DCFS was weeks behind in filing reports when Semaj Crosby disappeared, records show

The morning after 17-month-old Semaj Crosby was reported missing from her Joliet Township home, state Department of Children and Family Services investigators and supervisors went to a strip mall office three miles away and began filing reports.


More >> DCFS was weeks behind in filing reports when Semaj Crosby disappeared, records show

Police: NH mom punches officer in face as DCYF attempts to take 3-year-old child

A Rochester woman allegedly punched an officer in the face as the Division for Children, Youth and Families took her 3-year-old child as part of a court order.

An officer, along with a representative from DCYF, went to a home on 34 Cross Wind Lane on Tuesday around 4:30 p.m. after a court order gave DCYF temporary custody of Cassandra Morton's child. Officers and DCYF planned to let Morton's child stay at the Cross Wind Lane home with grandparents as long as Morton agreed to leave, Capt. Jason Thomas said.

More >> Police: NH mom punches officer in face as DCYF attempts to take 3-year-old child

Head of Illinois DCFS child welfare agency resigns

The director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services resigned Wednesday in the face of an ethics probe and as the agency is in the midst of a controversy over a recent child death.

More >> Head of Illinois DCFS child welfare agency resigns

Scotland’s child abuse inquiry told records have been lost

An inquiry into the historical abuse of children by their carers will be hampered by the destruction of records that were held by many of the charities who ran residential homes, a lawyer representing victims has said.

More >> Scotland’s child abuse inquiry told records have been lost

Federal lawsuit says Minnesota's foster care system is failing hundreds of children

Hundreds, possibly thousands, of children in Minnesota's foster care system are at risk of violence and neglect because officials are failing to investigate reports of abuse and place the children in stable homes, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday.

More >> Federal lawsuit says Minnesota's foster care system is failing hundreds of children

What will it take for Ottawa finally to tackle Indigenous child-welfare crisis?: Editorial

If Justin Trudeau means what he says about building a new relationship with Indigenous peoples, he should start doing less to defend his government and more to defend the First Nations children it has for too long let down.

More >> What will it take for Ottawa finally to tackle Indigenous child-welfare crisis?: Editorial

Marshall foster mom arrested on child injury charge

42-year-old foster mother, Michelle Lee Hayes, was arrested last week for injury to a child after she allegedly abused a toddler in her care, causing bruising, swelling and bleeding to the child's brain.

More >> Marshall foster mom arrested on child injury chargeMarshall foster mom arrested on child injury charge

Study shows link between foster care, multiple medications and teen pregnancy

Girls in foster care are more likely to be diagnosed with mental health conditions, be prescribed multiple medications and become pregnant as teenagers, according to a report by Wyoming researchers.

More >> Study shows link between foster care, multiple medications and teen pregnancy

Mother jailed for threatening social worker with chopper over access to son

A 45-year-old woman was sentenced to six months’ jail on Tuesday (May 30) for holding a chopper to a social worker’s neck, after she cancelled a planned visit with the woman's newborn son who was in foster care.

More >> Mother jailed for threatening social worker with chopper over access to son

Case of slain boy raises interest in child welfare oversight

Records released last week that indicate Kansas officials investigated claims of child abuse for several years before a 7-year-old boy was tortured, starved, killed and fed to pigs may be strengthening some lawmakers’ desire to increase oversight of the child welfare system.

More >> Case of slain boy raises interest in child welfare oversight

Federal Audit Finds More Lapses in Texas Foster Care System

A federal audit released Tuesday heaped more criticism onto Texas' troubled child welfare system and warned of foster kids potentially put in jeopardy over missed deadlines during abuse and neglect investigations.

More >> Federal Audit Finds More Lapses in Texas Foster Care System

• A federal audit released has heaped more criticism onto Texas' troubled child welfare system that a federal judge ruled constitutional

Woman Admits She Called CPS On Her Ex Because Their Daughter ‘Sounded Dehydrated’

Danielle and Brandon have been in a contentious custody battle over their now 10-year-old daughter since shortly after she was born. Danielle, who currently has only visitation, wants custody back because she claims her ex is abusive and has threatened to kill her twice. She also accuses Brandon of neglecting their daughter by not providing basic necessities – all accusations Brandon denies.

More >> Woman Admits She Called CPS On Her Ex Because Their Daughter ‘Sounded Dehydrated’

Indigenous boy lost his cultural identity after being taken from family, inquiry told

A Northern Territory boy who had a traditional upbringing in a remote Indigenous community lost his cultural identity after he was taken away by welfare workers, an inquiry has heard.

More >> Indigenous boy lost his cultural identity after being taken from family, inquiry told

• Removed NT boy lost cultural identity

Hearing scheduled in suit against DA office, CPS investigator

A state district court will conduct a scheduling session this week involving a woman who has filed suit against the Hunt County District Attorney’s Office and a former state investigator, alleging she was the victim of malicious prosecution.

More >> Hearing scheduled in suit against DA office, CPS investigator

Child protection failings: ‘It’s going to shock you beyond belief’

CHILDREN treated like “human trash”. Children subjected to “barbaric” treatment and “staggering” levels of trauma. Lives that have been left “shattered”.

More >> Child protection failings: ‘It’s going to shock you beyond belief’

• Child protection failings: Fears for safety of children in their homes
• Vulnerable children are being failed by the State
• Child protection failings: Reasons why children were removed
• Child-protection audit ‘a wake-up call’ for society, report author says
• Child protection report: 'We cannot fail children a second time', says Ombudsman for Children

Suspending students linked to 'school-to-prison' pipeline, officials say

There's a correlation between the number of times students are suspended or expelled and their likelihood of ending up in the corrections system, which is prompting educators and law enforcement to come together in an effort to dismantle a so-called "school-to-prison pipeline."

