A MAN who allegedly sexually abused a young boy in his care persistently over a four year period has been arrested and charged.
The 31-year-old was taken into custody at Burwood Police Station just before 10.30am yesterday, following an ongoing investigation.
More >> Carer charged over alleged ‘persistent’ sexual abuse of foster child
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Cornwall council puts ‘vulnerable’ teenager in tent after he became homeless
A homeless 17-year-old boy was bought a tent to live in by a social worker after he appealed for help from his local council, a watchdog has found.
The teenager, who has not been identified, was even provided with a replacement tent after the first one started leaking.
More >> Cornwall council puts ‘vulnerable’ teenager in tent after he became homeless
The teenager, who has not been identified, was even provided with a replacement tent after the first one started leaking.
More >> Cornwall council puts ‘vulnerable’ teenager in tent after he became homeless
A single shelter for migrant children is costing the government over $500,000 a day
The full costs of the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy are coming into sharper relief as contracts are renewed and federal spending data is made available.
Newly released government figures paint a picture of runaway spending on detention facilities, which has siphoned millions of dollars away from, among other programs, Head Start ($16.7 million), the National Cancer Institute ($13.3 million), and the National Institutes of Health ($87.3 million). The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) oversees 100-plus shelters for unaccompanied migrant children in 17 states at a cost of more than $2 billion since 2015, and there doesn’t appear to be any end in sight.
More >> A single shelter for migrant children is costing the government over $500,000 a day
Newly released government figures paint a picture of runaway spending on detention facilities, which has siphoned millions of dollars away from, among other programs, Head Start ($16.7 million), the National Cancer Institute ($13.3 million), and the National Institutes of Health ($87.3 million). The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) oversees 100-plus shelters for unaccompanied migrant children in 17 states at a cost of more than $2 billion since 2015, and there doesn’t appear to be any end in sight.
More >> A single shelter for migrant children is costing the government over $500,000 a day
This Is How the Criminal Justice System Traps Women and their Families
Women and girls are one of the fastest growing populations in America’s jails and prisons, and their numbers are increasing rapidly, even as incarceration rates fall for other demographics. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, more than 200,000 women were incarcerated in 2017. A new and illuminating piece in the New Yorker zooms in on Tulsa, Oklahoma, to explore the underlying reasons that drive the United States’ inhumanely high rates of mass incarceration.
More >> This Is How the Criminal Justice System Traps Women and their Families
Trump wants to order end to birthright citizenship
President Donald Trump is making another hardline immigration play in the final days before midterm elections, declaring that he wants to order an end to the constitutional right to citizenship for babies born in the United States to non-citizens.
More >> Trump wants to order end to birthright citizenship
Judge slams social workers who broke up family over anonymous tip-off that boy, 12, claimed his mother threatened him with a knife
Social workers broke up a family on the basis of a text message sent by a boy of 12.
The child was said to have told a friend his mother threatened him with a knife and as a result two of his siblings were taken into care.
More >> Judge slams social workers who broke up family over anonymous tip-off that boy, 12, claimed his mother threatened him with a knife
Father of abducted child sues social services for damages
Andreas Gerdes filed the court action against Appogg to request damages after winning a custody battle against his former partner Anika De Vilera, only to have his child snatched from him anyway
More >> Father of abducted child sues social services for damages
More >> Father of abducted child sues social services for damages
Dr. Phil shares a shocking adoption scam
It sounds like it’s something out of a TV movie, but this shocking adoption scam really took place. Dr. Phil gave GDL a preview of the latest episode of his show, about a couple who literally sold off their children, one after another, to make a few thousand dollars after each pregnancy.
More >> Dr. Phil shares a shocking adoption scam
Monday, October 29, 2018
America’s Other Family-Separation Crisis
On a late-October morning two years ago, Robin Steinberg stood barefoot in her apartment, on the Upper West Side, preparing to uproot her life. Her suitcases were stacked by the door, her winter coats piled in the hallway. Steinberg, a fifty-nine-year-old native New Yorker, had decided to move to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to launch a legal startup. She laced up her sneakers and said goodbye to the bedrooms of her grown children, which she called “the shrines.” As she dragged her bags to her car, she told her doorman that she was going to cry. “I’m not good with change,” she said. He told her not to worry, and blew her a farewell kiss.
More >> America’s Other Family-Separation Crisis
More >> America’s Other Family-Separation Crisis
Scottish inquiry: Children endured abuse at sister-run orphanages
As scandals over sexual abuse and bullying in the Catholic Church spread globally in recent years, women religious orders seemed to have been spared the worst accusations.
Yet the tidy image was jolted this October, when a congregation of nuns in Scotland faced charges in an official report of showing "no love, no compassion, no dignity and no comfort" to children in its care.
