illinois.

Legal setback for Ontario aboriginals taken from their families during the “Sixties Scoop”

Legal setback for Ontario aboriginals taken from their families during the “Sixties Scoop”

The federal government has won its appeal in Divisional Court against a class-action lawsuit on behalf of 16,000 aboriginal children taken from reserves in Ontario in what’s known as the “Sixties Scoop.”

Will cuts to foster care cost more in the long run?

Will cuts to foster care cost more in the long run?

Mental health professionals will tell you there are children across the Tampa Bay area who have been through hell. Many have been ripped out of the care of their parents due to abuse, neglect, or even death. Some are forced to live in a stranger's home and, in some instances, children in state care will live in dozens of foster care homes while waiting to be adopted.

Delaware Re-Evaluates Secret Juvenile Justice System…

Delaware Re-Evaluates Secret Juvenile Justice System…

I have long argued that a bit of sunshine would do a great deal of good in the world of juvenile justice, as secretive an institution as exists in American life. Delaware officials might just agree, at least in part. Good for them:

Note: Juvenile and Family Courts are supposed to be secret. It's how they cover their tracks.

Child welfare worker wins benefits for injuries in workplace restroom

Child welfare worker wins benefits for injuries in workplace restroom

Ruling: The Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission awarded benefits to a worker who sustained injuries when she fell in the restroom at work because her employment was a contributing factor in the accident.

Note: It was her own fault for not paying attention to where she was going.

State’s Juvenile Justice System Needs Overhaul, Says Chief Justice of Georgia’s Supreme Court

State’s Juvenile Justice System Needs Overhaul, Says Chief Justice of Georgia’s Supreme Court

At Wednesday’s annual State of the Judiciary Address, Georgia’s Supreme Court Chief Justice Carol Hunstein urged lawmakers to overhaul the state’s juvenile justice system, asking legislators to support more rehabilitative services for youth as opposed to incarceration of juvenile offenders.

Florida, Georgia sign pact on troubled children

Florida, Georgia sign pact on troubled children

A dozen Florida and Georgia border counties have signed an agreement making it easier for children removed from parents or guardians to be placed with relatives in the other state.

CPS touts shorter process of inquiry

CPS touts shorter process of inquiry

State child-welfare officials on Wednesday touted a review of nearly 10,000 "inactive" child-abuse and neglect cases, saying they have cleared three-fourths of the backlog.

Beach parents charged with neglect say situation is being blown out of proportion

Beach parents charged with neglect say situation is being blown out of proportion

A Virginia Beach couple has been charged with felony child neglect. Police say they weren't feeding their five-month-old properly. But they're telling NewsChannel 3 that it’s being blown way out of proportion.

Note: The Child Protective Industry is great at making mountains out of mole hills.

WA to pay $2.35M in abuse case settlement

WA to pay $2.35M in abuse case settlement

Washington state will pay $2.35 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a woman who alleged that two state agencies failed to protect her from a sex offender who abused her when she was a child.

Committee endorses kinship care law changes but puts two other child welfare measures on hold

Committee endorses kinship care law changes but puts two other child welfare measures on hold

A legislative committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would require state child welfare caseworkers to apply a "clear and convincing" evidentiary standard before removing a child from a relative's care based on the relative's health or age.

Gov. Heineman expects to reach agreement on child welfare

Gov. Heineman expects to reach agreement on child welfare

Gov. Dave Heineman expects to reach agreement with the legislature on some fixes to the child welfare system.

Philly parents told kids won't go to foster care for being overweight

Philly parents told kids won't go to foster care for being overweight

Over the summer, an opinion piece in a medical journal suggested that severely obese children should be put in foster care to help them lose weight.

DCF impersonator strikes again

DCF impersonator strikes again

A man who impersonated an investigator with the Department of Children and Families last week reportedly has struck again.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Halle Berry - Halle Berry Interviewed By Child Protective Services

Halle Berry - Halle Berry Interviewed By Child Protective Services

Halle Berry has been interviewed by officials from Los Angeles' child protective services over allegations her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry endangered the welfare of their three-year-old daughter.

Del. lawmakers eye transparency in Family Court

Del. lawmakers eye transparency in Family Court

State lawmakers are considering whether to order a study of the feasibility of opening Family Court proceedings to the public.

Tightening child abuse laws may affect parent's privacy

Tightening child abuse laws may affect parent's privacy

The Government is trying to gauge public opinion on the best way to protect the country's most vulnerable children.

Should Teens Be Jailed for Sex Offenses? A Growing Parental Rebellion Says No

Should Teens Be Jailed for Sex Offenses? A Growing Parental Rebellion Says No

Parents are fighting laws that imprison teens for sex. Prosecutors say kids should obey the law. Meet one young Romeo who didn't—and spent six years in jail. Abigail Pesta reports.

Apology fails to convince forced adoption victims



Victims of forced adoption have rejected an apology from Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital and say it did not address the complainants.

A life lived in pain after her baby was taken

A life lived in pain after her baby was taken

JANET Tough intended to keep her baby but she knew she'd have a fight on her hands. After her monthly check-ups at the Royal Women's Hospital, she was referred routinely to the social worker for a lecture that had become painfully predictable.

Children's Aid Society - Ontario lack of oversight

Hamilton County Jail guard charged in assault on juvenile in custody

Hamilton County Jail guard charged in assault on juvenile in custody

Hamilton County authorities have charged a corrections officer in an assault on a minor in custody.

Social worker banned from register for falsifying documents about vulnerable children

Social worker banned from register for falsifying documents about vulnerable children

Judy Smith forged colleagues' signatures in a 'sophisticated scheme of dishonesty'.

Note: Notice how they make it appear to be a rare occurrence.

One in five children from broken homes lose touch with one parent for EVER

One in five children from broken homes lose touch with one parent for EVER

One in five children from broken homes lose one parent from their lives for good, official figures reveal.