More >> Suspending students linked to 'school-to-prison' pipeline, officials say

Child protection report a wake up call for society and parents: Geoffrey Shannon

Society and parents must take heed of the findings in today’s audit report into Ireland’s child protection system.

More >> Child protection report a wake up call for society and parents: Geoffrey Shannon

• 'Children are treated like human trash': The systematic failings in Ireland's child protection system

Youth detention royal commission hears child in Government care did not go to school for four years

A child in the care of the Northern Territory Government did not attend school for four years and no-one in the relevant department intervened, the royal commission into child protection has heard.

More >> Youth detention royal commission hears child in Government care did not go to school for four years

DCF records: Police, doctors, social workers aware of abuse in case of boy fed to pigs

Newly released records from Kansas Department for Children and Families reveal police and medical professionals, as well as social workers, were aware or suspicious that Adrian Jones and his siblings were being abused. Jones’ remains were found in November 2015 on the family’s Kansas City, Kansas, rental property after officers responding to a report of domestic abuse learned the then-seven-year-old boy was missing. The boy’s father, Michael Jones, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 25 years. An identical sentence was ordered for Heather Jones, the boy’s stepmother, in November.

More >> DCF records: Police, doctors, social workers aware of abuse in case of boy fed to pigs

DCFS boss: ‘Systemic failures’ preceded death of Semaj Crosby

The head of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on Saturday conceded major problems with the handling of the Semaj Crosby case, but said, based on what he saw and reviewed, neither Semaj nor her siblings should’ve been removed from the home.


More >> DCFS boss: ‘Systemic failures’ preceded death of Semaj Crosby

Emmaus foster care agency trying to recover from ties to Sara Packer

The Impact Project, the private foster care agency that employed homicide suspect Sara Packer and provided her with foster children, has been given a clean bill of health by state human services investigators.


More >> Emmaus foster care agency trying to recover from ties to Sara Packer

Marshall foster mom arrested on child injury charge

42-year-old foster mother, Michelle Lee Hayes, was arrested last week for injury to a child after she allegedly abused a toddler in her care, causing bruising, swelling and bleeding to the child's brain.

More >> Marshall foster mom arrested on child injury charge

Lincoln Middle School teacher cleared after being accused of touching student

A teacher accused of inappropriately touching a student at Lincoln Memorial Middle School has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing and returned to the classroom, according to an Office of Professional Standards report released by the School District of Manatee County.

More >> Lincoln Middle School teacher cleared after being accused of touching student

Amid Cuts to Youth Services, Trump Includes Big Increase to Child Welfare Entitlement

President Donald Trump’s 2018 budget proposal includes a slate of deep cuts and eliminations of programs aimed at serving youth and families, but includes a hefty increase in the amount spent on an entitlement for foster care and adoption assistance.


More >> Amid Cuts to Youth Services, Trump Includes Big Increase to Child Welfare Entitlement

New trial denied but woman won't serve life in child murder case

A Livingston County judge has denied a Cullom woman's petition for a new trial in the 2011 murder of her foster daughter, but she will no longer have to serve a life sentence.

More >> New trial denied but woman won't serve life in child murder case

Children's Aid Society changes rules after driver picks up wrong boy

The Children’s Aid Society (CAS) of Toronto has changed its procedure for picking up children from schools, appointments and caregivers’ homes after a driver pulled the wrong boy out of class last week.

More >> Children's Aid Society changes rules after driver picks up wrong boy

Gay father accused by United flight attendant of molesting his own foster son

‘This misguided man's assumptions about my husband and the accusations that he made are completely unfounded,’ said his husband

More >> Gay father accused by United flight attendant of molesting his own foster son

School district responds to allegations it failed to report child abuse

Employees at a Michigan elementary school charged with failing to notify authorities about a student's suspected child abuse did notify authorities in December 2015, the districts superintendent said.

More >> School district responds to allegations it failed to report child abuse

• Educators charged with not reporting child abuse
• Prosecutor: School staff failed to report starved child, 12

On Top Of Surviving Barahona Child, Signed Claims Bill To Also Benefit Two More Victims

Attorneys for a young abuse survivor say they’re grateful to the Governor and the Florida Legislature for agreeing to further compensate their client. And, the claims bill signed into law also includes money for two more abuse survivors.

More >> On Top Of Surviving Barahona Child, Signed Claims Bill To Also Benefit Two More Victims

Advocates: Disabled children stranded in CT hospital ERs

Insufficient services, a complex funding system and deep state budget cuts have increasingly stranded developmentally disabled children in hospital emergency departments over the past year, often for weeks at a time, two state advocates told legislators Thursday.

More >> Advocates: Disabled children stranded in CT hospital ERs

Washington CYS official named in foster mother sex-abuse case resigns

The deputy administrator of Washington County Children and Youth Services resigned Thursday as allegations arose that she overlooked the sexual abuse of a child while she worked in Greene County five years ago.

More >> Washington CYS official named in foster mother sex-abuse case resigns

• CYS administrator resigns amid allegations of not reporting child sex assault

Kansas DCF records: police, doctors, social workers aware of abuse in Adrian Jones' case

Newly released records from Kansas Department for Children and Families reveal police and medical professionals, as well as social workers, were aware or suspicious that Adrian Jones and his siblings were being abused.

More >> Kansas DCF records: police, doctors, social workers aware of abuse in Adrian Jones' case

Meeting will discuss problem of group home runaways

The growing problem of runaways from group homes and the burden they place on the police department will be the subject of a meeting in June.