More >> Scottish inquiry: Children endured abuse at sister-run orphanages
Yet the tidy image was jolted this October, when a congregation of nuns in Scotland faced charges in an official report of showing "no love, no compassion, no dignity and no comfort" to children in its care.
More >> Scottish inquiry: Children endured abuse at sister-run orphanages
How Canada barred adoptions from Muslim countries — and used Shariah law to do it
At the Pakistani orphanage where he was abandoned at birth, little Imran packed his things and said goodbye to the children who weren't so lucky.
At four years old, Imran believed he would finally have a family.
More >> How Canada barred adoptions from Muslim countries — and used Shariah law to do it
At four years old, Imran believed he would finally have a family.
More >> How Canada barred adoptions from Muslim countries — and used Shariah law to do it
Kansas DCF To Fine Foster Care Contractors For Children Sleeping In Offices
The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) intends to impose financial fines on its two foster care contractors, KVC Behavioral Healthcare and Saint Francis Ministries (formerly called Saint Francis Community Services), if a child in custody spends the night in a contractor office for any reason. DCF Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel made the penalty public on September 28, 2018, at a meeting of the state’s child welfare system task force.
More >> Kansas DCF To Fine Foster Care Contractors For Children Sleeping In Offices
More >> Kansas DCF To Fine Foster Care Contractors For Children Sleeping In Offices
Adopted woman reunited with biological mom, sisters after 60 years
A woman's 17-year-old mother gave her up for adoption in 1958. Now, 60 years later, she has been reunited with her family.
Becky Stevenson tells KXAN she had known about her sister her whole life. She says her mother, Ann Yamrus, was always open about the daughter she had given up for adoption before having her and her four sisters.
More >> Adopted woman reunited with biological mom, sisters after 60 years
Becky Stevenson tells KXAN she had known about her sister her whole life. She says her mother, Ann Yamrus, was always open about the daughter she had given up for adoption before having her and her four sisters.
More >> Adopted woman reunited with biological mom, sisters after 60 years
Native Americans Say Law That Protects Children at Risk
An American law that blocks placement of Native American children with non-native American families was ruled illegal earlier this month.
A federal judge in Texas announced the decision, surprising many native groups.
More >> Native Americans Say Law That Protects Children at Risk
A federal judge in Texas announced the decision, surprising many native groups.
More >> Native Americans Say Law That Protects Children at Risk
The Terrifying Rise of the Father's Rights Groups
Early in December 2017 the Texas Attorney General’s Office held a private meeting with a group from the Texas Father’s Rights Movement (“FRM”) at the Capital B Room E1 012 from 9 am- 12pm. The meeting was called to discuss "how destructive the collection process child support is" and that it is damaging men and their "new families". To conceal the event from public view the OAG requested that the FRM group remove an outreach video that it had posted on the internet as an invitation to the enthusiastic fathers of their base, who wish for and are in search of legal methods to prematurely end and decrease support to their minor children. They needed the meeting be an invitation-only affair. The press was not to be invited. The public was not to be invited. It was made clear that this was NOT to be an open meeting.
More >> The Terrifying Rise of the Father's Rights Groups
More >> The Terrifying Rise of the Father's Rights Groups
Sunday, October 28, 2018
DCYF: No sign of trauma in baby who died in foster care; investigation continues
Preliminary findings of an autopsy on an 18-day-old boy who died in foster care Wednesday showed no “visible signs of physical trauma,” says the state Department of Children, Youth and Families.
“The medical examiner is still awaiting further test results for a final conclusion on the child’s cause of death,” the agency said in a statement Thursday. “Our child protective services unit is completing its usual investigation.”
More >> DCYF: No sign of trauma in baby who died in foster care; investigation continues
“The medical examiner is still awaiting further test results for a final conclusion on the child’s cause of death,” the agency said in a statement Thursday. “Our child protective services unit is completing its usual investigation.”
More >> DCYF: No sign of trauma in baby who died in foster care; investigation continues
A vote for the Republicans could be a vote for more kids being removed by CPS and thrown into foster care.
Why I'm writing this...
Politically speaking, I consider myself an independent and like to look for the good and bad in all candidates so that I can make an educated decision on who I want to vote for. I vote for the person who is most concerned with issues that are important to me rather then the party, so to speak.
Something that I've noticed over the last couple of years is that my Facebook friends list has become increasingly skewed to the right (outspoken conservatives, Republicans, Trump Supporters). In fact, my news feed seems to be 3/4ths Conservative Propaganda these days and it's absolutely ridiculous to see on an anti-CPS page because in the state I live in, which is Maine, a vote for the Republicans is a vote for MORE kids being removed by Child Protective Services and thrown into foster care.
Duhhhhhh what?
I'll say it again. A vote for the Republicans in Maine, and probably nationally, IS a vote for more kids being ripped from their families by CPS and thrown into foster care. Not only that but a vote for the Republicans is a vote for making it harder to get your kids back when they have been snatched by CPS.
