Losing children to foster care endangers mothers’ lives

Mothers whose children are placed in foster care are at much higher risk of dying young, particularly due to avoidable causes like suicide.

When a child is placed in foster care, most of the resources are focused on the child, with little to no support for the mothers who are left behind.

More >> Losing children to foster care endangers mothers’ lives

Lutheran Social Services ordered to pay $45M in lawsuit over toddler’s murder

A social services agency hired by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has been ordered to pay $45 million in a lawsuit over the 2011 murder of a 2-year-old boy whose care they were supervising.

On Tuesday, a jury ordered Lutheran Social Services of Illinois to pay the record-setting amount in damages after finding the agency was negligent in its duties when it returned Lavandis Hudson to his mother, according attorney Jay Paul Deratany, of the Deratany Law Firm.
More >> Lutheran Social Services ordered to pay $45M in lawsuit over toddler’s murder

Sabrina Ray's adoptive grandmother reaches plea agreement with prosecutors

The adoptive grandmother of a malnourished teenager who died last May has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Court documents show 63-year-old Carla Bousman will appear at the Dallas County Courthouse in Adel on April 6 for a plea hearing. The documents do not specify what charges Bousman will plead to.

More >> Sabrina Ray's adoptive grandmother reaches plea agreement with prosecutors

Moms of family who drove off cliff have dark history of abuse

The moms who fatally veered off a California cliff with at least three of their six adopted kids were being investigated for starving their children before Monday’s crash — and one was previously convicted of domestic assault for hitting their little girl, according to new reports.

More >> Moms of family who drove off cliff have dark history of abuse

• Fatal Crash of Lesbian Moms and Six Foster Kids Spurs Investigation

Trial set for foster parent of slain child

A jury trial has been set for 33-year-old Billy P. Embry-Martin, the Elizabethtown foster parent accused of the murder of a 4-year-old from Caneyville, who was in his care at the time of his death.

During a pre-trial conference held on Tuesday, March 20, Embry-Martin's jury trial was scheduled to begin on Dec. 3, 2018 in Hardin Circuit Court, at which time he will be tried for the murder of Hunter R. Payton, whom was originally from Caneyville and was 4 years old at the time of his death.

More >> Trial set for foster parent of slain child

Pittsburgh Misuses Big Data to Target Poor Children for Abuse Investigations

One massive leak of middle-class Americans’ data seems to have the whole world in an uproar.

A firm known as Cambridge Analytica allegedly improperly obtained personal information given to Facebook by 50 million people. Then, according to The New York Times, “The firm, which was tied to President Trump’s 2016 campaign, used the data to target messages to voters.”

More >> Pittsburgh Misuses Big Data to Target Poor Children for Abuse Investigations

Adoptive parents of 'special needs' children sue Warren County, claim they missed out on support

The adoptive families of three former foster children filed a federal class action law suit against Warren County March 14, claiming through their attorney that the county denied them "vital financial support" after the adoptions.

More >> Adoptive parents of 'special needs' children sue Warren County, claim they missed out on support

ICE paves way to detain more pregnant immigrants

The Trump administration will no longer seek to automatically release pregnant immigrants from detention -- a move in line with the overall efforts by the administration to hold far more immigrants in custody than its predecessors.

The change in policy could pave the way for more pregnant women to be held in detention facilities while they await lengthy court proceedings about whether they can stay in the US, facilities that are already decried by critics for tough conditions. The decision comes as immigration advocates have assailed the administration's efforts to hold more immigrants in detention writ large and its increased arrest of noncriminal immigrants.

More >> ICE paves way to detain more pregnant immigrants

N.C. SBI now investigating Cherokee County Dept. of Social Services

UPATE: The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is now investigating Cherokee County Department of Social Services.

A declaratory judgement filed in court in Cherokee County, NC show why a judge ruled Custody and Visitation Agreements (CVA) as "void" and illegal.

More >> N.C. SBI now investigating Cherokee County Dept. of Social Services

11-year-old runaway from foster care caught in troubling cycle

Broward Sheriff's Office deputies hoping to avert tragedy fear a traumatized 11-year-old boy is caught in a troubling cycle. Joy Oglesby, a spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff's Office, said Thursday night that Justin Williams is a habitual runaway.

Deputies suspected the boy decided he would rather risk the dangers of the streets than stay in the foster-care system. Oglesby said he took off Monday and was last seen Thursday afternoon wearing a red T-shirt, red shorts and blue shoes in Pompano Beach.

More >> 11-year-old runaway from foster care caught in troubling cycle

I'm sorry for posting this link.

Disclaimer: I am posting this for educational purposes.  I am not posting this because I agree with her or anything.  You should understand the mentality that we are up against.  

I haven't picked on any foster parent blogs in a while, but I can't let this one slide.  That self-righteous hypocrite over at Foster2Forever has released her very own video course on how to deal with a stolen child who suffered trauma.  She does leave out the fact that snatching a kid from his or her parents is traumatic, but she does offer a step by step process apparently for dealing with this.  I highly doubt she's qualified.

Here is a link to the course, but I warn you.  This is the most grotesque display of self-righteousness you will ever see in a foster care provider.  If you watch the video, you will hear her claim to be "a mom through the miracle of foster care adoption." 

So hold on to your lunch.


I'm sorry >> CALM CONNECT CORRECT - The Step-By-Step Process To Effectively Managing Behaviors of Traumatized Children

Black Families Matter: How the Child Welfare System Punishes Poor Families of Color

A few days after an argument with her boyfriend led to a 911 call, Ms. L, a mother of two young boys, received an unexpected visit from Child Protective Services (CPS). The caseworker asked her if she used drugs, and Ms. L truthfully responded that she smoked marijuana from time to time. According to Ms. L’s attorney, the admission led to a child neglect proceeding against her in which the state claimed that Ms. L did not properly care for her children. The only evidence presented on the petition was Ms. L’s admission that she smoked marijuana. The court adjudicated her as “neglectful” and implemented a “family service plan,” a combination of ongoing state surveillance and mandatory “services.”

More >> Black Families Matter: How the Child Welfare System Punishes Poor Families of Color

Hundreds of Children Illegally Removed?

A 38-year-old father and his attorney have managed to uncover an illegal practice so widespread that its exposure could overturn dozens, or even hundreds, of child welfare proceedings in one North Carolina county.

More >> Hundreds of Children Illegally Removed?

Cherokee County, NC man says he was tricked into signing over custody of daughter

A Cherokee County, North Carolina man says the county Department of Social Services forced him to sign an agreement that gave away all of his rights to take care of his daughter.

More >> Cherokee County, NC man says he was tricked into signing over custody of daughter

Texas school suspensions disproportionately affect black boys, foster kids and special needs children

New research suggests not all kids in Texas are suspended equally.

Black boys, foster and special needs children in Pre-K through second grade are being suspended more than any other group of kids in the state, according to a new report released by non-profit Texans Care For Children.

More >> Texas school suspensions disproportionately affect black boys, foster kids and special needs children

Police reports, body cam footage shed light on firing of Roanoke DSS worker

10 News has obtained new police reports and body camera footage that sheds more light on the firing of a former Roanoke Social Services employee.

Storm Durham claims having a concealed carry permit is one of the reasons she was fired.

More >> Police reports, body cam footage shed light on firing of Roanoke DSS worker

The Snitches in Your Kids’ Dental Office

Parents who decide, for whatever reason, that they don’t like their children’s oral-care provider should be forewarned. Empowered by government “mandatory reporter” laws, dental offices are now using their authority to threaten families with child-abuse charges if they don’t comply with the cavity police.