More >> Meeting will discuss problem of group home runaways

Winnebago man jailed after threatening deputy, caseworker before police standoff

A Winnebago man remains jailed today after he allegedly threatened to shoot a Winnebago County sheriff’s deputy and an Illinois Department of Children & Family Services caseworker on Thursday.

More >> Winnebago man jailed after threatening deputy, caseworker before police standoff

Former foster kids tell lawmakers to keep eye out for vulnerable services

State leaders say that Louisiana's budget crisis could have a startling impact on some of the state's most vulnerable residents, as the state's social services have faced tightening budgets and shrinking staffs in recent years.

More >> Former foster kids tell lawmakers to keep eye out for vulnerable services

Whistleblower accuses HSE of foster abuse cover up

The whistleblower who exposed the poor treatment of Grace has accused the Health Service Executive of conspiring to cover up the abuse of the young woman.

More >> Whistleblower accuses HSE of foster abuse cover up

Alaska justices rule victim of foster home sexual abuse can sue state's foster care

The Alaska Supreme Court has decided a woman who had been sexually abused by her foster brother in 2012 will be able to sue the state Office of Children's Services

More >> Alaska justices rule victim of foster home sexual abuse can sue state's foster care

• Alaska justices rule victim can sue state's foster care

How red tape leaves foster kids out in the cold

Ohio has seen a 19 percent increase in the number of kids removed from parental custody since 2010. California has half the number of foster families it had 10 years ago, even though it has more children who need them. The number of children in foster care in West Virginia went up 24 percent between 2012 and 2016. And experts say the crisis is quickly moving into the Northeast.


More >> How red tape leaves foster kids out in the cold

Teen who died in government care was 'invisible': Advocate

A report into the death of a teenager in government care is one of the saddest Alberta's child and youth advocate has had to write.

More >> Teen who died in government care was 'invisible': Advocate

Australia's stolen generations: a legacy of intergenerational pain and broken bonds

When the Bringing Them Home report was released on 26 May 1997 Florence Onus was too busy to read the news. While Australians attempted to reconcile the truth of the assimilationist policies that had sought to destroy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture by forcibly removing generations of children from their parents, she was dealing with its direct effects.


More >> Australia's stolen generations: a legacy of intergenerational pain and broken bonds

Lack of support for kids who 'age out' of foster care system

The goal of People Places of Charlottesville is to get kids in and out of the foster care system as efficiently as possible and back with their birth families.

More >> Lack of support for kids who 'age out' of foster care system

Federal lawsuit accuses Texas, CPS of discriminating against black children

A federal civil rights suit in Houston accuses Child Protective Services of discriminating against African-American children, saying they are likelier to be separated from their parents and extended families than white children.

More >> Federal lawsuit accuses Texas, CPS of discriminating against black children

Trial date set for foster mother accused of killing toddler

A Henry County judge has set a trial date for Jennifer and Joseph Rosenbaum, the foster parents accused of killing a 2-year-old girl in their care.

More >> Trial date set for foster mother accused of killing toddler

Woman accused of sex crimes against foster child turns herself in

Police said employees at a local school and the Greene County Children and Youth Services office knew about accusations of inappropriate behavior by a foster mom, but continued to place children in her care.

More >> Woman accused of sex crimes against foster child turns herself in

• Woman Charged, Accused Of Raping Foster Child ‘Hundreds Of Times’

Gov. Rick Scott signs bill giving $3.75 million to Barahona children

Putting a hopeful coda on a horrific story that ended in 2011 with the discovery of the decomposing body of a 10-year-old girl in a truck along I-95 near Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday signed a bill giving Victor Barahona and his adopted siblings $3.75 million to rebuild their lives.


More >> Gov. Rick Scott signs bill giving $3.75 million to Barahona children

When foster kids are moved around, schooling becomes an afterthought

Weekday mornings this school year, Bonnie Barnes often awoke before 7 a.m. in her single bed, showered, and ate breakfast on the small dining table under a print that read, “Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful.”

More >> When foster kids are moved around, schooling becomes an afterthought

Reforms to U.S. Child Welfare System Could Save $12 Billion and Improve Outcomes

Striking a better balance between programs to prevent child maltreatment and services for those who have already suffered from abuse could improve long-term outcomes for children and reduce child welfare system costs in the United States by $12 billion, according to a new RAND Corporation report.


More >> Reforms to U.S. Child Welfare System Could Save $12 Billion and Improve Outcomes

Renowned Harvard Psychologist Says ADHD Is Largely A Fraud

So it may be surprising for you to learn that Kagan believes the diagnosis of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is an invention which mainly benefits the pharmaceutical industry and psychiatrists.

More >> Renowned Harvard Psychologist Says ADHD Is Largely A Fraud

Leading academic calls for ‘poor people’ to have less children

A prominent Gold Coast academic says the government should encourage poorer families to have less children out of fear many are ending up in foster care.

More >> Leading academic calls for ‘poor people’ to have less children

Irrawaddy Division Govt Investigates Alleged Child Abuse at Orphanage

The Irrawaddy Division government is investigating alleged abuse of children at an orphanage run by Buddhist monks in the village of Apyin Yay Sine, Labutta Township, a regional minister told The Irrawaddy.

More >> Irrawaddy Division Govt Investigates Alleged Child Abuse at Orphanage

Three Georgia child protection workers fired after 10-year-old’s death

Three state child protection workers were fired Tuesday for mishandling the case of 10-year-old Kentae Williams, whose adoptive father allegedly drowned him in a bathtub in DeKalb County.

More >> Three Georgia child protection workers fired after 10-year-old’s death

“Clock Boy” Civil Rights Lawsuit Thrown Out

Fourteen-year-old Ahmed Mohamed brought a homemade clock to school to show his engineering teacher. However an alarm on the clock went off during English class, resulting in him being sent to the office and the clock confiscated as a possible bomb. His family filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Irving and Irving School District for discriminating against the boy, aka “Clock Boy, based on his religion.