Oklahoma DHS director resigns effective Feb. 29

Oklahoma DHS director resigns effective Feb. 29

In a tear-filled statement, Oklahoma Department of Human Services Director Howard Hendrick announced Tuesday he would be stepping down from the agency Feb. 29.

Governor to unveil child abuse legislation

Governor to unveil child abuse legislation

Gov. Susana Martinez is extending her legislative agenda with a series of bills to increase punishment for child abusers.

Senate Watchdog Targets High-Prescribing Medicaid Docs

Senate Watchdog Targets High-Prescribing Medicaid Docs

An influential U.S. senator is grilling officials in nearly three-dozen states, demanding to know how they are cracking down on physicians who prescribe massive amounts of potentially dangerous prescription drugs.

Legally Kidnapped Turns 5 Years Old Today

Thank you Brian, Sara, Kristen, Sheila, Ericka and Tracy. Without your help and inspiration, we never would have made it this far.

Abuse case sparks call for CYF watchdog

Abuse case sparks call for CYF watchdog

The family values lobby group Family First is renewing its call for an independent Child, Youth and Family Complaints Authority.

CPS funding cuts are affecting child death rate, panel says

CPS funding cuts are affecting child death rate, panel says

In a 20-year-period, fewer children were killed by abuse and neglect in Sacramento County when programs aimed at troubled families were funded, according to a report presented to the Board of Supervisors.

CPS bills will get Capitol hearings

CPS bills will get Capitol hearings

Lawmakers on Wednesday will get their first look at a raft of bills aimed at improving the state's Child Protective Services after a gubernatorial task force was formed in the wake of several high-profile child deaths last summer.

Halle Berry - Judge Delays Ruling On Berry's Protective Order Request

Halle Berry - Judge Delays Ruling On Berry's Protective Order Request

Halle Berry will have to wait until Monday (30Jan12) to learn whether she can ban her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry from having contact with their daughter after a former nanny accused him of battery.

Norway NRI custody row: Kids to be given to their uncle

Norway NRI custody row: Kids to be given to their uncle

New Delhi: After 7 months of custody battle, the Norwegian authorities have agreed to give the custody of Avigyan,3, and Aishwarya,1, to their father's brother Anurab Bhattacharya.

Are social workers buckling under unmanageable caseloads?

Are social workers buckling under unmanageable caseloads?

Note: Who cares? They bring it onto themselves.

Social workers are increasingly complaining of unmanageable caseloads but while some say they now step in only in a crisis, others say practices include manipulating the system. Jessica Fuhl reports

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Deputies, Social Workers Cleared of Wrongdoing in Child Abuse Investigation

Deputies, Social Workers Cleared of Wrongdoing in Child Abuse Investigation

A federal court jury found in favor of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Friday in a case involving alleged wrongdoing by sheriff’s deputies and social workers from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

Foster Kids Lobby Lawmakers

Foster Kids Lobby Lawmakers


Foster kids were at the Iowa Statehouse today as part of a group called Achieving Maximum Potential or AMP. They represent youth service groups from across Iowa and had plenty of suggestions for lawmakers today.

Orphan train riders, offspring seek answers about heritage

Orphan train riders, offspring seek answers about heritage

Jim Phillips is trying to fill the holes in his family history.

Report: Children Killed Were Served By CPS

Report: Children Killed Were Served By CPS

A group that compiles data on child abuse told Sacramento County Supervisors on Tuesday that during a 20-year period, Sacramento County had a higher rate of child deaths than the rest of California.

Mother Upset About Kids Escaping Foster Care

Mother Upset About Kids Escaping Foster Care

The mother of two children who ran away from their foster home over the weekend contacted 6 News to tell her side of the story today.

Man drives car into social services building

Man drives car into social services building

Authorities say a man drove a sport utility vehicle into a social services building in Orange, smashing through the front glass door and leaving a suspicious package inside.

Collateral Damage: Children and Prison Reform in California

Collateral Damage: Children and Prison Reform in California

Type “California” into a Google news search and chances are good that your browser will turn up headlines about prisons. Since October 1, 2011 the state has started to deliver on a mandate from the U.S. Supreme Court to remove 33,000 people from its bloated prison population. In this fast and furious process called realignment, it is easy to forget a crucial population: children. The majority of incarcerated people in California are parents. As described in my last post, realignment offers enormous opportunity to change the status quo corrections practices as non-sexual, non-violent, and non-serious offenders will now be sentenced to serve in county jails. Can children benefit from it?

Gurgaon administration fails to find home for HIV-positive kids

Gurgaon administration fails to find home for HIV-positive kids

There is no relief for the 13 HIV positive children, including seven girls, rescued last week from Gurgaon after allegations of sexual abuse were made against the owner of the NGO that was sheltering them. The Gurgaon administration has not been able to find a permanent shelter for these children, even as the south Delhi NGO they were shifted to has expressed inability to provide them with permanent accommodation. The NGO says there is not enough space and infrastructure to take them in.

CYF says sorry over horror child abuse case

CYF says sorry over horror child abuse case

Child, Youth and Family has launched an investigation into why it failed to protect two children from abuse by their father for almost three years after it was reported by neighbours.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine pushes for foster care review

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine pushes for foster care review

Too many Ohio children are languishing in foster care, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said Monday.

Foster system held back by council fear of criticism

Foster system held back by council fear of criticism

A culture of fear has led some councils to protect themselves more than the children in their care, according to the government's child protection adviser.

Investigators Seek Information on DCF Impersonator

Investigators Seek Information on DCF Impersonator

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Investigators are seeking information on what is an alleged Department of Children and Families impersonator.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Joe Paterno services planned at Penn State; funeral to be protested by Westboro Baptist Church

Joe Paterno services planned at Penn State; funeral to be protested by Westboro Baptist Church


Joe Paterno, the former Penn State football coach who was among the most admired figures in the annals of collegiate sports but whose reputation was shattered in the wake of a child abuse scandal involving one of his longtime assistants, died Jan. 22. He was 85.

Rape Victim made to sign paper giving up claim on child?

Rape Victim made to sign paper giving up claim on child?