More >> The Snitches in Your Kids’ Dental Office

One Hawaii Woman’s Futile 4-Year Quest To Get Her Grandkids Back

In 2015, Kathleen Buck found a place to rent just behind the Kahala Mall. She considered it perfect for the five grandchildren she desperately wanted to adopt.

Buck pruned the tangerine and grapefruit trees in the front yard to coax a bounty of fresh fruit for the kids. She planted vegetables out back and set up bunk beds.

More >> One Hawaii Woman’s Futile 4-Year Quest To Get Her Grandkids Back

ADOPTED KIDS SUE DUTCH GOV'T OVER ABUSES IN THE '80S

Adopted children from Sri Lanka and Indonesia filed a lawsuit against the Dutch government over errors in their adoption procedures in the 1980's. They want the government to compensate the high costs they're incurring in the search for their origin and biological parents, according to a Zembla broadcast on Wednesday, NU.nl reports.

More >> ADOPTED KIDS SUE DUTCH GOV'T OVER ABUSES IN THE '80S

Kentucky foster mom says state not properly funding disabled children

 Kim Saylor is a 60-year-old foster mother from Madison County, but a recent lack of payments has led her to get into a dispute with the state, as she is not being compensated to keep the children she was asked to care for.

"They are a ward of the state," Saylor says, "The state is their guardian."

More >> Kentucky foster mom says state not properly funding disabled children

More:  She wants a raise.

Child Abuse Report Bill Vetoed Over 'Unintended Consequence'

Senate Bill 2460 would have required a person reporting abuse to provide his or her own name, address and telephone number. It said that information would be redacted at the end of an investigation.

However, Bryant says in his veto message Monday that people might stop reporting abuse or neglect if they have to provide their own information. He says it was "a well-intentioned bill with an unintended consequence."

More >> Child Abuse Report Bill Vetoed Over 'Unintended Consequence'

Case worker involved in Aniya Day-Garrett case receives death threats

A Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services case worker who was involved in Aniya Day-Garrett's case has received threats to her physical safety and well-being, according to a county spokesperson.

The case worker, Tawana James, received at least one threat to her physical safety through Facebook. She has been told to file a police report.

More >> Case worker involved in Aniya Day-Garrett case receives death threats

Toddler Braxton Slager's drowning death 'preventable accident', coroner finds

Braxton Slager's accidental drowning death in a non-compliant backyard pool could have been prevented with more support for his foster carers and proper checks of their home, a coroner has found.


More >> Toddler Braxton Slager's drowning death 'preventable accident', coroner finds

Trial set in death of child in foster care

A December trial date was set Tuesday afternoon in Hardin Circuit Court for a Radcliff man charged with murder after police say he struck a foster child in his care, causing his death.

Billy Paul Embry-Martin, 33, will stand trial Dec. 3. He is charged with murder in the death of Hunter Payton, 4.

More >> Trial set in death of child in foster care

Indian Child Welfare Act attacks are a threat to tribes

This week, High Country News published a story by reporter Allison Herrera detailing a conservative think tank’s efforts to dismantle the Indian Child Welfare Act, an adoption law that turns 40 this year. The 1978 act was created to prevent the separation of Native children from their families and communities through adoptions, to “protect the best interests of Indian children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families.”

More >> Indian Child Welfare Act attacks are a threat to tribes

MSP: ‘Scots smacking ban would infringe on parental freedom’

Criminalising smacking in Scotland would remove parental rights and hand them to the state, an MSP has warned.

Gordon Lindhurst, a lawyer as well as an MSP, dismantled the Scottish Government’s arguments for a ban, before accusing it of being underhand in its tactics to outlaw smacking.

More >> MSP: ‘Scots smacking ban would infringe on parental freedom’

Pervert former foster carer jailed over child abuse and animal porn images

A perverted former foster carer has been jailed after police found more than 600 indecent images of children in his home.

Mark Hearn, 49, was caught with the vile images as well as extreme pornography involving animals at the house where he lived with his wife and kids.

More >> Pervert former foster carer jailed over child abuse and animal porn images

When CPS resorts to blackmail

Note: This is a rant and rave that was found on Craigslist.  I do not know who wrote it.

I have often written about the lack of due process in proceedings involving child protective services. CPS agencies can and often do take away children entirely on their own authority. Parents then have to go to court days later to try to get their children back.

More >> When CPS resorts to blackmail

Foster children suing state faced unemployment, homelessness and trafficking after leaving the system

More >> Foster children suing state faced unemployment, homelessness and trafficking after leaving the system

State supervisor who was on-call when arrested for DUI quits her job

The Michigan child welfare supervisor who was on-call the night she was arrested for driving drunk and assaulting police has quit her job, a state official said Monday.

Paula Lipinski, 39, resigned her position as a Michigan Children's Protective Services supervisor in a Friday letter, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services spokesman Bob Wheaton said in an email to the State Journal on Monday. Lipinski worked in the department's Grand Traverse County office.

More >> State supervisor who was on-call when arrested for DUI quits her job

11 charges for man accused of sexually abusing foster child

A CASINO man allegedly had sex with his foster child, who was 11 or 12 at the time.

A brief of evidence in the Crown case against the man has yet to be served after his arrest in February this year, and he remains behind bars.

More >> 11 charges for man accused of sexually abusing foster child

More >> Casino man allegedly sexually abused his foster child

Mom says state put her son in foster care when she got sick. Now, she can’t get him back.

In Molly Altman’s view, the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services “stole my heart” by denying her custody of her 18-year-old son who has intellectual disabilities after the two had been together the boy’s entire life.

Altman said she earned a college degree and a trade school certification while home-schooling her son, Zachary Grogan, who is autistic and has the intellectual capacity of a 5 year old. Zachary has seizures and the genetic disorder Tuberous Sclerosis, which can cause benign tumors in the body.

More >> Mom says state put her son in foster care when she got sick. Now, she can’t get him back.

The troubling surge in English children being taken from their parents

NOBODY in the courtroom looks glad to be there. Not the social worker, nor the barristers, nor the judge, and certainly not the mother with learning difficulties who is about to have her baby taken from her. She was neglected by her own mother, an alcoholic, and raised partly by foster carers. “I had a horrid life,” she tells the court. Now she is struggling to look after her own baby. The official solicitor, who represents people who lack mental capacity, neither supports nor opposes the council’s case. The baby will be put up for adoption; the mother will have no further contact, save for a letter twice a year. “I wish you well,” says the judge. “I’m very sorry that’s the outcome.” The hearing lasts 50 minutes.


More >> The troubling surge in English children being taken from their parents

A childEXCLUSIVE: Why So Secret? What Happens Behind Closed Doors at UK Family Courts

Shrouded in secrecy, concealed from public and media scrutiny, gagging parents, stealing children - these would be the charges against UK family courts if they themselves were ever to be put on trial.

Reporting restrictions are meant to protect the children but, according to activists, it's the professionals and the judges who mostly benefit from family courts' confidentiality.

More >> A childEXCLUSIVE: Why So Secret? What Happens Behind Closed Doors at UK Family Courts

Lawsuit claims South Bay deputy filed false child abuse report against father, while seducing mother

"She's very beautiful, she's very young and it was good old fashion lust that led to this, I believe," says San Jose attorney Robert Powell.