More >> “Clock Boy” Civil Rights Lawsuit Thrown Out

UPDATE: EX-SOCIAL WORKER FOUND GUILTY OF FILING FALSE ABUSE CLAIMS

A former Kentucky state social worker has been convicted of filing false child abuse complaints against two people in Grayson County.

More >> UPDATE: EX-SOCIAL WORKER FOUND GUILTY OF FILING FALSE ABUSE CLAIMS

Trial date set for former CPS worker involved in Klapheke case

While a trial date was set Wednesday for one former Child Protective Services worker involved in the 2012 Tiffany Klapheke child death case, new evidence has postponed the trial of former regional director Martha "Bit" Whitaker.

More >> Trial date set for former CPS worker involved in Klapheke case

Foster parents arrested on child porn charges

Foster parents face child porn charges as a result of a complaint to authorities from one of their foster children, Dearborn County prosecutors announced Thursday.

More >> Foster parents arrested on child porn charges

Lawyer targets foster care agency over 10-year-old's death

Lawyer Nadeem Bezar is preparing to sue a foster care agency over the death of 10-year-old Ethan Okula.

More >> Lawyer targets foster care agency over 10-year-old's death

Hundreds of California foster children are arrested when they lash out

California's foster children are some of the state's most vulnerable people, and the trauma out of being separated from loved ones means they may develop emotional problems.

More >> Hundreds of California foster children are arrested when they lash out

Slain foster mom wanted to save ‘all the throw-away kids’

The 61-year-old Grand Junction woman firmly believed in the good in every child, and for years opened her home to foster children.

More >> Slain foster mom wanted to save ‘all the throw-away kids’

Indigenous children lose cultural connection in child welfare system – Windsor

An Indigenous woman who grew up in foster care unaware of her rich cultural background is worried the same fate will befall her own three children, who have been in the care of the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Society since 2013. 

More >> Indigenous children lose cultural connection in child welfare system – Windsor

Senate Unanimously Passes DCF Oversight Bill

The state Senate early Thursday unanimously passed a bill to increase oversight of the state Department of Children and Families.

More >> Senate Unanimously Passes DCF Oversight Bill

Group home runaway problem continues

Calls for police to help find runaways from group homes in the city continue at a high rate, keeping officers from other duties in the city, police said.

Three group homes in Haverhill called police 62 times for assistance with runaway residents from April 1 to May 3, a rate of almost two calls per day, according to statistics provided by police.

More >> Group home runaway problem continues

Appeals Court reverses ruling terminating parent's rights

The Arkansas Court of Appeals reversed today a Washington County Circuit judge's decision to terminate the parental rights of a couple who divorced then moved out of state and remarried.

More >> Appeals Court reverses ruling terminating parent's rights

State workers fired after boy drowns in bathtub

Three state workers have been fired after a 10-year-old drowned in a bathtub.

More >> State workers fired after boy drowns in bathtub

Arizona high court won’t review child welfare worker firings

An Arizona Supreme Court decision not to review a ruling upholding the firings of five social workers who said they were made scapegoats has put an end to a 2013 scandal that enveloped the state’s former Child Protective Services agency.

More >> Arizona high court won’t review child welfare worker firings

New state audit finds problems with Union County foster care program

A review of the Union County Department of Social Services’ foster care program by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has found the agency failing to follow state policies and procedures in a majority of cases.

More >> New state audit finds problems with Union County foster care program

Federal Monitor Of DCF Asks For Control Of Agency's Finances, Hiring

Twenty-six years after a landmark child-neglect lawsuit triggered federal oversight of the Department of Children and Families, the competing sides are squaring off with a ferocity not seen since the class-action case — Juan F. vs. O'Nell — was first filed.

More >> Federal Monitor Of DCF Asks For Control Of Agency's Finances, Hiring

Foster children allege sexual abuse in Larson, Harper home

At least two children have said they were sexually abused while living with then-Union County DSS supervisor Wanda Sue Larson and her boyfriend Dorian Harper.

More >> Foster children allege sexual abuse in Larson, Harper home

Corrupt social worker sold adopted child’s address to pay for £2k holiday

A corrupt social worker from Weston betrayed the trust of an adopted child’s family by asking her birth mother for £2,000 in return for revealing the little girl’s new address – despite fears she would be abducted.

More >> Corrupt social worker sold adopted child’s address to pay for £2k holiday

House endorses task force to dig into Kansas’ privatized foster care

The House unanimously voted to send the Senate a bill Monday creating a task force to better protect children in Kansas’ privatized foster care system and intensify scrutiny of contractors hired by the administration of Gov. Sam Brownback to care for neglected kids in state custody.

More >> House endorses task force to dig into Kansas’ privatized foster care

• DCYF will begin 'structured and consistent' inspections of private child-health organizations

Commentary: How Legislature is making Texas’ foster care system worse

These are the words I heard last week from two siblings on my foster care docket in Travis County court. The children did not specify what religion, race or sexual orientation their foster family must be; they simply wanted to sleep in a safe, caring home rather than a hotel, state office or cold, institutional setting.

Regrettably, the response by the Department of Family and Protective Services was that right now there is no foster family for them in the entire state of Texas — even after an exhaustive search by DFPS lasting nearly two months.


More >> Commentary: How Legislature is making Texas’ foster care system worse

Indigenous families fight to get children in care back to their families

Last April, her baby Mary Jane was apprehended by social services at the hospital soon after her birth.