Insiders say 13-yr-old expectant mother asked to sign relinquishment deed; CWC members clueless, while District Women and Child Development Officer denies any move of the kind.

Halle Berry's Baby Daddy Investigated for CHILD ENDANGERMENT

Halle Berry's Baby Daddy Investigated for CHILD ENDANGERMENT

Halle Berry's baby daddy Gabriel Aubry is being investigated for criminal child endangerment and battery -- over an incident involving his and Halle's child ... TMZ has learned.

Alleged child abuse by UN police in Haiti investigated

Alleged child abuse by UN police in Haiti investigated

The UN is investigating two new allegations of UN police abuse and "sexual exploitation" of children in Haiti, spokesman Martin Nesirky said Monday.

Michigan Targets The Poor

Rise in Michigan child abuse, neglect

The rate of child abuse and neglect rose by more than one-third in Michigan during the past decade, the result of high unemployment and inadequate social programs, according to a new report released Tuesday.

Foster system 'failing thousands'

Foster system 'failing thousands'

The fostering system is failing thousands of vulnerable children who end up in jail and lacking basic qualifications, a report has warned.

CPS Investigating Runaway Foster Kids Incident

CPS Investigating Runaway Foster Kids Incident

Two young children who ran away from a foster home in Corpus Christi and were later found in Alice will not be going back the foster home.

Same-sex adoption rights



Lesbian couple fights to jointly adopt children they've raised since birth.

Family court judge removed from child welfare case

Family court judge removed from child welfare case

Family Court Judge Steven Jones has been ordered removed from a child welfare case because of his personal bias against a prosecutor handling the case.

Note: This is nothing special. Child Welfare is all about passing you off from one idiot to the next.

Governor Questions Child Welfare Bill

Governor Questions Child Welfare Bill

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman says a bill that would return child welfare case duties to the state would only rehash policies that have failed in the past.

Computers to blame for woeful child welfare?

Computers to blame for woeful child welfare?

Nebraska lawmakers says the state is failing to keep track of important case information about children who are in state custody due to abuse, neglect, and other problems.
Some blame the problem on an outmoded computer system as well as high turnover and overwhelming caseloads. They say it has complicated their efforts to overhaul the state’s child welfare system in the wake of a report that found substantial problems with a privatization effort that began in 2009.

Bill Could Result In Criminal Charges For DHS Workers



A proposed bill could allow state workers to face criminal charges, even negligent homicide, if a child is killed or seriously injured while in the care of the Department of Human Services.

State covers up information about major DHHS lawsuit

State covers up information about major DHHS lawsuit

In December attorney Joe Baldacci filed suit for Russell and Dr. Ellie Handler against officials of Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services and the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office. Almost immediately the state had the documents of the suit – which alleges DHHS and Waldo Sherriff Department negligence, misconduct and fraud – sealed.

Note: In Maine, they have the sheep convinced that they have this great National Model child welfare system. Of course they're gonna hide anything that proves otherwise.

Joke sours as worker who poked fun at kids resigns

Joke sours as worker who poked fun at kids resigns

Administrators at the state-run Iowa Juvenile Home for troubled youth last month produced a slide show in which they jokingly referred to the children there as Fruit Loops and nuts.

American-born brothers reunited in Japan after 6 decades separated by ocean, language

American-born brothers reunited in Japan after 6 decades separated by ocean, language

They no longer speak the same language, but two brothers separated nearly 60 years each think the other hasn’t changed a bit.

National Fostering Agency In Buy-Out - Your Kids Bought And Sold As A Matter Of Business

National Fostering Agency In Buy-Out

Graphite Capital has replaced fellow private equity firm Sovereign Capital as the main shareholder in National Fostering Agency through a management buy-out.

Hospital sorry for forced adoptions

Hospital sorry for forced adoptions

THE Royal Women's Hospital has admitted that single women were treated differently from married mothers until the mid-1970s and apologised for the pain and suffering that the practice caused.

Hartland man fights against state for daughter

Hartland man fights against state for daughter

A Michigan law favors the paternity rights of an imprisoned Kentucky man over those of the biological father of a 5-year-old girl.

The state Paternity Act of 1956 prohibits a man claiming to be a biological father from seeking paternity if the child's mother was married to another man between the time the child was conceived and born.

Taiwan offers baby bonus to fix plummeting birth rate

Taiwan offers baby bonus to fix plummeting birth rate

Year of the dragon, an auspicious time for birth, seen as last chance to avert demographic timebomb

Residents Discuss Foster Care System Concerns

Residents Discuss Foster Care System Concerns

Residents concerned with Nebraska's foster care system gathered Sunday night to learn more about getting their message heard.

Coaching Legend Joe Paterno Dies at Age 85

Coaching Legend Joe Paterno Dies at Age 85

Football coaching legend Joe Paterno has died of lung cancer. He was 85. Although the former coach of Penn State football team gained notoriety in the sexual abuse case involving his former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky; to many Paterno remains to this day, the greatest football coach.

Child protection issues - Continually letting the young down

Child protection issues - Continually letting the young down

As a largely Christian country, we profess to be particularly concerned about the welfare of children, but ultimately we have had a dismal record when it comes to the protection of vulnerable young people.

Foster care child-turned-NASA engineer to speak at JSU child welfare conference

Foster care child-turned-NASA engineer to speak at JSU child welfare conference

NASA engineer and child advocate Terry Morris will be the opening speaker for Jackson State University’s 10th annual Mississippi Child Welfare Institute Conference Jan. 25-27 at the Jackson Marriott Hotel, 200 E. Amite St., in Jackson, Miss.

Note: Yes they exploit the occasional foster care success story in order to make themselves look good in the eyes of the stupid, but most of these kids come out all screwed up.

http://legallykidnapped.blogspot.com/search/label/age%20out

See?

India to Norway: Settle issue of Indian kids with family

India to Norway: Settle issue of Indian kids with family

India on Monday conveyed to Norway that it should work out a settlement with the immediate family of two kids who are now under foster care on the orders of a local court there.

