Sunday, January 31, 2016

Would Child Welfare Programs Still Be Failing If They Were Anti-Poverty Instead of Anti-Abuse?

Would Child Welfare Programs Still Be Failing If They Were Anti-Poverty Instead of Anti-Abuse? 

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families plunged into its current wave of trouble in December 2013, when a five-year-old named Jeremiah Oliver disappeared, and his disappearance went unreported for months, despite his family being under investigation from child services. In the spring of 2014, his body was found in a suitcase.

Appellate court: Morris judge violated grandparents' rights

Appellate court: Morris judge violated grandparents' rights

A Family Division judge in Morris County violated the constitutional rights of a set of grandparents by dismissing their complaint to adopt their grandchild without giving them a chance to argue in court and without articulating reasons for dismissal, the state's Appellate Division ruled Friday.

Report: Mother of child killed by pit bull flees state with 5 other children

Report: Mother of child killed by pit bull flees state with 5 other children

The mother of the 7-year-old boy who died after a pit bull attack on Sunday at a Robeson County home told a Raleigh television station that she has left the state to retain custody of her other five children.

Police: Man threatened lives of Social Services, government workers

Police: Man threatened lives of Social Services, government workers

A Howell County man has been charged with terroristic threatening after, authorities say, he effectively threatened the lives of Social Services employees over an investigation into the health and well-being of two children in his care that resulted in the children being taken by state workers.

Couple get probation for starving foster child

Couple get probation for starving foster child

An East Lucius Avenue couple accused of starving a foster child in their care in 2014 were sentenced Wednesday to five years’ probation in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Columbus leaders seek solutions for high foster care stats

Columbus leaders seek solutions for high foster care stats

On Friday, Muscogee County Judges met with DFACS, clergy, and community leaders to brainstorm solutions for the considerably high amount of Muscogee County children in foster care.

Rampant sex, brawling women at child-welfare offices: suit

Rampant sex, brawling women at child-welfare offices: suit

The city’s child-welfare lawyers toil in a den of iniquity, with top staffers engaging in rampant sex with subordinates — and two women even brawling over the affections of their boss at work, according to a Brooklyn federal court suit.

Romanian-Americans from all over Texas will peacefully rally in front of the Norwegian Consulate General of Houston February 6th

Romanian-Americans from all over Texas will peacefully rally in front of the Norwegian Consulate General of Houston February 6th

Hundreds of Romanian-Americans from all over Texas will peacefully rally in front of the Norwegian Consulate General of Houston to protest the unlawful seizure by the Norwegian Government of the five (5) children of Marius and Ruth Bodnariu, a Pentecostal Romanian-Norwegian family living in Norway.

Gay Rights Advocates Vow to Fight Utah Bill on Adoptions

Gay Rights Advocates Vow to Fight Utah Bill on Adoptions

Proposed state legislation that would require Utah judges to favor heterosexual couples over same-sex couples in adoptions and foster care placements is blatantly unconstitutional and will not hold up in court, gay rights advocates argue.

Overdue victory for First Nations

Overdue victory for First Nations

The truly historic Jan. 26 ruling by the Canadian Human Rights (CHR) Tribunal, which found that the discriminatory policies of past federal governments led to the chronic underfunding of child welfare services for First Nations children living on reserves, is to be applauded. Currently a disproportionate and unacceptable number of First Nations children are being placed in foster care and this ruling is a critical first step in improving their health and well-being.

Pair says state department guilty of 'legal kidnapping'

Pair says state department guilty of 'legal kidnapping'

Connecticut parents whose children were removed from their care at birth by the Department of Children and Families will have a chance to argue that their rights were violated under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

TEXAS’ FOSTER CARE SYSTEM IS ENDANGERING CHILDREN

TEXAS’ FOSTER CARE SYSTEM IS ENDANGERING CHILDREN

Even with the best of intentions, organizational overhaul and systemic reform take time. The most vulnerable kids in Texas’ overwhelmed foster care system don’t have time to wait: They need help now.

New Jersey Family Fights for Custody of Boy in NYC Foster Care

New Jersey Family Fights for Custody of Boy in NYC Foster Care

A New Jersey foster family is fighting to regain custody of a 14-year-old boy in a stormy battle involving New York City's Administration for Children Services and the boy's biological father.

Foster parents describe a system in need of changes

Foster parents describe a system in need of changes

Mississippi has pledged to correct what's gone horribly wrong, but only after a federal lawsuit was filed and the state admitted that it hadn't complied with the terms of a settlement. 

How Uncle Sam wound up trafficking innocent kids

How Uncle Sam wound up trafficking innocent kids

No joke: Swamped with tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors from Central America who crossed the Mexican border in 2014, the Department of Health and Human Services simply skipped key steps meant to ensure the kids were sent to safe places.


Saturday, January 30, 2016

Evil foster mum Wendy Hardy jailed after shaking baby to death

Evil foster mum Wendy Hardy jailed after shaking baby to death

Evil Wendy Hardy, 46, assaulted Harry Aspley when she had trouble getting him to eat without throwing up.


Manitoba woman struggling to take siblings out of CFS care encouraged by ruling

Manitoba woman struggling to take siblings out of CFS care encouraged by ruling

A Manitoba woman who has been struggling for more than a decade to gain legal care of her siblings in Child and Family Services is feeling encouraged by a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling.


Does child-abuse law loophole exempt medical profession from background checks?