A federal civil rights lawsuit was served today against Santa Clara County, accusing a sheriff's deputy of corruption -- of using his position to pick up women. I-Team reporter Dan Noyes has a story you'll see only on ABC7 News.

More >> Lawsuit claims South Bay deputy filed false child abuse report against father, while seducing mother

Former caseworker charged with failing a child

A former caseworker for Clinton County Children and Youth Services has been charged with failing to report a case of suspected child abuse or make a referral to the appropriate authorities.

Keshia Lynn Conway, 28, of 37 Hickory Drive, waived her right to a preliminary hearing on Tuesday and her case now moves on to the next stage in Clinton County Court.

More >> Former caseworker charged with failing a child

The Trump Administration Is Making It Harder to Stop Foster Children From Being Trafficked

Statistics show that, every year, thousands of children in the U.S. foster care system are sexually exploited by traffickers who prey on their vulnerability. These kids are easily targeted, advocates say, in part because of a flawed child welfare system that often fails to provide them with proper support and protection.

Still, there exists a dearth of available government data tracking foster care youth who’ve been sexually exploited. That would have changed with the Obama-era Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act, which reformed state reporting requirements regarding foster youth and sex trafficking. But the Trump administration has recently decided to delay key data collection provisions of the 2014 law for the next two years, meaning that advocates will have to wait even longer for a better sense of how many victims are in the system.

More >> The Trump Administration Is Making It Harder to Stop Foster Children From Being Trafficked

Foreign adoptions by US families drop by 12 percent

The number of foreign children adopted by U.S. parents dropped more than 12 percent last year, accelerating a decline that's now continued for 13 years, according to new State Department figures.

Sharp drops in adoptions from China and Congo more than offset notable increases from many countries, including India, Colombia and Nigeria.

More >> Foreign adoptions by US families drop by 12 percent

Washington foster-care group homes fail to meet health, safety requirements, audit finds

Sixteen of 20 foster-care group homes inspected in 2016 failed to conduct required background checks on scores of employees and 11 didn’t meet food-safety standards, according to the U.S. Office of Inspector General.

More >> Washington foster-care group homes fail to meet health, safety requirements, audit finds

Reports show inadequacy of Kansas child protection agency

The state of Kansas failed to protect Evan Brewer and for months hid behind state law in keeping Department for Children and Families records away from family members.

That much is clear. What’s becoming more clear is the degree to which the state’s child-protection agency inadequately responded almost every time 3-year-old Evan’s father, Carlo Brewer, asked for help over 11 months before Evan’s body was discovered Sept. 2.

More >> Reports show inadequacy of Kansas child protection agency

CPS investigator warned for months about possible neglect before infant's death in Medina County

Records obtained by the KSAT 12 Defenders show that a Child Protective Services investigator had been warned for months that an infant was possibly being neglected but did not remove the child from her mother's care.

The baby, 7-month-old Lily Adair (Wade), was found dead Christmas morning in a home in east Medina County.

More >> CPS investigator warned for months about possible neglect before infant's death in Medina County

Calls for more kinship-based child protection policies, as NT and NSW Indigenous grandmothers meet

Indigenous grandmothers say child protection policies must strike a better balance between keeping children safe and allowing them to stay with their families.

More >> Calls for more kinship-based child protection policies, as NT and NSW Indigenous grandmothers meet

Aging out: First Nations youth navigates life on his own after growing up in foster care

For Troy Bird, turning 18 wasn't nearly as happy an occasion as it is for most young adults. For him, it was terrifying.

Bird remembers being so scared of his 18th birthday that he would harm himself in his sleep. He would wake up in the mornings with scratch marks or black eyes, sometimes with blood on his pillow, and once he thinks he managed to break his nose.

More >> Aging out: First Nations youth navigates life on his own after growing up in foster care

Oregon Agency Agrees to $1.3M Settlement for Foster Child

Oregon's child welfare agency has agreed to pay a $1.3 million settlement to a girl who was placed with a foster father later accused of sexually abusing her.

The state placed the girl, who was age 4 at the time, into the Gresham home of Gabriel David Wallis and his wife in 2014, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Wednesday.

More >> Oregon Agency Agrees to $1.3M Settlement for Foster Child

Creator of Sixties Scoop adoption program says it wasn't meant to place kids with white families

It was a devastating day in April 1973 when Lillian Semaganis, a young Cree mother whose six children had all been taken by Saskatchewan social services, opened the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix newspaper to see two of her own daughters advertised for adoption.


More >> Creator of Sixties Scoop adoption program says it wasn't meant to place kids with white families

Kansas Legislators Weigh Creating Independent Child Welfare Watchdog

Kansas lawmakers are considering creating a watchdog based outside the state’s child welfare agency, but with access to inside information.

More >> Kansas Legislators Weigh Creating Independent Child Welfare Watchdog

Daycare Reported 14 Instances of Suspected Abuse of Aniya Day, 4-Year-Old Allegedly Killed by Mother and Boyfriend, From 2015 to 2017

Family, friends and activists rallied yesterday in downtown Cleveland demanding an investigation into Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services after the death of 4-year-old Aniya Day-Garrett.

The girl died last Sunday from a stroke caused by blunt impacts to her head. Investigators noted the child appeared severely malnourished and had scald marks on her feet and hands. Her mother, Sierra Day, and Day's boyfriend, Deonte Lewis, have been charged with aggravated murder.
More >> Daycare Reported 14 Instances of Suspected Abuse of Aniya Day, 4-Year-Old Allegedly Killed by Mother and Boyfriend, From 2015 to 2017

Officials to assess LA’s foster care system; black youth and girls more likely to become delinquent

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to reevaluate the treatment of youngsters in the county’s care, aiming to keep foster children out of juvenile halls and camps.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas championed the effort, calling for more intervention and less punishment for children who often have a history of trauma.

More >> Officials to assess LA’s foster care system; black youth and girls more likely to become delinquent

DHS keeps separating kids from their parents — but officials won’t say why or how often

LAST FRIDAY night, a 7-year-old Congolese girl was reunited with her mother in Chicago, four months after immigration agents of the Department of Homeland Security separated them for no defensible reason. When the little girl, known in court filings as S.S., was delivered by a case worker to her mom, the two collapsed to the floor, clutching each other and sobbing. According to the mother’s lawyer, who was in the room, S.S., overwhelmed, cried for the longest time.

More >> DHS keeps separating kids from their parents — but officials won’t say why or how often

Suspension Order Says Group Home Put Foster Kids at Risk

Newly released records show the state suspended a Wichita group boarding home's license after a federal agency said it suspected the foster care children living there had been sexually and physically abused.

The Wichita Eagle reports that the Kansas Department of Children of Families released records last week about the girl's removal in November from Carla's Youth Residential Center in response to a records request.

More >> Suspension Order Says Group Home Put Foster Kids at Risk

Father of murdered 4-year-old: 'CPS failed me'

A protest was held Monday outside Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services. Protesters said the group was standing up for all children who have been murdered while social workers were handling their cases.

More >> Father of murdered 4-year-old: 'CPS failed me'

• Protesters take to Cleveland streets to decry Department of Children and Family Services after recent child deaths
• Father of slain 4-year-old Euclid girl among group protesting job and family services

Child welfare agency suspected First Nations girls were planning suicides

When Kanina Sue Turtle last visited her First Nation she told her mother she had met someone in Sioux Lookout.

It was a girl and they were close.

Both girls were living in foster care homes in the Sioux under the protection of Tikinagan Child and Family Services.