Mexico authorities unravel child trafficking ring

Mexico authorities unravel child trafficking ring

Life seemed to give Karla Zepeda a break when a woman came to her dusty neighborhood of cinderblock homes and dirt roads looking for babies to photograph in an anti-abortion ad campaign.

India to take up child custody dispute with Norway

India to take up child custody dispute with Norway

India says it will try to seek an "amicable" solution to a controversial child custody case in Norway.

Child Welfare Agency Adds 300 New Positions Under Beshear’s Budget

Child Welfare Agency Adds 300 New Positions Under Beshear’s Budget

Gov. Steve Beshear is supporting a $21 million, two-year investment for Kentucky’s child welfare services, paying for nearly 300 new positions.

Foster care 'in crisis'

Foster care 'in crisis'

The Territory Opposition has called on the Government to explain why it pays carers $40 less than the New South Wales Government does.

From Miracle to Nightmare

From Miracle to Nightmare

The family of an autistic girl alleges harrowing misconduct by law enforcement.

20/20 on a false accusation.

Three incidents of fake DCF workers in Florida



Three incidents of fake DCF workers in Florida

Social workers and police 'powerless' to intervene in child neglect cases

Social workers and police 'powerless' to intervene in child neglect cases

Children are at risk of neglect because the authorities feel “powerless” to intervene and protect them, a study warns.

Note: Powerless my ass. They take these kids on the drop of a dime when it isn't even necessary.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Getting Your Jollies From The Child Abuse Hotline - Baby LK Report For January 22nd 2012

Social workers feel powerless to protect neglected children

Social workers feel powerless to protect neglected children

Report warns of unduly high thresholds and inadequate resources to support needy families

Foster children face challenges after aging out of system

Foster children face challenges after aging out of system

According to social services, children age out of the foster care system or are “emancipated” at 18, or when they graduate from high school, whichever is first.

Report questions Ind. child safety agency's work

Report questions Ind. child safety agency's work

Allegations of neglect and abuse against six Indiana children had been reported to the Indiana Department of Child Services last year before each child died, according to a newspaper report that raised questions about the quality of the agency's investigations and safety assessments and the services it provides to struggling families.

Heartbreak over failed adoptions in Mexico

Heartbreak over failed adoptions in Mexico


ELEVEN Irish couples returned to Ireland this weekend after a nightmare week in Mexico, heartbroken and shaken by a disturbing ordeal.

Federal act will help Washington state keep children safe, families together

Federal act will help Washington state keep children safe, families together

Passage of the Children & Family Services Improvement & Innovation Act will keep more families together, keep more children safe and allow Washington state to put limited dollars to the best possible use, writes state Rep. Ruth Kagi.

Are some foster kids over-medicated?

Are some foster kids over-medicated?

In the grocery store, a child goes through the produce isle picking up items and biting into them. When mom tries to stop him, he takes a bite out of her. Meanwhile, the child has managed to get the attention of shoppers and workers alike.

Fired CASA director threatens lawsuit

Fired CASA director threatens lawsuit

The former director of Marion County CASA plans to file a federal lawsuit against her former employer, the county, and the state Commission on Children and Families.

Trying to get home



A Dauphin County woman is trying to get her adopted son home from India, but it has been a four year struggle.

DHS denies child-death files to panel

DHS denies child-death files to panel

A child advocacy group legally obligated to investigate child deaths was allegedly denied access to investigative files of a high-profile case by attorneys with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, according to emails obtained by the Tulsa World through the state's Open Records Act.

Child welfare bills lining up on both sides of the aisle for 2012 session

Child welfare bills lining up on both sides of the aisle for 2012 session

They may not always see eye to eye politically, but pols Christine Watkins and LaVar Christensen seem to have the same vision for tweaking child welfare and parental rights laws this legislative session.

Both veteran lawmakers are working up bills aimed at providing a course correction for a child welfare system they say doesn’t do enough to keep children with parents and other kin.

Gov., lawmakers planning child welfare reforms

Gov., lawmakers planning child welfare reforms

Lawmakers are prepared to grapple with Arizona's child-welfare agency in the wake of a series of highly publicized incidents where children were harmed despite abuse complaints being made to Child Protective Services.

Cost to county of lying social workers: $10.6 million

Cost to county of lying social workers: $10.6 million


The total cost to Orange County of a case in which a jury found that two social workers lied to take away a woman’s daughters is $10.6 million, according to a new audit.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Police: Man posing as DCF worker tried to take baby

Police: Man posing as DCF worker tried to take baby

Police are searching for a man who posed as a Department of Children and Families worker in an attempt to take a baby from an Orlando apartment.

Note: there are several articles on this particular case.


Police: Man posing as DCF employee

Grand Forks man accused of stealing $28K in jewelry from foster parents; items pawned

Grand Forks man accused of stealing $28K in jewelry from foster parents; items pawned

A Grand Forks man is accused of stealing more than $28,000 in jewelry from his foster parents.

Note: I wonder if they bought the jewelry with the money that they got from being foster parents.

State child welfare services needs proper overhaul

State child welfare services needs proper overhaul

As the Legislature cranks up the law-making machinery today for a 60-day session, it is apparent that the big issue will be a overhaul of Nebraska’s child welfare system.

Virginia Gay Adoption Debate Heats Up With New Legislation Proposal

Virginia Gay Adoption Debate Heats Up With New Legislation Proposal

At the General Assembly in Richmond, Virginia, a battle is heating up over whether adoption agencies should be allowed to discriminate against prospective parents based on their sexual orientation.

Norway cool to plea for custody of children to Indian parents

Norway cool to plea for custody of children to Indian parents

Even as Norway refuses to entertain requests from India to hand over the custody of young Abhigyan and Aishwarya to their parents, the matter on Saturday reached Rashtrapati Bhavan as the grandparents of the two children met President Pratibha Devisingh Patil to seek her intervention in the matter.