Does child-abuse law loophole exempt medical profession from background checks?

Since Sandusky, the Pennsylvania legislature passed two dozen new laws aimed at keeping kids safe. One of them requires more and more people to be mandated reporters.


Families First Act Disregards Foster Care Shortage, Need for Some Group Homes

Families First Act Disregards Foster Care Shortage, Need for Some Group Homes

Congress appears to be on the right track with child welfare reform, as evidenced by a summary of the new Families First Act, which may soon be marked up by the Senate Finance Committee. The centerpiece of the legislation is the expansion of Title IV-E to provide preventive services to assist children in danger of being placed in foster care.

Child Protective Services abysmally underfunded in Montana

Child Protective Services abysmally underfunded in Montana

This should be considered a crisis at this point.  The chronic underfunding of welfare agencies nationwide could use Montana CPS and the rest of the agencies under Dept. of Health and Human Services as a “poster child”.  I can’t really describe the depth of the situation, but this article gives a good glimpse.

Working 4 You: Gun Fired During DHS Case Worker Visit

Working 4 You: Gun Fired During DHS Case Worker Visit

The Department of Human Services is considering policy changes to protect family services caseworkers after two in the past month have faced families armed with guns when caseworkers arrived, one of which wasn't arrested by law enforcement.

Report: US Teachers Beat Black Kids Twice as Much as Whites

Report: US Teachers Beat Black Kids Twice as Much as Whites

A new report reveals Black school children get beaten twice as much as Whites in the U.S. with out-of-school-suspension rates four times higher.

Independence father denied custody after loophole adoption

Independence father denied custody after loophole adoption

An Independence father is heartbroken after losing the battle to get his daughter back after she was adopted without his permission.

Mom Can’t Find 5-Year-Old At School, Then Teacher Delivers Some Bad News

Mom Can’t Find 5-Year-Old At School, Then Teacher Delivers Some Bad News

When a Minnesota mom sent her son to school one day, she didn’t think it would end in so many uncomfortable questions and confusion. But when she went to pick him up, she was given horrific news about a sickening mistake the school made. Unfortunately, it was already too late.


Senate probe faults U.S. government for migrant child abuse

Senate probe faults U.S. government for migrant child abuse

Migrant children in the government's care fell prey to human trafficking after the Health and Human Services Department failed to protect them, according to a bipartisan congressional investigation released Thursday.

How to fix Ontario’s fragmented child welfare system

How to fix Ontario’s fragmented child welfare system

It isn’t surprising that people get passionate debating the best way to protect vulnerable children. Unfortunately, as the emotional fervour rises, the general public’s understanding of child welfare is shaped by provocative language and melodramatic snapshots that create an inaccurate and incomplete picture. Such is the case with the ongoing debate around how to improve Ontario’s children’s aid societies.

Manhattan couple sues to get their names on birth certificate of boy born through surrogate

Manhattan couple sues to get their names on birth certificate of boy born through surrogate

That's what a Manhattan couple wants the whole world — and the legal system — to know about a little boy born last summer in Brooklyn to a surrogate mother.


Forced Adoptions: Suspicions that three minors could become victims of trafficking

Forced Adoptions: Suspicions that three minors could become victims of trafficking

A US family insists to adopt three brothers Moldovan minors against their will. The children say that in December last year, the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family (MLSPF), and the Municipal Department for Child Protection have constantly pressed them to accept to go to America.


Girl, 9, alleges abuse in foster care, sues DSHS

Girl, 9, alleges abuse in foster care, sues DSHS

A 9-year-old girl has filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Social & Health Services for placing her in a foster home where she allegedly was sexually abused by another foster child.


Blythewood resident writes story of growing up in foster care in NY

Blythewood resident writes story of growing up in foster care in NY

Blythewood resident, Shandreka Jones, is a wife, mother, and student at the University of South Carolina earning her masters degree in social work. Despite her busy schedule, Jones, decided about a year ago it was time for her to write her life story as a child raised by families assigned to her as part of the foster care system of New York state. Jones was abandoned at birth by her mother.


Bed bugs found in Johnston social services building

Bed bugs found in Johnston social services building

Johnston County officials shut down the Department of Social Services Main Building Thursday after bed bugs were found in the waiting area and a few offices.

Bay State has most kid abuse reports

Bay State has most kid abuse reports

Massachusetts topped the country in the rate of child abuse and neglect in 2014, according to a federal report released this week.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

RALEIGH VIGIL CALLS FOR HALT ON DEPORTING FAMILIES

RALEIGH VIGIL CALLS FOR HALT ON DEPORTING FAMILIES

Immigrant advocate groups are calling on President Barack Obama to put an end to deportation raids they say are ripping families apart, and putting them in danger.

The United States Once Sterilized Tens of Thousands —Here’s How the Supreme Court Allowed It

The United States Once Sterilized Tens of Thousands —Here’s How the Supreme Court Allowed It

On the morning of October 19, 1927, the Commonwealth of Virginia sterilized Carrie Buck. Dr. John Bell whose name would forever be linked with Carrie’s in the Supreme Court case Buck v. Bell cut her open and removed a section from each of her Fallopian tubes. In his notes, Dr. Bell noted that “this was the first case operated on under the sterilization law.”


Ex-DCF Employee Accepts Plea in Falsifying Records Case

Ex-DCF Employee Accepts Plea in Falsifying Records Case

A Department of Children and Families employee, charged in connection with the death of a baby left in a hot car, faced a judge Wednesday.