More >> Indigenous families fight to get children in care back to their families

Lawmakers want answers from state child welfare officials

Some Illinois lawmakers are demanding answers from the about recent child abuse deaths and new policies that push investigators to speed up abuse and neglect investigations.

More >> Lawmakers want answers from state child welfare officials

Junction man found guilty of eight sex-assault charges against boy, girl

A Mesa County jury returned a mixed batch of verdicts Friday in the trial of a 45-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a boy and girl over a span of several years.


More >> Junction man found guilty of eight sex-assault charges against boy, girl

Program helps reunite former addicts, kids

This Mother’s Day, Jaime Rea will work her usual 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sunday shift at the doughnut shop she manages and then come home and probably watch a Disney movie as she “snugglebugs” with her 11-year-old son, Brandon Slezak, in the bamboo chair in the kitchen — all ordinary things that would have been impossible not long ago.

More >> Program helps reunite former addicts, kids

Foster home fire that killed teen, caregiver blamed on bolted door, loose rules

On a Friday afternoon in February, a raging fire swept through a foster home near Lindsay, Ont., trapping a 14-year-old resident and two caregivers in a second-floor bedroom.

More >> Foster home fire that killed teen, caregiver blamed on bolted door, loose rules

Idaho must act fast to fix broken foster-care system

Kelsey Peterson and her husband talked about fostering children even before they married in 2011. The young couple was finally licensed to foster in May 2015, allowed to take in two children between newborn and 3 years old.

More >> Idaho must act fast to fix broken foster-care system

Uniting foster carer charged with sexual assault of nine-year-old boy in his care

It is alleged the 57-year-old man committed a number of acts over three years but his partner still has custody over four other foster children.

More >> Uniting foster carer charged with sexual assault of nine-year-old boy in his care

Sheldon, Tallahassee friends, mixed up in Illinois child welfare agency woes

George Sheldon, a well-known figure in Florida politics who took over Illinois’ troubled child welfare agency in 2015, is embroiled in ongoing state ethics probes and facing scrutiny over contracts given to past campaign donors and consultants.

More >> Sheldon, Tallahassee friends, mixed up in Illinois child welfare agency woes

Former CPS investigator, husband indicted in child sexual assault case

A McLennan County grand jury this week indicted Heather Michelle Bond, 29, a former CPS investigator, on a charge of endangering a child. It also indicted her husband, Preston Lewis Bond, 43, on two counts of sexual assault of a child, three counts of indecency with a child by contact, and one count of indecency with a child by exposure.

More >> Former CPS investigator, husband indicted in child sexual assault case

Broken system: Federal judge's 2015 ruling reveals disturbing details of Texas foster care system

For decades the state's foster care system has been described as "broken."

State lawmakers have tried several times to fix the system, often with disappointing results.

More >> Broken system: Federal judge's 2015 ruling reveals disturbing details of Texas foster care system

Lynn Haven child protective investigator arrested for falsifying records.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says it arrested a Lynn Haven child protective investigator for falsifying records.

More >> Lynn Haven child protective investigator arrested for falsifying records.

Teen gets 60 years in jail for killing his foster father

Peter Henry, 19, was ordered to spend the next 60 years in jail for the 2014 murder of his then-foster father, longtime public radio host Marvell Johnson, according to the Anchorage District Attorney's Office.

More >> Teen gets 60 years in jail for killing his foster father

'Nobody there': Michigan child welfare workers say caseload records faked

Abused children may have been ignored because state officials assigned cases to employees who weren't there to work them, sources say and records suggest.

More >> 'Nobody there': Michigan child welfare workers say caseload records faked

Ex-social worker found guilty of filing false abuse claims

A former Kentucky state social worker has been convicted of filing false child abuse complaints against two people in Grayson County.

More >> Ex-social worker found guilty of filing false abuse claims

Foster Mother Arrested On Child Injury Charge

A 42-year-old foster mother, Michelle Lee Hayes, from Marshall Texas,  was arrested last week for injury to a child after she allegedly abused a toddler in her care which caused bruising, swelling and bleeding to the child’s brain.

More >> Foster Mother Arrested On Child Injury Charge

Note: She kind of looks like a deer caught in the headlights.  Eh..

Young adults, teens in foster care face several challenges when they age out of care

Each year an estimated 1,359 young adults age out of foster care in Texas.

Some leave as soon as they turn 18 while others continue to live in the state's care until they turn 22.

More >> Young adults, teens in foster care face several challenges when they age out of care

Use of psychotropic drugs in foster children

Lethargic, unable to put thoughts together, acting like zombies and refusing to eat.

These are the ways some families have described their adoptive children who were prescribed psychotropic medications while under the state’s care.

More >> Use of psychotropic drugs in foster children

NDP foster child fiasco: NEW facts about “Baby Serenity’s torture chamber”

Shocking new facts have come out about the home that was Baby Serenity’s torture chamber.


More >> NDP foster child fiasco: NEW facts about “Baby Serenity’s torture chamber”

Portland foster care provider accused of embezzlement

The executive director of a now-closed Portland foster care agency has been indicted on charges she embezzled more than $800,000 from the nonprofit.

More >> Portland foster care provider accused of embezzlement

New figures show 25 children in care or known to social services died last year

A 12-year-old girl who took her own life was among the 25 children in care or known to social services who died last year.

More >> New figures show 25 children in care or known to social services died last year

Florida Uber driver with ties to foster care group accused of sexual assault

A concertgoer says her trip home from SunFest turned into a nightmare when an Uber driver sexually assaulted her in his silver Nissan Versa and then in her home, authorities say.

More >> Florida Uber driver with ties to foster care group accused of sexual assault

GARY TODDLER'S MANNER OF DEATH RELEASED; FOSTER MOTHER CHARGED WITH MURDER

Authorities released new details about the killing of a 21-month-old girl who was found dead in her crib last week in Gary, Ind. Her foster mother has been charged in her murder.