Eleven days later Turtle, 15, killed herself on Oct. 29, 2016.

More >> Child welfare agency suspected First Nations girls were planning suicides

PSYCHOLOGIST APOLOGIES FOR GIVING POOR EVIDENCE IN ADOPTION COURT CASE

A psychologist asked to provide an expert assessment of the father of a toddler at the centre of family court litigation wrote to a judge to apologise for giving "very poor quality" evidence.

More >> PSYCHOLOGIST APOLOGIES FOR GIVING POOR EVIDENCE IN ADOPTION COURT CASE

Tiahleigh Palmer’s foster father Rick Thorburn will plead guilty to murder

MORE than two years after Tiahleigh Palmer was killed and left on the banks of the Pimpama River, lawyers representing her foster father Rick Thorburn today announced he is planning to plead guilty to murder.

More >> Tiahleigh Palmer’s foster father Rick Thorburn will plead guilty to murder

• Foster father of slain Aussie schoolgirl prepares to plead GUILTY to her murder
• Tiahleigh Palmer's foster father to plead guilty to murder

Foster parent due in court in murder case

A Radcliff man, charged and indicted in January as a suspect in the death of a 4-year-old boy in his care, will appear Tuesday afternoon in Hardin Circuit Court.

Billy Paul Embry-Martin, 33, a foster parent to Hunter Payton, is charged in his May 10 death inside their home.

More >> Foster parent due in court in murder case

Church youth director, foster parent among 34 Georgians arrested in child porn sting

A total of 76 people were arrested and 13 children were rescued or identified as victims during a mutually coordinated operation between eight Southeastern states, according to a press release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

More >> Church youth director, foster parent among 34 Georgians arrested in child porn sting

Wichita group home put foster kids at risk of ongoing harm, suspension order says

The state suspended a Wichita group boarding home’s license after a federal agency said it suspected the foster care children living there had been sexually and physically abused.

More >> Wichita group home put foster kids at risk of ongoing harm, suspension order says

DFCS worker arrested, charged with child cruelty

A mother and employee with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services was arrested and charged with cruelty to children against her own daughter, according to officials.

Henry County Police said Merita Croll spanked her daughter to the point of causing bruising last week. The mother has since been released from jail on bond.

More >> DFCS worker arrested, charged with child cruelty

Social worker struck off after sending a sex beast to volunteer at the Beavers

Watchdog chiefs also slammed her for repeatedly placing vulnerable kids at an “acute risk of harm”.

They booted her out the industry after finding her guilty of 25 professional failings while working for Angus Council in Forfar.

More >> Social worker struck off after sending a sex beast to volunteer at the Beavers

Abuse at Tulsa DHS shelter prompts order to stop placing children there

Citing an alarmingly high rate of maltreatment, out-of-state experts overseeing Oklahoma's child welfare reforms have ordered the state to stop placing children immediately in Tulsa's Laura Dester shelter.

State DHS officials have asked for more time to address the situation, saying many of the children at Laura Dester exhibit extremely violent behaviors and they currently have no other place to put them.

More >> Abuse at Tulsa DHS shelter prompts order to stop placing children there

Moreno Valley woman accused of making online threats against Child Protective Services employees

A Moreno Valley was arrested in San Bernardino after investigators said she made online threats against employees of Riverside County Child Protective Services.

Starquicha Dunn, 24, of Moreno Valley was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats after she made online posts targeting employees of the Riverside County Child Protective services.

More >> Moreno Valley woman accused of making online threats against Child Protective Services employees

North Carolina to take over child welfare office that illegally removed kids from homes

North Carolina officials will take over a Cherokee County child welfare agency that illegally removed potentially hundreds of kids from their homes.

More >> North Carolina to take over child welfare office that illegally removed kids from homes

Trenton sex assault victim sues DYFS over ex-employee’s alleged misconduct

A sexually abused victim is suing the state’s child protection division for punitive damages, alleging she suffers from post-traumatic stress as a victim of Lamont King’s alleged misconduct.

King, 40, of Trenton, is a former employee of the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services who has since been fired on allegations he had sexual relations with two clients. He remains under active prosecution on seven criminal charges, including one count of second-degree sexual assault by coercion.

More >> Trenton sex assault victim sues DYFS over ex-employee’s alleged misconduct

Livingston County grandpa fights for granddaughter in foster care

“She is smart, beautiful, polite. I miss seeing her happy smile,” said Randy Paglia, of his 3-year-old granddaughter.

Paglia says he used to see his granddaughter Ariana at least every week. Now, he hasn’t seen her for months. All he has are pictures and videos.

More >> Livingston County grandpa fights for granddaughter in foster care

DCF ‘failed thousands of families,’ says Carl Brewer. He’s not ready to praise new agency chief

The Kansas Department for Children and Families “failed thousands of families” over the past few years, says Carl Brewer. The Democratic candidate for governor whose grandson was found dead and encased in concrete last year isn’t ready to praise the agency’s new leader.

More >> DCF ‘failed thousands of families,’ says Carl Brewer. He’s not ready to praise new agency chief

Judge rebukes new DCF secretary's reversal of decision in adoption case

The newly confirmed secretary for children and families improperly reversed a decision about adoption for three children in foster care, a Sedgwick County judge ruled Thursday.

The three children were to have been adopted by their foster family, but the Department for Children and Families said last week that they should instead go to their grandfather after inquiries by The Wichita Eagle.

More >> Judge rebukes new DCF secretary's reversal of decision in adoption case

Ex-child welfare caseworker sentenced to probation

A former Jefferson County Human Services caseworker will serve two years of probation and 96 hours of community service for falsifying information in 12 child abuse and neglect complaints.

More >> Ex-child welfare caseworker sentenced to probation

VICTIMS OF SPOUSAL ABUSE ARE LOSING THEIR CHILDREN TO SOCIAL SERVICES

Across the country, there are hundreds of instances where children are removed from the custody of a parent who has suffered from domestic abuse at the hands of a partner.

More >> VICTIMS OF SPOUSAL ABUSE ARE LOSING THEIR CHILDREN TO SOCIAL SERVICES

25 Investigates: State pays millions to foster care company with history of problems

Millions in taxpayer dollars are still flowing to a for-profit company caring for hundreds of Massachusetts foster kids – despite more than a decade of past evidence the state contractor is not doing enough to protect children under its watch, 25 Investigates uncovered.

More >> 25 Investigates: State pays millions to foster care company with history of problems

Investigation into foster homes confidential, won't be released: children's advocate

The provincial government asked the Office of the Children's Advocate to review a foster home program operating in western Manitoba two years ago, a review was completed, but neither the government nor the children's advocate will reveal the outcome.

More >> Investigation into foster homes confidential, won't be released: children's advocate

Child Trafficking Through International Adoption Continues Despite Regulations

Global adoption is a big business, fraught with loose regulations and profit incentives that have made it a target for kidnappers, human traffickers, and pedophiles.

Despite regulations on international adoptions, and with some countries even banning all foreign adoptions, the problem has continued. Kidnappers continue to fuel the trade, and adoption agencies continue to skirt the laws.

More >> Child Trafficking Through International Adoption Continues Despite Regulations

Grand Traverse Co. CPS Supervisor Pleads No Contest to OWI

The Grand Traverse County Child Protective Services supervisor who was arrested for drunk driving and resisting police is taking a plea deal.

Paula Lipinski pleaded no contest to operating while intoxicated and resisting arrest.