U.S. Failed To Protect Migrant Children From Traffickers, Senate Investigation Finds

U.S. Failed To Protect Migrant Children From Traffickers, Senate Investigation Finds

U.S. authorities failed to protect undocumented migrant children in their custody when it released them to guardians who in some cases exploited them, a U.S. Senate investigation found.

Syracuse teen locked in cell 23 hrs a day for 2 1/2 months sues downtown jail

Syracuse teen locked in cell 23 hrs a day for 2 1/2 months sues downtown jail

A Syracuse teenager is suing the Onondaga County Justice Center for locking him in a cell 23 hours a day for more than two months.

Couple in foster child abuse case gets 5 years probation

Couple in foster child abuse case gets 5 years probation

An East Lucius Avenue couple accused of starving a foster child in their care in 2014 were sentenced today in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Child under ‘foster care’ in US, Raje assures help to family

Child under ‘foster care’ in US, Raje assures help to family

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Wednesday assured assistance to relatives of a couple whose infant was taken by the United States (US) authorities over alleged ‘manhandling’. Earlier, the family had called a protest in Jaipur beginning Thursday.

Budget adds public defenders, social workers

Budget adds public defenders, social workers

Kentucky's public defenders would get long-sought relief from crushing caseloads and state social workers could see a pay increase aimed at reducing worker burnout and high turnover under the budget proposal unveiled by Gov. Matt Bevin on Tuesday.


HSE accused of ‘lying’ to PAC over apology in abuse case

HSE accused of ‘lying’ to PAC over apology in abuse case

Senior Health Service Executive (HSE) officials have been accused of “lying” to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over claims it apologised to a vulnerable adult who was left in a foster home for than 13 years after it became the subject of abuse allegations.



First Nations child welfare ruling a precedent for other on-reserve issues, lawyers say

First Nations child welfare ruling a precedent for other on-reserve issues, lawyers say

Aboriginal lawyers are cautiously optimistic Tuesday's human rights ruling that Canada fails to provide equal services for children on reserves will legally oblige the government to fix other inequities facing First Nations, including education, housing, access to clean water and health care.

SOCIAL WORK CONFERENCE URGES GREATER ‘FATHER-FRIENDLY’ CULTURE IN CHILD PROTECTION

SOCIAL WORK CONFERENCE URGES GREATER ‘FATHER-FRIENDLY’ CULTURE IN CHILD PROTECTION

When family difficulties mean that children are at risk of abuse or neglect and face being taken into care or becoming candidates for adoption, how can their fathers be brought back into the equation?  Instead of being marginalised, might they be part of a solution?  A conference at the University of Huddersfield enabled social workers involved in child protection to hear and discuss the very latest research in the field of fatherhood.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

DCFS Supervisor in Gabriel Fernandez Case Can Return to Work: Judge

DCFS Supervisor in Gabriel Fernandez Case Can Return to Work: Judge

An LA County Department of Children and Family Services supervisor who was fired in the wake of the torture death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez will be reinstated, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Flint children never had a fair shot, even before lead poisoning

Flint children never had a fair shot, even before lead poisoning

On one level, the Flint lead poisoning scandal is about a state mismanaging a city under financial duress and moving the city to a water supply that turned out to be unsafe.

British Children Displaced From Care Homes As Govt Prioritises Unaccompanied Child Migrants

British Children Displaced From Care Homes As Govt Prioritises Unaccompanied Child Migrants

Local authorities are having to place British children in care homes outside their local counties because their social services have been overwhelmed by unaccompanied child migrants. Despite the strain on services, government ministers are considering calls to bring in more migrant kids from Europe and beyond.

Kansas child abuse victim rates rise 30 percent, state cites more people coming forward

Kansas child abuse victim rates rise 30 percent, state cites more people coming forward

According to the latest annual reporting data released Monday by the Department of Health and Human Services, Kansas’ rate of child abuse victims has risen substantially over the last five years.


Walker dragging ball and chain in Sarnia-Ottawa walk to press for overhaul of foster care system

Walker dragging ball and chain in Sarnia-Ottawa walk to press for overhaul of foster care system

A man who grew up in foster care is walking more than 750 kilometres with nearly 40 pounds shackled to his ankle to shine light on a system that he said is failing kids.


Georgia failed to protect girl who died in foster care

Georgia failed to protect girl who died in foster care

Georgia’s child protection agency removed 2-year-old Laila Marie Daniel from her troubled mother and placed her in foster care.

Shackling children is not justice

Shackling children is not justice

Juvenile court is where kids who have broken the law come to take responsibility. As a judge and a parent, I know that it is far more effective to demonstrate responsibility than it is to give lectures on the topic. That is one reason why I put a stop to the automatic shackling of children in my courtroom. I have a responsibility to see that everyone is treated fairly and that the court works effectively to rehabilitate children. There is nothing fair or rehabilitative about wrapping a child in chains.


Barahona attempted murder case set for Palm Beach County trial in July

Barahona attempted murder case set for Palm Beach County trial in July

It's been almost five years since Jorge Barahona allegedly used toxic chemicals in an attempt to kill his adopted son, Victor, in Palm Beach County. Now plans are on track for the Miami man's high-profile trial this summer.

Sheriff Babeu repeatedly denied having knowledge of widespread abuse at boarding school

Sheriff Babeu repeatedly denied having knowledge of widespread abuse at boarding school

Sheriff Paul Babeu repeatedly denied any knowledge or awareness of the mistreatment of students at a controversial Massachusetts therapeutic boarding school.