Children Escape Foster Home in Corpus Christi, Found Safe in Alice

Children Escape Foster Home in Corpus Christi, Found Safe in Alice

2 Foster children are back in the care of CPS after they were missing for several hours. The children were reported missing from their foster home on the 4500 block of Hogan in Corpus Christi. The children, 8 year old Diamond and 6 year old Billy Boortz were placed in foster care yesterday and reportedly told a 3rd foster child their new foster mom was mean and that they were going back to live with their grandmother in Alice.

Boy charged after head-butting a caseworker

Boy charged after head-butting a caseworker

A 15-year-old South Lebanon Township boy was charged with aggravated assault after he head-butted a male Lebanon County Children & Youth caseworker while they were traveling in a van at Route 322 and Butler Road in West Cornwall Township at 2:37 p.m. Jan. 13, police said.

Suisun City foster father, Solano County, others sued in boy's death

Suisun City foster father, Solano County, others sued in boy's death

A Suisun City foster parent facing a homicide charge in connection with the death of an infant last year is now facing a civil lawsuit from the child's mother, according to documents filed in Solano County Superior Court.

Foster Mom Reports Bronx Boy Missing After 10-Year-Old Seen Leaving With Biological Mother

Foster Mom Reports Bronx Boy Missing After 10-Year-Old Seen Leaving With Biological Mother

Police are looking for a 10-year-old Bronx boy and his biological mother after he was reported missing by his foster mom.

Women held in loan-a-baby child support fraud

Women held in loan-a-baby child support fraud

A MUM who “loaned” her baby to friend so she can claim maintenance from her boyfriend has been arrested.

Note: Um...

Firing fuels interest in dumping panel

Firing fuels interest in dumping panel

State Foster Care Review Board members could find themselves on the hot seat after removing its longtime director, Carol Stitt, on Friday.

Police: Man Poses As Investigator To Take 1-Year-Old



Investigators say they need help from the public to identify a man posing as an official with the Department of Children and Families.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Man kills lover, foster daughter

Man kills lover, foster daughter

KANPUR: A 55-year-old woman and her eight-year-old foster daughter were murdered by her paramour after she refused to give him money for liquor. The 38-year-old man had been arrested.

Fixes to child-welfare system might make things worse, advocates warn

Fixes to child-welfare system might make things worse, advocates warn

Some bills filed in response to the death by abuse of 10-year-old Nubia Barahona could actually weaken the child-welfare network.

Note: Well duh!!! See what happens is whenever there is a high profile child death and CPS was involved in any way, there is always a knee-jerk reaction to fix all the problem that lead to the failure, either toughen child abuse laws, give them more power to investigate allegations, pump more money into the system, what have you.

Yet no matter how hard they try to perfect the process, there remains one problem which Ron White explains very well in the following video.

Judge calls ruling over sterilization ‘wrenching’

Judge calls ruling over sterilization ‘wrenching’

The newly retired judge whose parting order to sterilize a pregnant schizophrenic woman was overturned on appeal this week said yesterday she grappled with the case, while Gov. Deval Patrick, pressed on the matter yesterday, said he thinks she went too far.

CSB resignation



The employee that threaten Atty. David Engler resigned and will no face charges.

Docs more likely to suspect abuse in poor kids

Docs more likely to suspect abuse in poor kids

When a toddler has a broken bone, pediatricians may be more likely to suspect abuse if the family is lower-income, a new study finds.

Israel Removes Biased Child Custody Law Against Fathers, Dads Address False Abuse Charges

Israel Removes Biased Child Custody Law Against Fathers, Dads Address False Abuse Charges

For many divorced fathers in Israel, the declaration yesterday by Israel Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman that divorced parents must now share custody of children, may have come too late. Neeman has accepted recommendations by the Schnit Committee that joint parental custody be ordered in divorce cases involving young children, which the law defines as those up to age 6. Until now, most divorced fathers became visitors, being limited to seeing their children only a few hours a week.

Neb. Foster Care Board Director Resigns



The executive director of Nebraska's Foster Care Review Board is resigning from her post. KETV NewsWatch 7's Andrew Ozaki reports.

Authorities searching for missing juvenile in Shelby County

Authorities searching for missing juvenile in Shelby County

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office is asking for your help in locating a missing juvenile.

Afternoon Update: Former state trooper sentenced to 20 years prison for molestation

Afternoon Update: Former state trooper sentenced to 20 years prison for molestation

A former state trooper will spend 20 years in prison for molesting a teenage foster child. 49-year-old James Norquay of Juda must also spend 15 years under extended supervision when he’s no longer behind bars. A Green County jury convicted Norquay last November on three felony counts of child sexual assault by a foster parent, two counts of incest, and a charge of second-degree child sex assault. State investigators said the incidents occurred at Norquay’s former home in the town of Clarno, where the girl was placed for foster care in late 2008 when she was 15. The man adopted the girl a year later. Officials said the molestation continued until January of last year, when the child was removed from the home following a state investigation.

Ex-state tropper sentenced for molesting foster child

Ex-state tropper sentenced for molesting foster child

A former state trooper will spend 20 years in prison for molesting a teenage foster child.

Governor Says He Will Close School May 1 If Cuts Aren't Met

Governor Says He Will Close School May 1 If Cuts Aren't Met

A big announcement from the Governor Thursday night: if he doesn't get the cuts to the the Department of Health and Human Services budget that he's proposing he says he will close schools in May.

Colorado Court Rules Social Workers Potentially Liable in Foster Home Abuse

Colorado Court Rules Social Workers Potentially Liable in Foster Home Abuse

Earlier this month, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that social workers in Adams County may be held legally responsible for failures to protect children in foster care from abuse.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Judge fines state over child-abuse records, orders legal fees paid to newspapers

Judge fines state over child-abuse records, orders legal fees paid to newspapers


In a sharply critical decision, a judge has ordered a state agency to pay $16,550 in fines and $56,663 in legal costs to three newspapers for illegally withholding public records involving child abuse deaths and serious injuries.