More >> Grand Traverse Co. CPS Supervisor Pleads No Contest to OWI

FACS workers walk-off in child protection system protest

NSW Department of Family and Community Services workers in Port Macquarie walked off the job on Wednesday protesting their concerns over a new child protection system.

Community and public sector union regional organiser Asren Pugh said the workers' action was part of a series of rolling strikes across NSW.

More >> FACS workers walk-off in child protection system protest

Manitoba foster care operator faces troubling allegations

A Manitoba foster care operator is facing troubling allegations that raises the question: Are high-risk kids properly being taken care of, particularly in a system where many of them are Indigenous? Perhaps even more troubling than the issue itself is that getting an answer from the government is proving almost impossible

More >> Manitoba foster care operator faces troubling allegations

NC County Illegally Removed Kids From Homes

What happened next would eventually expose a practice by a child welfare agency that illegally removed potentially hundreds of children from their homes in this poverty-stricken mountain community.

Those same children are now facing the possibility of being uprooted again — including some who have spent years adjusting to their new lives, an Associated Press investigation has found.

More >> NC County Illegally Removed Kids From Homes

• AP EXCLUSIVE: ILLEGALLY REHOMED KIDS MAY BE UPROOTED AGAIN

Las Vegas woman convicted of abusing her adopted children

A Las Vegas woman faces a possible life sentence after jurors found her guilty of imposing years of abuse on her three adopted children.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Hamner said jurors made the right decision Tuesday when they convicted Janet Solander of all 46 counts she faced.

More >> Las Vegas woman convicted of abusing her adopted children

Jefferson Co. school worker facing sex abuse charges

A 60-year-old Jefferson County School District 509-J maintenance worker has been arrested on 10 sex abuse charges involving a 15-year-old Idaho girl, authorities said Tuesday.

More >> Jefferson Co. school worker facing sex abuse charges

Because McCoy is a school maintenance worker and has been a foster parent for 20 years, the sheriff’s office "is seeking the public’s help with any information in relation to this case," Pollock said in a news release.

Foster care teens can soon ask to reunite with birth parents

Teenagers in foster care in Virginia will be able to express their preference on restoring their birth parents’ parental rights under a law that will take effect July 1.

More >> Foster care teens can soon ask to reunite with birth parents

Man who is charged with killing DCFS worker wont use mental health defense

The man charged with killing a DCFS worker has withdrawn his request for a mental health evaluation.

More >> Man who is charged with killing DCFS worker wont use mental health defense

Kansas wouldn’t let him adopt his grandchildren. He hopes that will change Thursday

One bedroom in David Rose Sr.’s home has a closet filled with toys and clothes decorated with Disney princesses. The other has an empty crib and an empty boy’s bed. Toy cars and board games such as Chutes and Ladders are stacked under a side table in the living room.

More >> Kansas wouldn’t let him adopt his grandchildren. He hopes that will change Thursday

Foster Dad Arrested After Child Sex Abuse Allegations

An Oregon man who disappeared with his family after being questioned about the sexual abuse of a foster child was located in Oklahoma and brought back to face charges.

More >> Foster Dad Arrested After Child Sex Abuse Allegations

Girl missing from Readfield foster home located in Georgia

A teenager who had been missing from her Readfield foster home since February has been located in Georgia.

State Police say 14-year-old Heavenlee Benjamin is safe, but the Georgia man who took the teen there killed himself Tuesday morning.

More >> Girl missing from Readfield foster home located in Georgia

• Man who allegedly took Maine girl to Georgia fatally shoots himself

Shutting Down the Pipeline from Foster Care to Juvenile Justice

Amid sweeping changes in child welfare policy at the federal and state level, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas announced a motion aimed at slashing the number of foster youth who become entangled in the juvenile justice system, and ensuring supportive care for those who do touch both systems. The Board of Supervisors will hear the motion on March 20, 2018.

More >> Shutting Down the Pipeline from Foster Care to Juvenile Justice

Ontario coroner finds ‘potential’ crime in review of foster care deaths

An investigation into the deaths of children living in residential care, including seven Indigenous children, has found potential criminality according to Ontario’s chief coroner.

“There has been potentially involvement of police and potentially criminality in some of the cases we are reviewing,” Dr. Dirk Huyer told APTN News.


More >> Ontario coroner finds ‘potential’ crime in review of foster care deaths

Improving the Use of Psychotropic Medication for Children in Foster Care: State Profiles

Children in foster care, who typically rely on Medicaid to cover their physical and behavioral health service needs, are more likely than other children to receive psychotropic medications. In response, as part of federal legislation passed in 2012, states were newly required to develop protocols for the appropriate use and monitoring of psychotropic medications for children in foster care.


More >> Improving the Use of Psychotropic Medication for Children in Foster Care: State Profiles

Former foster home operators accused in lawsuit of inappropriate discipline, letting kids use drugs

A former operator of foster homes for high-risk youth in western Manitoba is being accused of permitting children in care to use illegal drugs, engaging in inappropriate discipline procedures with children and using staff who were subjects of abuse allegations to provide care.

The allegations were filed in court by Dakota Ojibway Child and Family Services (DOCFS), which accuses Jesse and Cristy Dourado, operating as Specialized Foster Homes, of providing inappropriate care.

More >> Former foster home operators accused in lawsuit of inappropriate discipline, letting kids use drugs

Former Social Services employee whose claims went viral intends to sue Roanoke

A woman who claimed on social media that she was fired by the Roanoke Department of Social Services for holding a concealed weapons permit said Monday she intends to sue the city.

More >> Former Social Services employee whose claims went viral intends to sue Roanoke

Rosenbaum trial stalls while waiting on a Georgia Supreme Court decision

Jennifer and Joseph Rosenbaum were set to stand trial this week for murder in the 2015 death of Laila Marie Daniel, a 2-year-old foster child in their care. Instead, attorneys met with a Henry County judge Monday morning to move the case out of the jurisdiction of the Superior Court.

The move is only temporary as the state has filed a notice to appeal Judge Brian Amero’s decision to exclude certain evidence from trial to the Georgia Supreme Court. Until the high court makes its ruling, the case will stall in Henry County.

More >> Rosenbaum trial stalls while waiting on a Georgia Supreme Court decision

Lawsuit faults Lackawanna child welfare office for boys’ sex abuse

Two children molested by a Wilkes-Barre man might not have been victimized had Lackawanna County child welfare officials warned the man’s adoptive parents he had a history of sexual abuse, according to a federal lawsuit.

Wilkes-Barre attorney Barry Dyller filed suit against the Lackawanna County Office of Youth and Family Services, alleging the agency is to blame for the abuse suffered years ago by two male foster children who were victimized by another teenage foster child.

More >> Lawsuit faults Lackawanna child welfare office for boys’ sex abuse

Foster Dad, Accused of Child Sex Abuse, Arrested on Warrant

An Oregon man who disappeared with his family after being questioned about the sexual abuse of a foster child was located in Oklahoma and brought back to face charges.


The Register-Guard reports Joe Albert Raygosa, of Junction City, faces 12 felony counts related to the sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl. The charges include two counts of first-degree rape, four counts of first-degree sexual abuse, four counts of first-degree sodomy and two counts of first-degree sexual penetration.
More >> Foster Dad, Accused of Child Sex Abuse, Arrested on Warrant

Court says 'no' to family as executors for slain teen Grace Packer's estate

Neither Grace Packer’s biological parents nor her adoptive grandparents should have control over the slain teen’s estate, a Montgomery County court official has ruled.