More >> GARY TODDLER'S MANNER OF DEATH RELEASED; FOSTER MOTHER CHARGED WITH MURDER

• Foster mother in northern Indiana suffocated toddler

What a bitch eh?

Bills would make CPS tape interviews with kids

On a sunny, early spring day in Lansing, Cary Flagg was itching for a fight.

More >> Bills would make CPS tape interviews with kids

Over Half Of Social Workers Believe It’s OK To Search For A Client On Facebook

A new report published in April by child welfare professionals concludes that social workers find the internet useful for work, but are unclear about how it should be used in a child welfare setting.

More >> Over Half Of Social Workers Believe It’s OK To Search For A Client On Facebook

Police: Baby who died was in foster care at day care center

Maine State Police said Wednesday that a 16-month-old who died at a Raymond day care center Tuesday was there in foster care.

More >> Police: Baby who died was in foster care at day care center

• Police continue to investigate death of toddler at Raymond day care

House members wrangle over vaccines during foster care bill debate

The Texas House tentatively passed a bill Wednesday that would address major problems in the state’s troubled child welfare system, including overburdened caseworkers and timely health screenings of foster children.

More >> House members wrangle over vaccines during foster care bill debate

‘He threatened to kill us’ Foster mother reveals horror at discovering 12-year-old refugee son was a grown adult

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to kill us….”

Not only can’t we vet these savages, we can’t even remotely guess their age. The vast majority of the Muslim migrants are fit, male, and military age.

More >> ‘He threatened to kill us’ Foster mother reveals horror at discovering 12-year-old refugee son was a grown adult

School lunch shaming: Inside America's hidden debt crisis

He's learned two key truths: Just about every kid loves pizza, and an alarming number of American youngsters still can't afford a $2.35 lunch, despite the dramatic expansion of free and reduced lunch programs.

More >> School lunch shaming: Inside America's hidden debt crisis

Louisiana inmates freed from paying child support under legislative bill

A bill to eliminate child support obligations for Louisiana criminal defendants and convicted criminals while they are incarcerated cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature on Tuesday (May 9). The aim is encourage ex-inmates to find jobs upon release, although even the sponsor, Rep. Joe Marino III of Gretna, admitted: "It's not an easy bill" to support.


More >> Louisiana inmates freed from paying child support under legislative bill

Indiana foster mother suffocated 20-month-old girl, police say

A foster mother in northern Indiana is charged with murder after she told police she suffocated a 20-month-old child, according to court documents.

More >> Indiana foster mother suffocated 20-month-old girl, police say

Wisconsin officials fire back at Illinois over foster child incident

Wisconsin child welfare officials on Monday defended the handling of an incident involving a runaway Dane County foster child discovered in a high-crime area of Chicago last week, after Cook County Sheriff’s deputies could persuade no one, including the girl’s foster mother in Madison and two Dane County agencies, to come and take her home.


More >> Wisconsin officials fire back at Illinois over foster child incident

Child abuse tips silenced for months by DCF computer glitch

Hundreds of reports about potential child abuse may have been overlooked for months because of a Florida Department of Children and Families computer glitch.

More >> Child abuse tips silenced for months by DCF computer glitch

Rooftop protest at children's minister Edward Timpson's Tarporley home comes to an end

A 59-year-old man was arrested at the end of a rooftop protest at Government minister Edward Timpson's house in Tarporley .


More >> Rooftop protest at children's minister Edward Timpson's Tarporley home comes to an end

FERRIER FILES: Tennessee children legally stolen

The Ellithorpes don't have date nights anymore. They don't use babysitters of any kind. When you hear their story, you will understand why.

More >> FERRIER FILES: Tennessee children legally stolen

New mom says she was wrongly accused of heroin abuse

A northern Kentucky mother says she was wrongly accused of heroin abuse after false-positive drug test.

More >> New mom says she was wrongly accused of heroin abuse

Attorney: Even the best parents should know rights in CPS investigation

Julie Baumer lost almost everything when she tried to do the right thing.

“There is no amount of compensation that can ever get back what I have lost,” she said.

More >> Attorney: Even the best parents should know rights in CPS investigation

Kan. Agency: Foster Care Oversight Committee Would Jeopardize $48M In Federal Funds

A bill to increase oversight of the Kansas foster care system hit a snag after state officials said its wording could jeopardize millions in federal funding.

More >> Kan. Agency: Foster Care Oversight Committee Would Jeopardize $48M In Federal Funds

Texas House passes bill to keep more kids out of foster care

Lawmakers have only three weeks to get through a number of fix-it bills that are designed to overhaul the state’s struggling Child Protective Services system.

More >> Texas House passes bill to keep more kids out of foster care

Illinois Sheriff Blasts Wisconsin Over Foster Child

An Illinois sheriff blasted Wisconsin officials Monday for not picking up a runaway Dane County foster child arrested in Chicago.

More >> Illinois Sheriff Blasts Wisconsin Over Foster Child

Bentonville man accused of sexually assaulting foster child

A former Arkansas Department of Human Services employee faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl.

More >> Bentonville man accused of sexually assaulting foster child

While kids slept in offices, foster beds went empty

The plight of foster children forced to sleep on air mattresses in offices last summer led to outrage and the state ordering additional oversight of Eckerd Kids, the agency that runs child welfare in Hillsborough County.

More >> While kids slept in offices, foster beds went empty

Father sues child welfare agency in deaths of son, stepdaughter

Anthony Singleton lies awake most nights haunted by questions of what he could have done to prevent the death of his infant son and three-year-old step-daughter. He searches for signs he might have missed in the behavior of his wife, who is charged with killing them.