Judge fines state agency $16,000 for withholding child-abuse records

Judge fines state agency $16,000 for withholding child-abuse records

A judge has fined the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services more than $16,000 for improperly withholding records on children who died or were hurt because of abuse and neglect, and he set rules limiting what information the agency may keep private in such cases.

Foster care boss may face ultimatum

Foster care boss may face ultimatum

Nebraska's Foster Care Review Board is expected to give its longtime director a choice Friday to resign or be fired.

Foster Care board could ask director to resign

Note: Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!!!

Bradenton police say woman admits to lying about fake CPS worker

Bradenton police say woman admits to lying about fake CPS worker

A woman could be charged with lying to police when she told them that someone impersonating a child protective services worker had gone to her home, according to the Bradenton Police Department.

What FACEBOOK and GOOGLE are Hiding from world.

On this blog, I have written often about the media's portrayal of the Child Welfare Issue. Today I'm going to move away from that, and show you why we are not all on the same page, and with the way things are moving, why we never will be.



This is a really interesting take on the control of information issue but it leaves out a very important factor in that both Google and Facebook are advertising giants and both earn most of their money through advertising methods. I remember in a marketing class I took, for example talking about cable TV providers doing a sort of psychological profile on television viewers based on their viewing habits, so that they could more effectively zero in on ones personality and tailor individualized and highly targeted advertising packages to each viewer with a Digital Cable Box, where you would get a different set of television commercials than I would even when watching the same program through the same service. Also ad in the companies that do data mining, who specialize in tracking people's tractable purchases, internet searches, cell phone calls etc and you have a wealth of individualized demographics to target in on in your advertising campaigns.

Politically, I can see this being of benefit to the powers that be by preventing us from all being on the same page. However, this probably also helps to explain why so many of these experienced foster parents and system sucks out there are so blind to the fact that that the child welfare system is a mess and is based on lies and fraud. They're never shown the truth, because the truth has become personalized.

More indigenous children in care

More indigenous children in care

A RISING number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are being put on protection orders and placed in foster homes, even as the rates for non-indigenous children fall, an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report has found.

Deportations Adding Thousands Of Kids To Foster Care

Deportations Adding Thousands Of Kids To Foster Care

Thousands of children born in the United States are being left in foster care after their parents are arrested on immigration charges.

What kids hear on the school playground: 'You're so gay!'

What kids hear on the school playground: 'You're so gay!'

Elementary school students regularly hear and use negative comments such as “retard” or “you’re so gay” in their schools, posing additional challenges to administrators who are increasingly trying to combat name-calling and bullying, even in the youngest grades.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Mexico Smuggling Probe: 4 Kids Show Sexual Abuse

Mexico Smuggling Probe: 4 Kids Show Sexual Abuse

Four of the 10 children seized in western Mexico as part of a child-trafficking investigation involving Irish couples show signs of sexual abuse, a Mexican official said Wednesday.

DCF warns of investigator impostors

DCF warns of investigator impostors

Authorities across the state are warning of people posing as child protection workers.

Can Nebraska's Broken Child Welfare System Be Fixed?

Can Nebraska's Broken Child Welfare System Be Fixed?

For six months now, Joan has been trying to get her three daughters back from being wards of the state.

RI lawmaker wants foster children kept in state

RI lawmaker wants foster children kept in state

A Rhode Island lawmaker says he's resurrecting an effort to end a practice of sending some foster children to out-of-state facilities.

Kentucky child-protection workers describe hostile work environment

Kentucky child-protection workers describe hostile work environment

State child-protection workers applauded Gov. Steve Beshear for requesting an additional $21 million to hire more front-line social workers in his budget but told lawmakers Wednesday that more needs to be done to improve morale and working conditions.

Family Court: Dads Regularly Lose Access to Kids, Sparking Claims of Anti-Male Bias

Family Court: Dads Regularly Lose Access to Kids, Sparking Claims of Anti-Male Bias

​When an attorney first talked to Seattle Weekly about an anti-male bias in family court, one of the striking things was her gender. This was not some embittered male extremist, but a mainstream female lawyer who represents both women and men. And she's not the only one who sees the problem, as this week's cover story relates.

Dad of missing Staten Island boy Patrick Alford shot in head

Dad of missing Staten Island boy Patrick Alford shot in head

The father of a young Staten Island boy who went missing from a Brooklyn foster home two years ago has been shot in the head and critically wounded, the Advance has learned.

Former DHS employee charged with sex crime against 15-year-old foster child while on staff

Former DHS employee charged with sex crime against 15-year-old foster child while on staff

A former employee of the state Department of Human Services has been charged with committing a sex crime against a teenage girl in foster care while he was on staff with DHS.

Children suffer due to court shortfalls

Children suffer due to court shortfalls

CHILDREN whose parents are separating are facing up to three years of uncertainty because of long delays in the Family Court, especially in Sydney, lawyers have warned.

State notes alarming spike in starvation of adopted children

State notes alarming spike in starvation of adopted children

Recent high-profile stories of adopted children being starved have officials reviewing placement guidelines.

Rodarte Foster Mom Accused of Child Abuse

Rodarte Foster Mom Accused of Child Abuse

A Rodarte woman is facing charges of child abuse after her foster daughter was hospitalized in Espanola, The Taos News reported.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Sheriff’s office searching for missing teen

Sheriff’s office searching for missing teen

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a missing 15-year-old girl from Wilsonville.

American kids often left behind when parents deported

American kids often left behind when parents deported

An upswing in immigrant deportations in 2011 has left thousands of American children living in foster care across the nation, often for years and sometimes longer, according to a report from a racial justice think tank.

Police search for man posing as Child Protection Specialist

Police search for man posing as Child Protection Specialist

Bradenton Police are looking for the man who showed up at a home posing as a Child Protection Specialist Monday.

Note: Again, police warn about the fake ones, I warn about the real ones.