Jail for failing to report child abuse

Jail for failing to report child abuse

Barbadians who fail to report suspected cases of child abuse could be liable to up to a year in jail and hefty fines. And anyone making a false report of child abuse could face a similar fate.

Feds' failures imperil migrant children, investigation finds

Feds' failures imperil migrant children, investigation finds

As tens of thousands of children fleeing violence in Central America crossed the border in search of safe harbor, overwhelmed U.S. officials weakened child protection policies. They placed some young migrants in homes where they were sexually assaulted, starved or forced to work for little or no pay, an Associated Press investigation has found.

Mom accused of child abuse hauls seven kids to Oregon for surreal performance before armed militants

Mom accused of child abuse hauls seven kids to Oregon for surreal performance before armed militants

A Kansas mom who took her singing kids to entertain the armed militants at the occupied wildlife refuge in Oregon once had a son taken from her after he ran away because he was “unhappy” with the “wholesome and pure path” she had planned for him.

Phony judge may have illegally impersonated a cop to bring militants’ kids to occupied Oregon refuge

Phony judge may have illegally impersonated a cop to bring militants’ kids to occupied Oregon refuge

A phony judge may have impersonated a police officer to help a pair of Oregon militants take their children away from a relative and bring them to an armed showdown with federal authorities.

Tribunal rules Canada discriminated against aboriginal kids

Tribunal rules Canada discriminated against aboriginal kids

A human rights tribunal has ruled Canada’s federal government discriminated against children on aboriginal reserves in its funding of child welfare services.

Unchain the children for a more effective juvenile court

Unchain the children for a more effective juvenile court

When the Missouri Legislature takes up the question of juvenile shackling, it will be shining a light on one of the darkest practices in our legal system. If the Legislature supports shackling reform, it will champion the well-being of children while also promoting public safety.


Former worker suggests changes for Child and Family Services

Former worker suggests changes for Child and Family Services

Some people who have complained about the way the Division of Child and Family Services have handled their cases are justified in their complaints, the agency's former field services administrator told the Protect Montana Kids Commission on Tuesday.

Manitoba child welfare agencies breaking law by ignoring relatives: watchdog

Manitoba child welfare agencies breaking law by ignoring relatives: watchdog

The children's advocate for Manitoba First Nations says some child-welfare agencies are breaking the law and discriminating against indigenous family members.

G4S child abuse scandal: Wardens dealing with kids ‘must wear body cameras’ – watchdog

G4S child abuse scandal: Wardens dealing with kids ‘must wear body cameras’ – watchdog

A deepening child abuse scandal engulfing G4S has led watchdogs to suggest that its young offenders facility in Kent be scrutinized by an independent commissioner and all wardens dealing with children start wearing bodycams, it has emerged.


ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY RESPONDS TO NEW TIMES STORY ABOUT CLOSING SHELTER

ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY RESPONDS TO NEW TIMES STORY ABOUT CLOSING SHELTER

In response to New Times' story detailing the Arizona Department of Child Safety's plan to close its emergency placement center in Phoenix — and allow children who can't immediately be placed in foster care to sleep in DCS offices —  DCS spokesman Doug Nick wrote the following letter to the editor:

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Woman, 30, accused of attacking DCF caseworker



Woman, 30, accused of attacking DCF caseworker

A Gainesville woman was arrested over the weekend after deputies say she hurt a caseworker from the Florida Department of Children and Families and threatened to stab her if she ever saw her again.

Flint residents told that their children could be taken away if they don't pay for city's poison water

Flint residents told that their children could be taken away if they don't pay for city's poison water

As the water crisis in Flint deepens, it is becoming apparent that the effects of the lead-infested water are not just a health hazard, but the situation has the potential of ruining many more lives outside of the poison issue. There is no denying that the water in Flint is undrinkable and that it is contaminated with lead and other substances, and it is clear that the government of Flint is responsible for the problem.

Kids In Care Moved Away After Refugee Influx

Kids In Care Moved Away After Refugee Influx

Council chiefs say they have no choice but to place local youngsters elsewhere due to the influx from across the English Channel of those aged under 18 seeking sanctuary.


Portugal's president blocks gay adoption, abortion

Portugal's president blocks gay adoption, abortion

Portugal's president has vetoed bills recently passed by Parliament that granted full adoption rights to same-sex couples and removed abortion restrictions.

HSE FACES LAWSUIT OVER ALLEGED FOSTER CARE HOME ABUSE

HSE FACES LAWSUIT OVER ALLEGED FOSTER CARE HOME ABUSE

Gardai are examining if they can take a reckless endangerment case against HSE employees over alleged foster care home abuse.

Shocking 80% surge in lone children arriving in Scotland

Shocking 80% surge in lone children arriving in Scotland

SCOTLAND has witnessed an 80% surge in children arriving in the country on their own, according to a refugee service.


MARYANNE GODBOLDO BATTLES ON 5 YEARS AFTER STATE KIDNAPPED, DRUGGED HER CHILD; FUNDS NEEDED

MARYANNE GODBOLDO BATTLES ON 5 YEARS AFTER STATE KIDNAPPED, DRUGGED HER CHILD; FUNDS NEEDED

Our parental rights are being undermined. Maryanne Godboldo sought to provide the best health care for her child; she disagreed with The State of Michigan, Department of Human Services and Child Protective Services’ demand that she medicate her child with Risperdal, a drug that has TERRIBLE side effects.