More >> Father sues child welfare agency in deaths of son, stepdaughter

NT child protection is fragmented and under-resourced, judge says

The Northern Territory system of child protection is fragmented and under-resourced, and left children in dangerous situations far beyond the point of early intervention, a judge and former chief magistrate has told the royal commission.


More >> NT child protection is fragmented and under-resourced, judge says

The foster mother of a toddler found dead in northwest Indiana is facing multiple felony charges, including murder, in connection with the child’s death.

More >> Foster Mother Charged With Murder in Death of Toddler

Abuse allegations lead to spike in teachers placed on leave in a Maryland suburb

More than 500 school employees in Prince George’s County have been placed on administrative leave at some point during this school year in response to alleged child abuse or neglect — a sharp spike over previous years amid a push to report suspicious conduct.

More >> Abuse allegations lead to spike in teachers placed on leave in a Maryland suburb

'She had so much pain': A death in a child welfare system far from home

Eleven months before her death, 12-year-old Amy Owen posted a picture on Facebook of a downcast girl on a swing with the words: “I am just a kid and my life is a nightmare.”

More >> 'She had so much pain': A death in a child welfare system far from home

BREAKING: Forced Adoption Protesters Occupy Children’ s Minister Ed Timpson’s House

Forced Adoption Campaigners have been protesting outside Edward Timpson MP’s house for the last 72 hours in a bid to raise awareness about the practice.

More >> BREAKING: Forced Adoption Protesters Occupy Children’ s Minister Ed Timpson’s House

Court documents show foster child filed complaint against the Spurgeons while in Alabama

Two foster parents from the Shoals are accused of hurting the children they were supposed to protect.

Florence police charged Daniel and Jenise Spurgeon with almost 700 counts of child abuse, sex abuse, rape, sodomy, sexual torture and human trafficking in March 2017.

More >> Court documents show foster child filed complaint against the Spurgeons while in Alabama

Foster Kids in System Are Aging Out

As Arkansas's foster care crisis continues, the state is working to address problems like a shortage of foster homes and overloaded caseworkers. But one issue is often overlooked -- the number of kids who "age out of the system" without family support, direction, or knowing how to survive.

More >> Foster Kids in System Are Aging Out

Students were manning office when CAS volunteer picked up wrong child

A Scarborough mother says her family was put through a terrifying afternoon after her six-year-old son was mistakenly pulled out of school and taken by the Children’s Aid Society for almost three hours Tuesday.

More >> Students were manning office when CAS volunteer picked up wrong child

Foster mother charged in baby girl’s death in Gary

A 32-year-old Gary woman was charged after a 20-month-old baby girl was found dead, police said Saturday.

More >> Foster mother charged in baby girl’s death in Gary

• Foster mother charged with baby’s death in NW Indiana
• Foster mother charged with murder, multiple felonies in toddler’s death

Prison for Dayton pastor, wife in foster son’s death

Prosecutors called for maximum and consecutive sentences for Torace Weaver, which they calculated at 18 years to life.

“The 20 separate blunt force injuries to Stanley’s head, face and neck, in conjunction with the disfiguring burns to his arm and buttock, and the fatal injury to the back of his skull represent a depraved disregard for the life of a child that needed the care, protection and support that this Defendant, as his foster father, was supposed to provide,” wrote assistant prosecutor Kelly Madzey. “Nothing less than a severe sentence is warranted in this case.”

More >> Prison for Dayton pastor, wife in foster son’s death

Computer glitch delays abuse hotline reports

CBS12 Investigates uncovered a serious malfunction with a state abuse reporting hotline that is causing a ripple effect in our community.

More >> Computer glitch delays abuse hotline reports

Big caseloads, high turnover: Former DCYF workers highlight problems

The New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families is in charge of protecting children from abuse and neglect, but that work can be tough on the people doing it.

More >> Big caseloads, high turnover: Former DCYF workers highlight problems

Kids sue agency for sending them to 'unsafe' Long Island foster home after accused molester is acquitted

A Long Island jury may have decided that an accused serial molester of foster children could walk free Tuesday — but the legal fight for the kids isn’t over.

More >> Kids sue agency for sending them to 'unsafe' Long Island foster home after accused molester is acquitted

Ojibway teen sleeping in Ottawa mall stairwell after aging out of group home

An Ojibway teen is sleeping in the stairwell of the Rideau Centre parking garage in downtown Ottawa after aging out of his group home.

More >> Ojibway teen sleeping in Ottawa mall stairwell after aging out of group home

Foster parent jailed for 10 years for string of rape and sexual assaults of children including girl, 5, in Dunfermline

A 'CRUEL, cowardly and wicked' foster parent who committed a catalogue of rape and sexual abuse against children has been jailed for 10 years.

More >> Foster parent jailed for 10 years for string of rape and sexual assaults of children including girl, 5, in Dunfermline

Ridge foster dad acquitted of sexual abuse will sell story, attorney says

A former foster father acquitted by a Riverhead jury earlier this week of charges he sexually abused six boys in his care wants to sell his story to earn money to support himself, according to his attorney.

More >> Ridge foster dad acquitted of sexual abuse will sell story, attorney says

• Lawyer: Foster dad cleared in sex abuse case had home looted

Delta Employee Threatens To Arrest Parents And Put Child In Foster Care

After the United PR disaster in which footage of a doctor being forcefully removed from an overbooked plane went viral, you'd think airlines would realize that they're always being filmed. But now, footage from a Delta flight in which an employee tells a husband and wife that they'll be arrested and their infant son placed in foster care if they don't vacate their seats is hitting the internet.