More >> Court says 'no' to family as executors for slain teen Grace Packer's estate

For Parents Around the Country, Having a Disability Can Mean Losing Custody of Their Kids

In 2012, Sara Gordon, a young mother with an intellectual disability, had her 2-day-old daughter taken by the state of Massachusetts and placed in foster care. Specifically, the state believed she was unable to care for her newborn because of her disability, based on difficulty officials said she displayed with feeding and diapering. While these are common challenges for most new mothers, for Gordon, it led to a battle involving the federal government. After more than two years, she regained custody of her daughter.


More >> For Parents Around the Country, Having a Disability Can Mean Losing Custody of Their Kids

Our Opinion: More reasons for concern at Indiana's Department of Child Services

The consultant reviewing Indiana’s Department of Child Services isn’t set to deliver a final report for a few months yet.

But it’s already crystal clear that there are serious issues and systemic troubles that urgently demand fixing for the sake of the state’s youngest and most vulnerable residents.

More >> Our Opinion: More reasons for concern at Indiana's Department of Child Services

Foster parents who left 10-year-old dying on couch charged

The foster parents who didn't seek medical attention for a 10-year-old boy after he was sent home from school with severe pain are now facing criminal charges.

Denise Alston, 55, and Carol Fletcher, 53, were both charged on Feb. 1 with involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy and endangering the welfare of children related to the death of Ethan Okula.

More >> Foster parents who left 10-year-old dying on couch charged

Abuse reporting bills would criminalize teachers

The Maryland Senate recently passed legislation that would turn trusted community members into criminals. The House should not follow suit. The new bills propose criminal penalties for certain classes of people required to report child abuse or neglect who “knowingly” fail to do so. Such “mandatory reporters” include our state’s teachers, counselors, social workers and nurses.


More >> Abuse reporting bills would criminalize teachers

After child tragedies, Kansas social workers rarely lose their license

A Kansas social worker failed to supervise a man with a history of violence and drug abuse, resulting in serious injury to the man’s infant in 2013.

In response, the state censured the worker for incompetence — by sending her a letter — but didn’t take her license.

More >> After child tragedies, Kansas social workers rarely lose their license

Lawsuit faults Lackawanna child welfare office for boys’ sex abuse

Two children molested by a Wilkes-Barre man might not have been victimized had Lackawanna County child welfare officials warned the man’s adoptive parents he had a history of sexual abuse, according to a federal lawsuit.

Wilkes-Barre attorney Barry Dyller filed suit against the Lackawanna County Office of Youth and Family Services, alleging the agency is to blame for the abuse suffered years ago by two male foster children who were victimized by another teenage foster child.

More >> Lawsuit faults Lackawanna child welfare office for boys’ sex abuse

Daruk Training School: Alleged sex abuse of young boys 'nothing short of horrific', police say

The experiences allegedly inflicted upon young boys at a former Sydney boys' home were "nothing short of horrific", police said while revealing the first arrest of their investigation.

Police say 80 alleged victims have come forward about historical child sex abuse at the Daruk Training School in Penrith in the late 1970s.

More >> Daruk Training School: Alleged sex abuse of young boys 'nothing short of horrific', police say

• Man arrested over ‘horrific’ boys’ home abuse

Mom Speaks Out After Her Child’s Foster Parent Is Arrested On Child Porn Charges

A Sacramento mother is speaking out, furious with Child Protective Services for placing her children in the care of a foster parent that’s now facing child pornography charges.

“I’m angry. I’m sad. I feel like the system is failing my children. I don’t know what to do,” she said.

More >> Mom Speaks Out After Her Child’s Foster Parent Is Arrested On Child Porn Charges

Dashcam video released of Child Protective Services supervisor's arrest

Enjoy...

Police released dashcam video of a northern Michigan Child Protective Services worker who was arrested for drunk driving.

More >> Dashcam video released of Child Protective Services supervisor's arrest

What a drama queen.

Disgraced CPS worker ousted: Contra Costa County fails to fix lives she unnecessarily destroyed

Khlood Salah was uprooted from her birth home in the United States at the age of 9 and thrust into an extremist Islamic life in Amman, Jordan. Life in the secular Middle-East remains till this day a bubble in which a girl’s life is completely controlled by religion and school and entirely governed by the men of the castle in which she lives. Up at 5 a.m., school from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., prayer five times a day, private tutoring from 5-8 p.m., traditional head to toe coverage and zero tolerance for Western ideas.


More >> Disgraced CPS worker ousted: Contra Costa County fails to fix lives she unnecessarily destroyed

Mom Says CPS Didn't Tell Her About Child Pornography Charges Against Foster Parent

A California mother says Child Protective Services did not notify her that a foster parent was arrested on child pornography charges.


More >> Mom Says CPS Didn't Tell Her About Child Pornography Charges Against Foster Parent

Ill. Republican Pop Tart once said she would give foster child to abusive straight couple over gay couple

A Republican candidate for Attorney General is reported to have said she’d give a foster child to an abusive heterosexual couple over a gay couple.

Erika Harold, who is running for Attorney General in Illinois, reportedly said the comments during a beauty pageant in 2000.

More >> Ill. Republican once said she would give foster child to abusive straight couple over gay couple

Brewer family believes misfiled DCF report, later altered, could have saved boy's life

The family of Evan Brewer is speaking out after learning that a DCF report about abuse, months before the child’s death, was not handled correctly and altered after his death.

Friday, the Department for Children and Families released more that 280 pages of documents to KSN. This came one day after releasing them to Carlo Brewer, Evan’s dad.

More >> Brewer family believes misfiled DCF report, later altered, could have saved boy's life

Prosecutor plans to appeal ex-Omaha fire captain's sexual assault sentence

Three girls who looked to Lee Dunbar as a father were, instead, sexually assaulted by him.

A jury decided as much in January.

On Friday, Douglas County District Judge Marlon Polk sentenced Dunbar, a 67-year-old retired Omaha fire captain, to the minimum sentence of 15 years on each of the five first-degree sexual assault counts he had been convicted of.

More >> Prosecutor plans to appeal ex-Omaha fire captain's sexual assault sentence

Arizona's foster crisis persists, say child advocates, even as DCS trumpets progress

Fewer Arizona children are being removed from their families, the backlog of uninvestigated child abuse reports is down dramatically and child welfare workers have manageable caseloads — all signs that the Arizona Department of Child Safety is finally on the right track, its leaders say.

More >> Arizona's foster crisis persists, say child advocates, even as DCS trumpets progress

But advocates for children say it’s not yet time to celebrate — they warn that recent progress to overhaul Arizona’s chronically strained child welfare system could easily be reversed. The very idea that the child welfare system has been “fixed” could spur complacency by policymakers whose funding decisions determine DCS’s ability to function, they fear.

DHHS supervisor was on call when arrested for drunk driving, assaulting officer

A Michigan Children’s Protective Services supervisor was on-call Saturday when she was arrested for drunk driving and assaulting a police officer.

Court records show Paula Lipinski, 38, was charged Tuesday in Grand Traverse County District Court with one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, one count of resisting arrest and one count of assaulting an officer.

More >> DHHS supervisor was on call when arrested for drunk driving, assaulting officer

Oklahoma ex-principal gets probation for not reporting abuse

A former principal of a northern Oklahoma elementary school has been sentenced to five years’ probation for not reporting child abuse by a teacher’s aide.