5 Christian Kids Seized by Norwegian Gov't Over 'Spankings,' Not Family's Faith, Activist Says

5 Christian Kids Seized by Norwegian Gov't Over 'Spankings,' Not Family's Faith, Activist Says

The reason why five Romanian Pentecostal children were seized from their parents in November by Norwegian child services is because authorities used the fact that parents disciplined their children with spankings to charge them with child abuse, an activist close to the situation says.

Ottawa discriminated against aboriginal children by underfunding services, tribunal to rule

Ottawa discriminated against aboriginal children by underfunding services, tribunal to rule

The federal government discriminated against tens of thousands of vulnerable First Nations children by providing less money for welfare services on reserves than is available elsewhere in Canada, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal will finally rule in a groundbreaking case that was launched nearly nine years ago.

A Mentally Disabled Mother Lost Her Newborn and Fought Until She Got Her Back

A Mentally Disabled Mother Lost Her Newborn and Fought Until She Got Her Back

People joke that parenthood should come via license, like driving, and that you shouldn’t be allowed to have children unless you pass a test. Lisa Miller’s New York magazine story about one mother in Massachusetts makes that idea—and the parental and disability rights controversies that accompany it—real.

Top judge uses Australia Day honours to highlight family court system 'failures'

Top judge uses Australia Day honours to highlight family court system 'failures'

Australia's top family law judge has used his Australia Day honours acceptance to highlight how he says the court system is leaving women vulnerable and children at risk.


Wrong 5-year-old boy pulled out of school by child protection services in St. Paul

Wrong 5-year-old boy pulled out of school by child protection services in St. Paul

A 5-year-old boy was pulled out of school by child protection services in St. Paul -- only there's one problem, it was the wrong child.

Militia Members Accuse Gov’t of Going to Unthinkable Lengths to Pressure Them Into Surrender — Here’s What We Know

Militia Members Accuse Gov’t of Going to Unthinkable Lengths to Pressure Them Into Surrender — Here’s What We Know

Two key members of the Oregon militia, who continue to hold the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, say Arizona officials took their children from their homes as an act of revenge.


For 2-year-old who died in foster care, a short, tragic life

For 2-year-old who died in foster care, a short, tragic life

Jennifer Rosenbaum seems nothing like the people who are typically charged in the death of a child. She isn’t the drug-addled mother guilty of neglect, or the live-in boyfriend who lashes out, or the father who traps his child in his own mental illness.

Rhode Island Proposes NEW Insanity: “Children Under 10 Shall Not Be Left Home Alone, Even Briefly”


Is there a war on parents in Rhode Island? Recall that this is the state that once wanted to make it illegal for a child under age 12 to get off the school bus unless an adult was waiting there to walk the child home. (That bill was eventually scrapped.) Then there was the bill considered just a couple of weeks ago that would make it illegal to let a child under age 7 wait in the car, under penalty of the state revoking the parent’s license for THREE YEARS. That one is still in play. Now comes THIS LAW that is to be debated on Tuesday:


Monday, January 25, 2016

Lawyer: State law makes parental rights difficult for grandparents

Lawyer: State law makes parental rights difficult for grandparents

Chance Walsh’s grandparents believe they could’ve made a difference in the infant’s life – if state laws were different.

Homeless single father strives to get kids out of foster care

Homeless single father strives to get kids out of foster care

A homeless single father of four from Dobson has been working hard and playing by the rules, trying to get his kids out of foster care and and change all their lives for the better, but no matter what he tries, there seems to be an obstacle in his way.

Strides in caring for Florida’s endangered children still not enough

Strides in caring for Florida’s endangered children still not enough

There is much to be proud of when it comes to child welfare in Florida. Quietly, over the past decade, the community-based care model has transformed our system from one of the nation’s worst child welfare systems in the country to one of the best.

Case against couple for harassing ‘adopted’ parents of their child

Case against couple for harassing ‘adopted’ parents of their child

The district police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against a couple for allegedly harassing a childless couple and demanding money from them after giving them their girl child in ‘adoption’.


How Flint traded safe drinking water for cost-cutting plan that didn't work

How Flint traded safe drinking water for cost-cutting plan that didn't work

The decision to switch the city of Flint’s drinking water source to the Flint River was pegged as a cost-cutting maneuver aimed at saving $5m over a two-year period. But almost two years and a massive lead contamination crisis later, that move and subsequent decisions not to treat the water supply already carry a financial price tag of $45m and climbing.


Improvements made but children still held in custody unnecessarily

Improvements made but children still held in custody unnecessarily

A TOP level inspection into how West Mercia Police protects children has found that they are still being unnecessarily detained in police custody.


Chief Social Worker criticised for government connections

Chief Social Worker criticised for government connections

The Chief Social Worker for Children has denied being the “voice of the profession” after criticisms that she is too close to the government.

Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care:Parents, Do You Dare Say No to Doctors?

Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care:Parents, Do You Dare Say No to Doctors?

What's a more frightening nightmare for parents than their children's illness? It is the fear of losing custody of their children.

Feds' failures imperil migrant children

Feds' failures imperil migrant children

As tens of thousands of children fleeing violence in Central America crossed the border in search of safe harbor, overwhelmed U.S. officials weakened child protection policies, placing some young migrants in homes where they were sexually assaulted, starved or forced to work for little or no pay, an Associated Press investigation has found.