Shattered Families: children of undocumented immigrants who are under detention or deported

Shattered Families: children of undocumented immigrants who are under detention or deported


In Arizona hundreds of children are abandoned and left in foster care or in the care of already burdened extended family when birth parents are arrested, detained and then “disappeared” into Arizona ICE detention facilities in Eloy, Florence and Phoenix. A press conference addressing the community impact of children left behind when their parents are detained and deported by ICE is scheduled for Tuesday, January 17, 10:00 am, at the Arizona State University School of Social Work campus, 340 N. Commerce Park Loop Suite 250, Tortolita Building, Tucson, Arizona. Over 20 family service providers and attorneys, as well as representatives of affected families, will participate in this press conference.

Recession link to increase in child referrals

Recession link to increase in child referrals

REFERRALS to Carmarthenshire Council's children's services leapt to 3,493 last year.

The rise comes as its head warned that children's services would come under increasing pressure because of the recession.

Court to Rule on Repressed Memory in Sexual Abuse Cases

Court to Rule on Repressed Memory in Sexual Abuse Cases

Sexual abuse victims often struggle for years with memories of the traumatic abuse they suffered as children. In some cases, the experiences are so traumatic that they block out (or repress) the memories.

Teen charged with sexual assault in Calgary foster home granted bail

Teen charged with sexual assault in Calgary foster home granted bail

The city teen charged in the “horrifying” sexual assault of three young boys in the foster home where all four resided has been freed pending trial.

Social work's Baby Peter blame game confronted in new play

Social work's Baby Peter blame game confronted in new play

Social worker Chris Lee's new play, Shallow Slumber, explores how the profession was left reeling in the wake of the Baby P tragedy

Mexico: Women Held Over Irish 'Adoptions'

Mexico: Women Held Over Irish 'Adoptions'

Investigators in Mexico have arrested three women in Guadalajara in connection with an apparent child-trafficking ring planning to sell babies to Irish couples.

A Child-Abuse-Hotline-o-Sexual? And I thought I had seen it all.

State Police: Marion County Man Makes False Child Abuse Claims

The state police have arrested a Marion County man accused of falsely reporting multiple child abuse incidents.
----
Scott said they learned that the child abuse claims were false. He said Spadafore admitted to calling the hotline so he could so he could sexually pleasure himself.

Note: See? See? See? Some people do get off on this shit!!!

I've seen a babystealer get off on the power trip. I do gotta admit that this is the first time I've come across an article where the guy got his jollies off of making a false report.

I guess we'll have to coin a new label: Child-Abuse-Hotline-o-sexual, Although Ms Tran prefers the term ChildAbuseHotlineophelia. Thoughts? Comments?

Monday, January 16, 2012

Family court dysfunctional

Family court dysfunctional

Action by Justice Minister Nicholson within 24 hours to promise to fix the equality complaints of foreign same sex couples in divorce shows the power of the legal profession's vested interests.

Kids 'Boo' Michelle Obama Over Healthy Lunches

Kids 'Boo' Michelle Obama Over Healthy Lunches

First Lady Michelle Obama seemed to delight middle schoolers in Virginia when she attended a special screening of her appearance on a Nickelodeon show, but the audience showed some displeasure, booing when she told them about the healthy food initiative that changes their school lunch menu.

Bernie Fine accuser admits lying about child abuse

Bernie Fine accuser admits lying about child abuse

A prison inmate who was one of four men to accuse a former Syracuse University assistant basketball coach of sexual abuse when they were children has admitted that he made up his claim.

The perils of privatization

The perils of privatization

Donna Koehn's article "Change is coming for child welfare" (front page, Jan. 4) needs to be considered in wider context. The $65 million state contract to protect Hillsborough's children will be taken from one private agency, Hillsborough Kids Inc., and given to another, Eckerd Community Alternatives, which already has contracts in the state. The article states: "Only Eckerd and HKI vied for the lucrative contract."

Child Welfare Summit Proposes Recommendations to Change Policies

Child Welfare Summit Proposes Recommendations to Change Policies

Kentucky Youth Advocates will propose three main recommendations this week for changes to the state’s child welfare system, according to executive director Terry Brooks.

Heineman Calls for Reform to Nebraska Child Welfare System

Heineman Calls for Reform to Nebraska Child Welfare System

"One of the most important challenges that we face is the safety of our children that are apart of Nebraska's Child Welfare System." Said Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman.

Banten Orphan Reports Adoptive Mom for Child Abuse

Banten Orphan Reports Adoptive Mom for Child Abuse

A12-year-old orphan has reported her adoptive mother to the Jakarta Police after allegedly enduring months of ill-treatment and physical abuse.

Don't Throw A Pot Of Boiling Water At A Social Worker - Baby LK Report For January 15th 2012

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Warning over illegal private adoptions from Mexico

Warning over illegal private adoptions from Mexico

THE CHAIRMAN of the Adoption Authority of Ireland has warned prospective adoptive parents not to enter into any private arrangements in Mexico.

Family says teen who died at juvy center shouldn’t have been playing ball

Family says teen who died at juvy center shouldn’t have been playing ball

A teenage inmate who collapsed and died while playing basketball at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center Saturday had a history of high blood pressure and shouldn’t have been allowed to play, his grandmother said Sunday.

APY child abuse report 'thin on facts'

APY child abuse report 'thin on facts'

A welfare group has criticised the South Australian Government's response to the Mullighan Inquiry into the abuse of Aboriginal children on the APY Lands.

Summit finds more transparency, accountability needed for state child protection officials

Summit finds more transparency, accountability needed for state child protection officials

Judges, lawmakers, child advocates and social workers agree that improved transparency and accountability from state child protection officials is the best way to prevent child abuse deaths.

State officials investigating several cases of abuse of adopted children

State officials investigating several cases of abuse of adopted children

An alleged child starvation case near Longview is one of more than a dozen cases — including one death — that have state officials reviewing how adopted children are placed and treated.