The result of 8 years of Republican Leadership in Maine...
As a result of Republican Policies, Maine's CPS workers have nothing to offer you anymore in terms of help or services to a family who is under a CPS investigation, so they take the child and run instead because that's all they can do. Maine's Republican Governor Paul LePage even recently signed a new bill into law which removes reunification with the family as a priority in child welfare proceedings, freeing up funds to give raises to CPS workers and increase foster care reimbursements, which are much more expensive in the long run.
Maine is now taking a more heavy handed approach to dealing with parents than they did in the past. They are also taking more kids than they can handle because some of them are ending up in motel rooms.
- Maine is removing more kids from their homes — often to stay in hotels — Maine Focus
- LePage budget should provide more funding to reunify families, not keep kids in foster care
Perhaps you're thinking something like, "Trump signed Family First into law, and he did it to help families," which to his credit, he did sign it into law as part of a spending package, then pissed and whined about the democrats making him do it after.
That said, Family First has its problems too, but the basic philosophy behind Family First is the exact same thing that Maine was doing under the Democrats which as recently as 2011 made Maine's Child Welfare System a National Model because of being leaders at keeping kids safe in the home. This was done by providing the necessary family preservation services such as drug treatment, counseling, housing assistance or whatever it may be. Family First freed up federal funding so that such family preservation services could be utilized instead of being specifically designated for foster care programs. Something that Maine and the Republicans are desperately trying to move away from.
By late 2017, Maine's Child Welfare System was and remains a mess to this day with the most horrific child abuse cases falling through the cracks while the parents who just need a little help getting their shit together are being left in the dust with little hope or chance of ever seeing their families together again.
- Maine faces rising allegations of child abuse, neglect
- Another View: Child protective system should include support for families
So the Democrats, in my opinion, currently have a better track record for helping to strengthen families and the Republicans have a better track record of heavy handedness and cuts to funding for services that help to strengthen families. A recent example of how the Republicans want to handle things is Trump's or rather AG Jeff Sessions zero tolerance and family separation policies at the border which the Republicans love and support for some reason. I think it's sad and pathetic, but just think of how much money the agencies are making off of the immigrant children they are caring for now.
All of that said, for me, the final nail in the Republican coffin was when President Trump appointed Maine's former Commissioner of DHHS Mary Mayhew, a total CPS loving parent hater, to head the federal Medicaid Program. The Family Rights groups should fiercely oppose this choice for that particular position because Family Preservation can not happen without the services that are often paid for by Medicaid. Ms. Mayhew has a seven year history of extreme cuts and de-funding of programs in Maine that helped families to stay together. So the problems in child welfare that have been totally created by the Republicans in Maine are going national.
You should educate yourself on where each candidate stands on issues that are important to you. If CPS is a concern of yours, find out where the candidate stands on issues like family preservation, or parental rights. Then you should vote for the person who cares most about those issues.
After all, not all Republicans are bad. Nor are all Democrats Hillary Clinton. Some might even have some good solutions in mind. But if you're just going to vote Republican just because you still hate Hillary or to piss off the liberals, then you are an idiot, because if they are anything like what they are like in Maine, you could be screwing your own kids out of their parents.
FMI:
- Fewer foster parents on the front lines
- Lawmakers back several LePage bills to fix flaws in child protection system, but not others
- Mills: LePage's Refusal To Release Funds For AG's Office Threatens Child Welfare System
Madras man sentenced to 6 years for abusing foster daughter, 15
A Madras school maintenance worker and foster or adoptive parent to dozens of children pleaded guilty this week to three counts of first-degree sex abuse of one of his foster daughters.
Michael John “Mike” McCoy was sentenced to six years in prison.
More >> Madras man sentenced to 6 years for abusing foster daughter, 15
Michael John “Mike” McCoy was sentenced to six years in prison.
More >> Madras man sentenced to 6 years for abusing foster daughter, 15
Hope for Men Falsely Accused of Abuse - Child Custody Podcast 4 of 4
A Toddler Who Appeared in Immigration Court Goes Home to Honduras. ‘Mi Amor,’ Her Mother Cries.
The passengers from American Airlines Flight 941 trickled out, alone, in couples and in groups — all but the small girl whose family was nervously awaiting her in the arrivals area. It had been three months since 2-year-old Fernanda Jacqueline Davila had been whisked away with her grandmother on a journey to the United States that had gone badly wrong.
For months, the child’s mother, Alison Michell Davila, had been trying with the rest of the family in Honduras to navigate the labyrinth of the American immigration system from afar. They pleaded for the release of the child, who was being held in foster care in New York. She doesn’t need to stay in America, the family told the authorities. Just let her come home.
More >> A Toddler Who Appeared in Immigration Court Goes Home to Honduras. ‘Mi Amor,’ Her Mother Cries.