MISSOULIAN EDITORIAL: Time to overhaul Montana's child protection services

MISSOULIAN EDITORIAL: Time to overhaul Montana's child protection services

Montana’s Child and Family Services are at last getting the focused attention the troubled agency has long needed. The question is whether all this attention will result in the kind of changes that ensure Montana’s most vulnerable children are safe and well-cared-for.


Ariz. militia members in Ore. say state took kids

Ariz. militia members in Ore. say state took kids

Two militia members playing key roles in the siege of an Oregon wildlife refuge say Arizona officials took children out of their homes as part of a campaign to pressure them into surrender.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Affidavit: DHS Called Five Times Before Death Of Tulsa Baby


An affidavit says DHS had received five calls about a baby who Tulsa Police said died as a result of neglect.

Arizona CPS Boss Calls Agency Toxic; Child Protective Services Rewards Devious Behavior



In an email late Wed afternoon to all 9,000 Dep't of Economic Security workers, director Clarence Carter concedes their work environment is "toxic" and describes workers' fear of reprisal for speaking out as a "sickness."

Charges reinstated against mom who refused to medicate daughter

Charges reinstated against mom who refused to medicate daughter

The Michigan Court of Appeals Thursday revived 4 1/2-year-old case involving a Detroit mother whose fight with Child Protective Services led to a 10-hour police standoff in 2011.

Ottawa loses another bid to keep First Nations child-welfare case out of courts

Ottawa loses another bid to keep First Nations child-welfare case out of courts

The federal government has suffered another blow in its bid to keep a high-stakes battle over First Nations child welfare out of the courts.

Texas AG Ken Paxton: Federal judge’s plan to repair broken foster care system is ‘judicial takeover’

Texas AG Ken Paxton: Federal judge’s plan to repair broken foster care system is ‘judicial takeover’

Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) accused a federal judge of trying to implement a “judicial takeover” with her ruling highlighting extreme deficiencies in the state’s foster care system, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Portage man accused of sex with child


A 36-year-old Portage man is accused of having sex with an underage girl.

Couple Who Had Children Taken At Birth By DCF Wins Appeal For New Trial

Couple Who Had Children Taken At Birth By DCF Wins Appeal For New Trial

A federal appeals court has given two Connecticut residents a chance to prove the state child protection agency trampled on their rights by removing two children at birth based on "perceptions and stereotypes" of the parents' mental health.


Adopted son charged with killing father had troubled past

Adopted son charged with killing father had troubled past

The Alamance County Sheriff’s Office previously identified Joseph Goswick as Wes Goswick’s stepson, though the agency clarified Friday that the 17-year-old suspect was adopted by the victim at age 10.

Father charged with trying to sell adopted son

Father charged with trying to sell adopted son

A Father in Texas is accused of trying to sell his 16-year-old adopted son. He’s accused of taking a check and a vehicle in exchange for signing away his parental rights.

As caseload soars, capacity lifted at many foster homes

As caseload soars, capacity lifted at many foster homes

Massachusetts officials, struggling to find placements for an influx of abused children, have sharply increased the number of foster homes allowed to take in more children than generally permitted, according to two years of data recently obtained by the Globe.


Bridge of Hope works to ease problem in foster care system


Because CPS can't take care of all the kids they steal...

A non-profit group in Randolph County hopes to fill a need in the Arkansas foster care system.

U.S. Healthcare System Really DOES Kidnap Teens

U.S. Healthcare System Really DOES Kidnap Teens

A Missouri mother has been accused of medical child abuse after requesting a second opinion regarding her 17-year old son’s medical care. Isaiah Rider, who suffers from neurofibromatosis, a rare condition causing tumors on the nerves, was told he could no longer see his mother following a surgery at Luries Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. “One day I woke up, and I was surrounded by a bunch of doctors, and they told me that I wasn’t allowed to see my mother anymore,” said Rider in a YouTube video he made after being placed in foster care following his release. “I was shocked. I was shocked.”


Friday, January 22, 2016

Foster care children at risk for sex trafficking predators

Foster care children at risk for sex trafficking predators

January is Human Trafficking and Awareness and Prevention Month across the country. And in Austin on Wednesday, state and local agencies joined forces to learn how to better identify the signs.

Appeals court: Godboldo should face charges in standoff

Appeals court: Godboldo should face charges in standoff

The Michigan Court of Appeals says a mother accused of firing a shot when police tried to remove her physically-impaired daughter from their Detroit home in 2011 should face charges.


Couple fights to get children back, say state has refused because of medicinal marijuana use

Couple fights to get children back, say state has refused because of medicinal marijuana use

In April 2015, as Raymond Schwab and his wife, Amelia, were preparing to move to Colorado from Topeka, the state removed five of their six children.


Bathurst family law specialist Matthew Oakley says system is a disgrace

Bathurst family law specialist Matthew Oakley says system is a disgrace

Family law specialist Matthew Oakley yesterday labelled the state of the family law courts “a disgrace”, citing examples where separated parents have to wait 18 months for contact with their children because their case is in a massive backlog.

Scottish foster carers forced to subsidise basic expenses as allowances fall short of UK minimums

Scottish foster carers forced to subsidise basic expenses as allowances fall short of UK minimums

SCOTTISH foster carers are being forced to subsidise basic expenses to cover the cost of providing shoes, clothing and activities for the children they look after, according to a leading charity.