More >> Delta Employee Threatens To Arrest Parents And Put Child In Foster Care

Report: Grand jury finds 'disturbing practices' in Rockbridge Child Protective Services

The court has unsealed a report from the grand jury on the investigation into the Rockbridge County Department of Social Services.

More >> Report: Grand jury finds 'disturbing practices' in Rockbridge Child Protective Services

'Evil' Hull foster carer sexually abused children for years

An "evil" Hull foster carer raped his granddaughter and two young children in his care despite a neighbour reporting the abuse

More >> 'Evil' Hull foster carer sexually abused children for years

Tiahleigh Palmer’s mother reveals what’s driving her pursuit for justice

The biological mother of Tiahleigh Palmer has exclusively revealed what’s driving her pursuit for justice, as the case comes before court again.

More >> Tiahleigh Palmer’s mother reveals what’s driving her pursuit for justice

'What else is out there?' Will County judge asks DCFS in wake of toddler's death

Expressing continued frustration over the death of a 16-month-old Joliet Township girl, a Will County judge Wednesday said she wants all the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services cases in the county to be brought to her courtroom.


More >> 'What else is out there?' Will County judge asks DCFS in wake of toddler's death

The Latest: Attorney says foster parent's reputation ruined

The attorney for a New York foster parent acquitted of sex abuse and other charges predicts his client will never get his reputation back.

Donald Mates says Cesar Gonzales-Mugaburu will never be known as an innocent man who was wrongly charged.

More >> The Latest: Attorney says foster parent's reputation ruined

Audit finds problems in privatized foster care system, faults DCF for lax oversight

The private nonprofit agencies that manage Kansas’ foster care system do not have the capacity in many parts of the state to handle the volume of cases they deal with, and the Kansas Department for Children and Families often does not conduct adequate oversight of those contractors.  Those are the findings of a Legislative Post Audit report on the foster care program that was delivered to lawmakers Friday.  However, auditors also said there would be enormous costs for the state if it decided to take back control and operation of the program itself. The report was the third and final part of a comprehensive audit that lawmakers ordered following two deaths in 2014 of children who were in the foster care system. …

More >> Audit finds problems in privatized foster care system, faults DCF for lax oversight

St. Louis Foster Mother Charged With Boy's Fatal Beating

A St. Louis foster mother has been charged with fatally beating a 3-year-old boy 17 month ago.

More >> St. Louis Foster Mother Charged With Boy's Fatal Beating

Supervised visitation company calls last week's Amber Alert 'isolated incident'

An executive with the firm whose social worker got distracted enough to allow a mother to snatch her 2-year-old during a supervised visit called last week’s incident an “isolated” one.

More >> Supervised visitation company calls last week's Amber Alert 'isolated incident'

Judge demands answers from DCFS concerning dead 1-year-old

An Illinois judge is demanding to know what did state child care workers do to help the family of a 1-year-old girl who was found dead in their home.

More >> Judge demands answers from DCFS concerning dead 1-year-old

Overloaded Kansas foster care system sometimes requires children to sleep overnight in offices

KV Health Systems, headquartered in the greater Kansas City area, is a private nonprofit that specializes in behavioral health care, child welfare, and community health and wellness. The Capital-Journal has learned as many on as six nights in the past month, a child waiting to be placed in foster care has slept overnight in a KVC Health System office.

More >> Overloaded Kansas foster care system sometimes requires children to sleep overnight in offices

Ontario indigenous leaders want mandatory inquest when a child dies at group home

Indigenous leaders want a mandatory inquest to be held whenever an indigenous child dies while in care at an Ontario group home.

More >> Ontario indigenous leaders want mandatory inquest when a child dies at group home

St. Louis foster mother charged with fatally beating toddler

A St. Louis foster mother has been charged with fatally beating a toddler in 2015.

More >> St. Louis foster mother charged with fatally beating toddler

Aylesbury parents accused of shaking baby 'treated like monsters'

A couple accused of hurting their daughter in a suspected shaken baby case said they had been treated like "monsters".

More >> Aylesbury parents accused of shaking baby 'treated like monsters'

LI foster father accused of sexually abusing 8 boys is acquitted of all charges

A New York foster parent who took in more than 100 boys over two decades and was accused of sexually abusing some of them has been acquitted of all charges.

More >> LI foster father accused of sexually abusing 8 boys is acquitted of all charges

Court rules civil commitment statutes don’t apply to foster children, North Star Hospital

A three-year-long legal argument about committing foster children to North Star Behavioral Health Hospital is one step closer to resolution. A judge ruled in late March that the Office of Children’s Services can legally commit foster kids to the psychiatric hospital without getting a judge’s approval.

More >> Court rules civil commitment statutes don’t apply to foster children, North Star Hospital

Woman sexually abused while in state care as child awarded $1M

Florida lawmakers have approved a million dollar payment to a young woman who was sexually abused as a child while in state care.

More >> Woman sexually abused while in state care as child awarded $1M

The 2 month CPS Celebration continues with: National Foster Care Appreciation Month

May is National Foster Care Appreciation Month, and the Mesa County Commissioners gave a proclamation to a foster care family on Monday, May 1.

More >> National Foster Care Appreciation Month

Amber Alert triggered as parents allegedly kidnap their own child

Three people were arrested in Tewksbury Friday night, after the alleged kidnapping of a child from a supervised visit in New Hampshire triggered an Amber Alert.

More >> Amber Alert triggered as parents allegedly kidnap their own child

Baby with rare medical condition reunited with parents after false abuse accusations

A couple who were accused of shaking their baby have been reunited with their child after it emerged she has a rare medical condition which causes "easy bruising".

More >> Baby with rare medical condition reunited with parents after false abuse accusations