Children 'needlessly locked up'

Children 'needlessly locked up'

Thousands of children are needlessly being locked up in young offenders institutions, a think-tank has warned.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

ELEVEN Irish families quizzed in Mexico over adoption ‘racket’

ELEVEN Irish families quizzed in Mexico over adoption ‘racket’

Mother, 21, tried to sell baby for one thousand euros

Seven Mexican babies have been seized from Irish couples after ­police in Guadalajara smashed an international child-­smuggling ring

Officials said the couples believed they were following proper adoption channels but that the babies were actually being sold by their mothers

Shock as three-month-old is deported without mom

Shock as three-month-old is deported without mom

A three month-old baby was deported to Zimbabwe after her mother ran away from South African police rounding up deportees.

And according to Zimbabwean deportees and NGOs in Beitbridge, the infant is one of many unaccompanied minors deported by South African police.

Protestors Demand CAS Watchdog

Gov., lawmakers planning child welfare reforms

Gov., lawmakers planning child welfare reforms

Lawmakers are prepared to grapple with Arizona's child-welfare agency in the wake of a series of highly publicized incidents where children were harmed despite abuse complaints being made to Child Protective Services.

Report: Virginia is last in nation in placing foster children with relatives

Report: Virginia is last in nation in placing foster children with relatives

The Virginia Commission on Youth has found that Virginia is last in the nation when it comes to placing foster children with relatives, in part because of a perception held by child welfare workers that "the apple does not fall far from the tree," the Staunton News Leader reported Saturday.

Note: Shame on you Virginia.

State workers among biggest parking violators

State workers among biggest parking violators

Felandria Ware says there's no big mystery to how she accumulated 286 parking tickets in downtown Montgomery the past two years.

Note: Although babystealers are not mentioned specifically, I'm sure they're involved.

Family court guilty of shocking delays

Family court guilty of shocking delays

THE family court in Swindon is guilty of ‘shocking delays’ in care cases that cause misery to children and parents, new figures revealed yesterday.

Civil rights liberties? Child Protection Services called.

Civil rights liberties? Child Protection Services called.

We are being investigated by The Child Protection Services due to a "tip" that our 4 children ages 11,8,7,3 are not being taken care of etc. These are SERIOUS allegations to me.

Federal government probes Victoria's 'secret' that luxury underwear made from cotton picked by 'abused child slaves'

Federal government probes Victoria's 'secret' that luxury underwear made from cotton picked by 'abused child slaves'

The U.S. federal government is launching a probe into billion-dollar brand Victoria’s Secret after a report released last month claimed the fair trade cotton used in its bras and panties was harvested by child labour.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Nebraska Family Service Organizations Sue HHS

Nebraska Family Service Organizations Sue HHS

Boys and Girls Home, a major family service provider based in Iowa was contracted by Nebraska's Health and Human Services to provide welfare to Nebraska's most vulnerable children.

Ont. agency overbilled parents $5.3 M for child support

Ont. agency overbilled parents $5.3 M for child support

Ontario's controversial Family Responsibility Office has been overbilling 1,700 parents, mostly fathers, for as long as 13 years, the province admitted Friday.

Family grieving their child taken by CPS

Family grieving their child taken by CPS

They are the cases that tug at the heart, children torn away from their families because Child Protective Services believes their living conditions to be unfit.

Seeking accountability for CAS

Seeking accountability for CAS

They took a stand, but say they will pay a price.

Protestors who rallied Friday in a Court Watch protest in Chatham want Children's Aid Societies to be more accountable.

'Removing a child is terrible'

A look into the mind of a British BabyStealer...

Not much to see though, so don't get disappointed.

'Removing a child is terrible'

Sallyanne Jones is a social worker who specialises in child protection. Where she finds neglect, abuse or cruelty, she may have to split families up. Now she has a baby of her own, does she approach her job differently?

Corey Feldman to write a book on Hollywood paedophiles

Corey Feldman to write a book on Hollywood paedophiles

Former child star Corey Feldman, who featured in 'The Goonies', 'Stand By Me' and 'The Lost Boys', claims to have been sexually abused by paedophiles when he was a teenager and says he will reveal their names in a book. "When I was 14 and 15, things were happening to me. These older men were leching around like vultures. It was basically me laying there pretending I was asleep and them going about their business," the 40-year-old told The Sun in an interview.

Mountain View superintendent charged for not reporting suspected child abuse

Mountain View superintendent charged for not reporting suspected child abuse

Mountain View Superintendent Andrew Chichura, Ed.D., faces a criminal charge of not reporting suspected child abuse in connection with a high school graduation party last June.

Angry dad burned adoption worker

Angry dad burned adoption worker

A YOUNG father threw a kettle of boiling water over a social worker, causing him horrific burns, after becoming upset at his daughter being put up for adoption.

Note: Although we've all wanted to do something like this at one time or another as they do have a knack for pissing people off, Legally Kidnapped does not condone this sort of behavior. It will not help you win your case, but instead give them more ammo to use against you.

With too many Latino kids in foster care, a state assemblyman searches for answers at an East San Jose church

With too many Latino kids in foster care, a state assemblyman searches for answers at an East San Jose church

Worried about the large number of Latino children taken away from parents and placed in California foster care, a host of state politicians Friday took over a church hall once occupied by farmworker leader Cesar Chavez to hear answers to the problem.

CHILD WELFARE: Navigating a Fractured System, Part 2

CHILD WELFARE: Navigating a Fractured System, Part 2

We continue our special report on child welfare in Nebraska today. In part one of our series, Child Welfare: Navigating a Fractured System, we talked to families whose children have been removed from the home, and are fighting to get them back. Today, we’ll talk to families whose children need help outside the home. In both cases, critics of the child welfare system say the state is making the wrong choice – one that’s more expensive for Nebraska and more traumatic for families.

Child porn plea set for ex-DHS worker

Child porn plea set for ex-DHS worker

A former Oregon Department of Human Services child-welfare supervisor in Salem faces charges of encouraging child-sexual abuse.

I have to post this off topic but very important piece of information

The Department of Homeland Security now admits it keeps tabs on popular websites like Facebook and Twitter.

DHS monitors popular, public websites



HI!!!

Guess what

It Could Happen To You