Sheriff recommends criminal charges in mauling death of boy, 9

Sheriff recommends criminal charges in mauling death of boy, 9

The Yuba County Sheriff’s Office is recommending that the district attorney charge Alexandria Griffin-Heady in connection with the death earlier this month of her younger brother, who was killed by her pit bull terriers while she was away at work.

Feds Finally Putting Families First

Feds Finally Putting Families First

Removing a child from his or her family is inherently traumatic and de-stabilizing to the child and the family. In some cases, this is the only way to ensure safety. However, early interventions that consistently include families are often more effective long-term solutions and cost less taxpayer money. For over 20 years, best practice and policy has been transitioning to investment in preventive care and family support, but funding has not followed. Our Federal child welfare financing system gives states little incentive to invest in prevention and family services that help keep children safely at home. Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, the Nation's largest child welfare funding stream, currently provides States with a Federal funding match for children only after they are placed in foster care. At the same time, Federal funding for broad, community-based, primary prevention programs through title IV-B of the Social Security Act is too limited to reach the significant number of families in need.


CNBC highlights promise of analytics in child protective services

CNBC highlights promise of analytics in child protective services

“What keeps you awake at night?” my colleague asked me. At the time, I was a child protective services administrator responsible for thousands of at risk children on any given day. While there were many things that weighed on my mind, worker turnover created many sleepless nights, and days filled with anxiety and fear.

Our view: State must better protect its children

Our view: State must better protect its children


Roughly 10,000 children are in North Carolina’s child welfare system on any single day, and a new federal review finds the state should be caring better for many of them. The state should promptly respond with better care.

First Nations leader slams B.C. government's ‘PR move’ on aboriginal child welfare

First Nations leader slams B.C. government's ‘PR move’ on aboriginal child welfare

It was a “PR move” by Premier Christy Clark to name an ex-NDP cabinet minister as senior adviser on aboriginal child welfare last September, says a Fraser Valley First Nation chief.


Acute need for teen foster homes - or rather: snatching too many kids

Acute need for teen foster homes

Del Norte County needs foster parents, especially folks who will care for teenagers.

“Right now we have literally two homes that take teenage girls and we have none that take teenage boys at this point,” said Daphane Williams, license evaluator and social worker for Del Norte County’s Social Service Branch. “And when I say teenage boys, probably 13 and up.”

The hidden harms of the US foster-care system

The hidden harms of the US foster-care system

Firestorms regarding child-protective systems have become sadly commonplace, occurring recently in Massachusetts, Colorado and Florida. Elected officials and the general public often don’t pay much attention to child protection systems until a child dies in a family known to the state agency charged with protecting children at risk.

Gilbert moms fight for foster care changes

Gilbert moms fight for foster care changes

Three Gilbert moms are on a mission to cut red tape for foster care children across Arizona.

Police: Baby died at unlicensed foster home in December

Police: Baby died at unlicensed foster home in December

The state Department of Children, Youth and Families is investigating the death of a 6-month-old girl last month at an unlicensed foster home in Providence.

How Overprotective Parents Make Kids More Vulnerable

How Overprotective Parents Make Kids More Vulnerable

To what lengths do we go to protect our children? At what point is it important to recognize that a parent’s job is to facilitate and help the child to connect with responsibility for their own actions?

Jon Gosselin Claims He Hasn’t Seen All Eight of His Kids Together in Three Years

Jon Gosselin Claims He Hasn’t Seen All Eight of His Kids Together in Three Years

Jon Gosselin has a lot of catching up to do. The former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star claimed during a taping of The Steve Harvey Show — which is airing Monday, January 25 — that it’s been years since he’s seen all of his children with ex-wife Kate together.


Dundalk Travellers told to put children into foster care

Dundalk Travellers told to put children into foster care

A number of Traveller families evicted from their homes at an unofficial halting site in Co Louth were told by a local authority official to consider putting their children into care as a means of securing accommodation.


Nearly A Quarter Of DCF Social Workers Left In 2015

Nearly A Quarter Of DCF Social Workers Left In 2015

Nearly a quarter of social workers with the Kansas Department for Children and Families left the job in the yearlong period ending Dec. 1, and job vacancies increased by more than two-thirds at the same time.

‘They’re playing Russian Roulette with the lives of children’

‘They’re playing Russian Roulette with the lives of children’

For Jessie McVicar, the figurative ball and chain he has carried with him since he was nine years old is far more painful than the literal 35-pound one he is carrying with him across Ontario.

Senate passes bill to open adoption records

Senate passes bill to open adoption records

Adoptees born between 1941 and 1994 would be able to access their birth records under a bill passed Thursday by the Indiana Senate.


Dáil committee claims HSE trying to cover up sex abuse allegations against foster care family

Dáil committee claims HSE trying to cover up sex abuse allegations against foster care family

Serious allegations that vulnerable people with intellectual disabilities suffered decades of severe sexual abuse at the hands of a foster care family will be forwarded to the garda commissioner over claims the issue is being covered up.

Sex abuse scandal rocks exclusive New England prep school

Sex abuse scandal rocks exclusive New England prep school

For more than a century, St. George’s School has been part of the pedigree of some of America’s richest and most influential families. Astors, Vanderbilts and Bushes have attended the exclusive boarding school, where students can go sailing, play on squash courts or simply enjoy a sweeping view of the sea from the hilltop campus.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Man gets 20 years in foster child death

Man gets 20 years in foster child death

A South Jersey man who killed a toddler in 2013 must serve at least 17 years on a 20-year prison sentence, a Burlington County judge decided Thursday.