Kenda Miller, 51, was sentenced Thursday after reaching a plea deal for misdemeanor charges of failure to promptly report child abuse or neglect, the Oklahoman reported . Miller resigned in June from Upper Elementary School in Perry, where Arnold Cowen molested girls while working as an aide.

More >> Oklahoma ex-principal gets probation for not reporting abuse

Kansas missionaries get prison for abusing adopted children

A Kansas missionary couple has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for giving brutal, religion-inspired beatings to two of the three children they adopted from Peru.

James and Paige Nachtigal, of North Newton, were sentenced Thursday for several child abuse counts. They entered Alford pleas to the charges in August in which they acknowledged prosecutors had enough evidence for convictions but admitted no guilt.

More >> Kansas missionaries get prison for abusing adopted children

ACLU challenges Trump administration practice of separating migrants and their children

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class-action lawsuit Friday accusing President Donald Trump’s administration of separating hundreds of immigrant parents and children who are seeking asylum.

The lawsuit expands a legal challenge over the detention of a Congolese asylum-seeker whose 7-year-old child was put in federal foster care by border agents, and asks a judge to find family separation unlawful.

More >> ACLU challenges Trump administration practice of separating migrants and their children

Mom Wrongfully Convicted in Foster Son’s Salt-Poisoning Death to Get $570G

A Texas woman wrongfully convicted in the death of her foster son is expected to receive more than $570,000 from the state for the years she spent in jail, according to reports.

Hannah Overton spent seven years in prison for the death of 4-year-old Andrew Burd, who she and her husband, Larry Overton, were in the process of adopting when the little boy ingested a fatal amount of sodium.

More >> Mom Wrongfully Convicted in Foster Son’s Salt-Poisoning Death to Get $570G

Moments of high anxiety for deported dad on custody quest

It was 8:15 on a December morning, and the court hearing that could determine the future of Adrian Quiroz's family was to begin in 15 minutes in Phoenix — but Quiroz was 180 miles away, in Nogales, Sonora.

The 30-year-old Mexico native was deported in April 2016, and since then has tried to regain full custody of his children from the other side of the border, unable to easily communicate with his caseworker or his attorney.

More >> Moments of high anxiety for deported dad on custody quest

De Pere woman charged with mental and physical abuse of adopted kids

A De Pere woman and former Wisconsin State Trooper has been charged with several counts of child abuse and neglect of her adopted children. The abuse allegedly went on for over a decade despite reports to police and officials.

More >> De Pere woman charged with mental and physical abuse of adopted kids

Former child protection investigator charged with falsifying records

LARGO – Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri weighed in on a case during a press conference March 8, recommending a prison sentence for a former child protection investigator.

Detectives arrested Steven Michael Urban, 29, of Largo that morning on 10 felony charges of falsifying records. Bail was set at $20,000.

More >> Former child protection investigator charged with falsifying records

• CHILD PROTECTION INVESTIGATOR FALSIFIED RECORDS, PINELLAS SHERIFF SAYS
• Ex Pinellas Co. child protective investigator accused of lying about 75 cases

Kansas missionaries convicted of abusing Peruvian kids they adopted will go to prison

It's been more than two years since North Newton Police Chief Randy Jordan removed three Peruvian orphans from a tidy home in a tidy neighborhood in his town.

He still gets choked up when he talks about the signs of abuse he saw.

More >> Kansas missionaries convicted of abusing Peruvian kids they adopted will go to prison

Indigenous leader blasts Ontario’s Motherisk review as ‘secretive,’ says his people were ‘ignored’

The Motherisk Commission promised to include Indigenous communities in its review of thousands of child protection cases. This Deputy Grand Chief says his people were shut out of the process.


More >> Indigenous leader blasts Ontario’s Motherisk review as ‘secretive,’ says his people were ‘ignored’

Child protection report lacks crucial national detail on abuse in out-of-home care

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released a new report showing that one in 32 Australian children received child protection services in 2016-17, with 74% being repeat clients.

The report also noted that the number of children receiving child protection services rose by about 25% over five years, which may “relate to changes in the underlying rate of child abuse and neglect, increases in notifications, and access to services, or a combination of these factors.”

More >> Child protection report lacks crucial national detail on abuse in out-of-home care

The women fighting against a rising tide of Indigenous child removals

There’s a certain character most grandmothers have. It’s not knitting needles, cat hair covered sweaters or bingo, as the general stereotypes go. It’s attitude: stoic, outspoken and fiercely protective. These are women who have had the privilege and responsibility of parenting over generations, and many are not only the matriarch in their own families, but for whole communities.


More >> The women fighting against a rising tide of Indigenous child removals

Mother: Son was in care of Rancho Cordova foster parent accused of having child porn

The mother of a child in foster care said her son was living with a Rancho Cordova foster parent accused of possessing child pornography.

The woman, whom KCRA 3 has chosen not to identify in order to protect her son's identity and the identity of her other children, went to Sacramento County Child Protective Services Wednesday morning hoping to see her son and get answers about his well-being.

More >> Mother: Son was in care of Rancho Cordova foster parent accused of having child porn

• Mother Says She Learned of Foster Parent’s Charges from News Instead of CPS

Child Protective Services supervisor charged with assaulting police officers

A Traverse City woman who works for the Department of Health and Human Services is facing felony charges accusing her of assaulting two police officers and resisting arrest.

Paula Lipinski, 38, was charged Tuesday with two counts of police officer assault, resisting, obstructing and one charge of operating while intoxicated.

More >> Child Protective Services supervisor charged with assaulting police officers

MANDEL: Judge slams hare-brained decision to remove foster kids over Easter Bunny

For Derek and Francis Baars, it’s hopefully the end of a ridiculous journey down the rabbit hole that closed down their Hamilton foster home and jeopardized their ability to adopt half a country away.

All because the devout Christian couple refused to lie to their foster children about the existence of the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.

More >> MANDEL: Judge slams hare-brained decision to remove foster kids over Easter Bunny

Former caseworker charged with failing a child

LOCK HAVEN — A former caseworker for Clinton County Children and Youth Services has been charged with failing to report a case of suspected child abuse or make a referral to the appropriate authorities.

Keshia Lynn Conway, 28, of 37 Hickory Drive, waived her right to a preliminary hearing on Tuesday and her case now moves on to the next stage in Clinton County Court.

More >> Former caseworker charged with failing a child

State has spent nearly $2M defending against foster-care lawsuit; wants another $3.8M

Arizona taxpayers have paid $1.8 million in legal fees as the state defends against a class-action lawsuit alleging its foster-care system is deeply flawed and in need of reform.

The legal bill is far from final: The case, filed in 2015, has yet to go to a trial. The spending will continue, at attorney rates of up to $275 an hour, as the litigation continues to play out in federal court.

More >> State has spent nearly $2M defending against foster-care lawsuit; wants another $3.8M

Police say teen again flees from Clintonville foster home

A Farrell teenager who fled from his Clintonville foster home and was returned there has once again fled, Franklin state police said.


More >> Police say teen again flees from Clintonville foster home

Review finds Hawaii child welfare agency unimproved

The agency that oversees the welfare of abused and neglected children throughout Hawaii failed to make some necessary improvements in its operations, according to a federal review.

The federal government recently completed its third major evaluation of Hawaii’s Child Welfare Services agency since 2003. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ 2017 analysis, the agency was not in “substantial conformity” with any of the seven categories DHHS evaluated.