Prison for N.J. man convicted of killing girlfriend's infant foster daughter

Prison for N.J. man convicted of killing girlfriend's infant foster daughter

A Shamong man was sentenced to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison Thursday after he was convicted of aggravated manslaughter in the killing of a 1-year-old in 2013, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

HOW THE U.S. ALMOST HAD UNIVERSAL CHILD CARE

HOW THE U.S. ALMOST HAD UNIVERSAL CHILD CARE 

This high cost often ends up being close to or more than the take-home pay of many parents, and thanks to the persistent gender pay gap, that parent is most often the mom. This means that more women are quitting their jobs or scaling back their hours after they have children. On average, professional women lose around $11,000 a year, thanks to the gender pay gap, which is also the average annual cost of child care in the U.S., and after decades of decline and a drop to 23% in 1999, the share of stay-at-home mothers rose to 29% in 2012.

The Dangerous Myth of the Bad Kid

The Dangerous Myth of the Bad Kid 

Dangerous Myth of the Bad Kid  : There are other ways of encouraging good behavior while building a child s sense of self-worth and preserving their dignity. A fundamental starting point is the belief that all children are innately good, deserving of unconditional positive regard, compassion, and respect.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

AN INTRODUCTION TO CHILD WELFARE FUNDING, AND HOW STATES USE IT

AN INTRODUCTION TO CHILD WELFARE FUNDING, AND HOW STATES USE IT

Child welfare agencies in the United States are charged with ensuring the safety, permanency, and well-being of children who have been abused or neglected, and those who are at risk of abuse or neglect. The services provided by states and by counties vary widely, and include services for children and families to prevent abuse and neglect, child protective services such as family assessments and investigations, providing payments and supports for out of home placements such as foster care or kinship care, and adoption and guardianship services and supports for children and families.

“Its heartbreaking,” Foster parents reacts to plan that would limit counselors for foster kids

“Its heartbreaking,” Foster parents reacts to plan that would limit counselors for foster kids

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services is proposing a policy change where it would no longer cover private counseling sessions.

Baby Bjay inquest: Child protection head says death of some children a 'harsh reality'

Baby Bjay inquest: Child protection head says death of some children a 'harsh reality'

The head of Tasmania's Child Protection Services (CPS) has told an inquest it is a "harsh reality" some children will die at the hands of the people looking after them.

Get the Government's Hands Off My Foster Kid Subsidies

Get the Government's Hands Off My Foster Kid Subsidies

Here's a disturbing update from the Oregon militant standoff. Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, one of the most colorful militants, says that Arizona child protective services has removed four foster children, apparently all boys, from his care because of his involvement in the standoff.

Child welfare system: It could be worse

Child welfare system: It could be worse

The Arkansas Times has spent more than a year documenting shortcomings in the Arkansas child welfare system — short of foster homes and case workers, among others. But, again, we have Mississippi to thank for apparently being even worse.

Timeline Of Norway’s CPS Taking 5 Children From The Bodnariu Family

Timeline Of Norway’s CPS Taking 5 Children From The Bodnariu Family

Reading a post by Emi Zarnescu about the one-sided media coverage in Norway (you can read it here) has inspired me to spread awareness of what has happened to the Bodnariu family and continues to happen to many families in Norway.

Judge dismisses suit in death of child

Judge dismisses suit in death of child

A federal judge has tossed out accusations that child welfare officials in Westmoreland County failed to properly protect a newborn baby, and ordered the lawsuit to be filed instead in Indiana County Common Pleas Court.

Texas Fights Back Against Judge's Foster Care Reforms

Texas Fights Back Against Judge's Foster Care Reforms

Despite a federal judge's scathing finding last month that Texas has failed to protect foster children in its care, reform advocates are steeling themselves for a lengthy battle to force state officials to make fixes ordered by the court.

Sex abuse cases: Forty-six children placed in foster care with abusive family

Sex abuse cases: Forty-six children placed in foster care with abusive family

Between 1983 and 1995, 46 children — many of whom had physical and mental disabilities — were placed in foster care with an abusive family in the south-east of the country.





Longtime foster parent arrested for alleged sexual assault in 1987

Longtime foster parent arrested for alleged sexual assault in 1987

A 76-year-old man has been arrested and charged in an investigation of an alleged sexual assault that occurred between Jan. 20 and Mar. 27, 1987.

Family Sues Group Home After Alleged Sex Assault of 13-Year-Old in Movie Theater Bathroom

Family Sues Group Home After Alleged Sex Assault of 13-Year-Old in Movie Theater Bathroom

Someone at a group home was supposed to be watching the man accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy in a Maryland movie theater bathroom, the boy’s mother alleges in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Social workers praised and criticised by judge in ‘wrenchingly’ sad adoption case

Social workers praised and criticised by judge in ‘wrenchingly’ sad adoption case

The president of the family courts division has praised and criticised social work contribution to an adoption case, saying it “exemplified everything that is best in the profession” but also showed “lamentable failings”.

Adoption social worker: I hate telling people we don't have a child for them

Adoption social worker: I hate telling people we don't have a child for them

The number of children available for adoption has plummeted following a court judgment, with some would-be parents rejected more than 100 times

Note: My ass bleeds for her.