More >> Review finds Hawaii child welfare agency unimproved

What to expect: Adoptive parents of Sherin Mathews return to court

Now that the Mathews are returning to court for their criminal charges, we wanted to take some of the most asked questions surrounding their case to an attorney for answers on the legal process.

More >> What to expect: Adoptive parents of Sherin Mathews return to court

Court throws out adopted sons from their foster mother’s land

The High Court has thrown out two adopted sons from their foster mother's land. Justice Grace Kemei on Monday ruled that the two - a teacher and an insurance worker - could not continue demanding a share of the seven acres of their foster mother's land as they had their own sources of income.


More >> Court throws out adopted sons from their foster mother’s land

8 On Your Side finds Hillsborough foster kids sleeping in offices again

One day after DCF Secretary Mike Carroll promised to reform foster care in Hillsborough County, three foster teens spent the night sleeping in Tampa child welfare offices instead of a home.

“Eckerd doesn’t condone nor do we believe any kid should ever sleep in an office setting,” said Eckerd Connects’ top foster care executive Lorita Shirley.

More >> 8 On Your Side finds Hillsborough foster kids sleeping in offices again

Rancho Cordova foster parent accused of having child porn

A Rancho Cordova foster father appeared for the first time in a Sacramento County courtroom on a felony charge of possessing child pornography.

Kevin Barker, 36, was taken into custody on Friday, officials said.

More >> Rancho Cordova foster parent accused of having child porn

Records: ER staff suspected abuse in death of 3-year-old foster child

Emergency room staff at a Big Island hospital suspected abuse in the death of a 3-year-old boy who died last year in foster care, medical records show.

More >> Records: ER staff suspected abuse in death of 3-year-old foster child

Foster home where First Nations girl filmed her suicide owned by child welfare agency

The foster home where Kanina Sue Turtle filmed her suicide is owned and operated by the child welfare agency that removed her from her home in Poplar Hill First Nation, APTN News has found.

The Sioux Lookout home is known as an “agency operated home” (AOH) and is owned by Tikinagan Child and Family Services according to land registry records obtained by APTN.

More >> Foster home where First Nations girl filmed her suicide owned by child welfare agency

B.C. watchdog lambastes province’s ‘awful’ child-welfare strategy

A recent decision by provincial social workers to apprehend an Indigenous newborn and not allow the mother sufficient time to breastfeed and bond was based on a racist, paternalistic approach to child welfare, B.C.'s watchdog for children and youth says.

And it is an approach that has not changed despite solemn promises from the provincial NDP government to improve the child-welfare system, Bernard Richard, the Representative for Children and Youth, said on Tuesday.

More >> B.C. watchdog lambastes province’s ‘awful’ child-welfare strategy

Suit alleges rights violations in Arkansas Department of Human Services custody cases

Two state caseworkers routinely took children away from their parents and violated families' civil rights for years, a federal lawsuit says.

More >> Suit alleges rights violations in Arkansas Department of Human Services custody cases

The Lessons of Mass Incarceration for Child Welfare

The platinum anniversary of the most important shift in American child welfare policy in a generation just passed without notice or public discussion. But almost 20 years to the day after President Clinton signed the Adoption and Safe Families Act into law, those in the waiting area of the Bronx Family courthouse heard a 12-year-old sobbing inconsolably outside the courtroom, where he had just told the judge he did not want to be adopted. The judge had gone ahead anyway to terminate his mother's parental rights -- as judges around the country do tens of thousands of times a year to comply with ASFA.

More >> The Lessons of Mass Incarceration for Child Welfare

Rancho Cordova Foster Parent Faces Child Pornography Charges

A Rancho Cordova man in jail Monday night faces serious charges, including child pornography.

John Poulson, one of Kevin Barker's neighbors in a Rancho Cordova neighborhood, said he called police last week after opening a memory card Barker gave him.

More >> Rancho Cordova Foster Parent Faces Child Pornography Charges

DCF chief tells panel to find out why so many Hillsborough kids are in foster care

In the world of foster care, they’re known as "night-to-night" placements.

The sadder every-day translation? Foster children with no place to go.

Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Mike Carroll said Monday that as many as 38 Hillsborough children have fit that description over the past six months.

More >> DCF chief tells panel to find out why so many Hillsborough kids are in foster care

• Angry critics tell DCF secretary what’s wrong with Hillsborough foster care

Report: Embattled agency finds records altered after boy found dead in concrete

TOPEKA, Kan. -- The embattled Kansas Department of Children and Families has reportedly determined abuse report records were altered in the case of a three-year-old boy after the child was found dead in concrete last year, according to documents released to KSN.


More >> Report: Embattled agency finds records altered after boy found dead in concrete

• DCF mistake in case of Wichita boy found encased in concrete raises new concerns
• Alteration of 3-year-old Evan Brewer’s DCF file called ‘horrific’ but unsurprising

VICTIMS OF SPOUSAL ABUSE ARE LOSING THEIR CHILDREN TO SOCIAL SERVICES

Across the country, there are hundreds of instances where children are removed from the custody of a parent who has suffered from domestic abuse at the hands of a partner.

More >> VICTIMS OF SPOUSAL ABUSE ARE LOSING THEIR CHILDREN TO SOCIAL SERVICES

Hawaii child welfare agency shows no improvement in review

The federal government recently completed its third major evaluation of Hawaii's Child Welfare Services agency since 2003, and found the agency has not shown any improvements since 2009.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 2017 analysis says the state's Child Welfare Services agency was not in "substantial conformity" with any of the seven categories it evaluated.

More >> Hawaii child welfare agency shows no improvement in review

Parents, judge say they’re seeing shortage of DCS attorneys

A thorough review of Indiana's Department of Child Services is currently underway and the group conducting the assessment say there are concerns about the number of attorneys employed by the troubled agency.

On Thursday, the Child Welfare Policy and Practice group said they have already interview more than 140 people. They say interviewees suggested there are not enough DCS attorneys to handle an increasing number of cases.

More >> Parents, judge say they’re seeing shortage of DCS attorneys

Vulnerable children forced into homelessness as local authorities routinely ignore child protection laws

Vulnerable children are being forced into homelessness because local authorities are routinely flouting child protection laws, lawyers and charities have warned.

Families with young children have been denied emergency accommodation by their local council and subsequently forced out onto the streets, spending nights in A&E waiting rooms, night buses and police stations.

More >> Vulnerable children forced into homelessness as local authorities routinely ignore child protection laws

The Motherisk saga is a symptom of a larger problem in child protection work

The Motherisk bombshell caught many of us who work in child protection off guard. For years, children were removed from their families based on flawed hair testing for drugs and alcohol at the Motherisk lab at the Hospital for Sick Children.

More >> The Motherisk saga is a symptom of a larger problem in child protection work

Brewer family believes misfiled DCF report, later altered, could have saved boy’s life

The family of Evan Brewer is speaking out after learning that a DCF report about abuse, months before the child’s death, was not handled correctly and altered after his death.

Friday the Department for Families and Children released more that 280 pages of documents to KSN. This came one day after releasing them to Carlo Brewer, Evan’s dad

More >> Brewer family believes misfiled DCF report, later altered, could have saved boy’s life

Social workers reveal fears of new Baby P horror amid 'unbearable' workloads 'underestimated by Government'

Overloaded social workers are keeping an eye on up to 60 at-risk children each – sparking fears of another Baby P horror.

Burnt-out child protection workers have reacted furiously to new official figures which “seriously underestimate” their workload.


More >> Social workers reveal fears of new Baby P horror amid 'unbearable' workloads 'underestimated by Government'