For months, the child’s mother, Alison Michell Davila, had been trying with the rest of the family in Honduras to navigate the labyrinth of the American immigration system from afar. They pleaded for the release of the child, who was being held in foster care in New York. She doesn’t need to stay in America, the family told the authorities. Just let her come home.
More >> A Toddler Who Appeared in Immigration Court Goes Home to Honduras. ‘Mi Amor,’ Her Mother Cries.
Fears of ‘another stolen generation’ after New South Wales' move on foster care
The New South Wales government has quietly tabled a piece of legislation that, if passed, will have a lasting impact on the lives of thousands of children taken into state care every year.
The government says the bill, which was tabled on Tuesday night, will ensure a permanent home for every child within two years, so they are not bounced around the out-of-home-care system for years on end. But critics say NSW is “walking open-eyed towards another stolen generation”.
More >> Fears of ‘another stolen generation’ after New South Wales' move on foster care
The government says the bill, which was tabled on Tuesday night, will ensure a permanent home for every child within two years, so they are not bounced around the out-of-home-care system for years on end. But critics say NSW is “walking open-eyed towards another stolen generation”.
More >> Fears of ‘another stolen generation’ after New South Wales' move on foster care
Social worker 'wrong' to plan putting children in to care
A family court judge has criticised a social worker who recommended four children should be taken from their parents and put in to care.
Judge Keith Wilding ignored the advice and said the social worker had made "critical errors" in her evidence.
More >> Social worker 'wrong' to plan putting children in to care
Judge Keith Wilding ignored the advice and said the social worker had made "critical errors" in her evidence.
More >> Social worker 'wrong' to plan putting children in to care
Foreign divorced parents fight in vain for child custody in Japan
Emmanuel, Stephane, Henrik and James come from very different backgrounds, but they share the same painful experience of battling Japan's legal system -- in vain -- for access to their children after divorce.
Once married to Japanese women, they say they were prevented from contact with their children when their relationships disintegrated, sometimes even after court rulings in their favor.
More >> Foreign divorced parents fight in vain for child custody in Japan
Once married to Japanese women, they say they were prevented from contact with their children when their relationships disintegrated, sometimes even after court rulings in their favor.
More >> Foreign divorced parents fight in vain for child custody in Japan
Faith-Based Adoption Agencies Are Under Siege in the US
United States Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke is under fire for criticizing a law that allows faith-based adoption agencies to turn away same-sex couples.
He told a crowd at a rally in Austin, Texas there are "30,000 kids in the foster care system —a foster care system so under-resourced that recently kids were sleeping on top of or underneath the desks in CPS (Child Protective Services) offices—in this state, they say that under the guise of religious liberty that you can be too gay to adopt one of those children who needs a loving home."
More >> Faith-Based Adoption Agencies Are Under Siege in the US
He told a crowd at a rally in Austin, Texas there are "30,000 kids in the foster care system —a foster care system so under-resourced that recently kids were sleeping on top of or underneath the desks in CPS (Child Protective Services) offices—in this state, they say that under the guise of religious liberty that you can be too gay to adopt one of those children who needs a loving home."
More >> Faith-Based Adoption Agencies Are Under Siege in the US
Father in court action seeking information about son in foster care
A father is seeking High Court orders requiring social workers to provide him with information about his young son who has been in foster care for a large part of his life and who has developed behavioural problems and self-harmed.
More >> Father in court action seeking information about son in foster care
More >> Father in court action seeking information about son in foster care
Letting kids walk to neighbourhood bakery 'felt like a reasonable choice,' says mom investigated by CFS
A Winnipeg mother says she was reported to Child and Family Services for letting her children walk by themselves to buy some bread.
"I was within earshot, I could see them," Katharina Nuss said of the summertime outing her children, ages seven and three, took to the neighbourhood bakery.
More >> Letting kids walk to neighbourhood bakery 'felt like a reasonable choice,' says mom investigated by CFS
"I was within earshot, I could see them," Katharina Nuss said of the summertime outing her children, ages seven and three, took to the neighbourhood bakery.
More >> Letting kids walk to neighbourhood bakery 'felt like a reasonable choice,' says mom investigated by CFS
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Lawsuit: DCF, two agencies placed children in abusive care
For more than three years, the children lived in a garbage-filled Palm Beach County house where concerned residents repeatedly reported they were beaten, screamed at, ridiculed and neglected by family members with long criminal records.
More >> Lawsuit: DCF, two agencies placed children in abusive care
Residential school 'monster' now lives in child-welfare system
Sen. Murray Sinclair says if the child-welfare system existed in its current form when he was a boy, he would have been cut off from his family and cultural heritage.
The chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on residential schools and Manitoba's first Indigenous judge was raised by his grandparents just outside Winnipeg.
More >> Residential school 'monster' now lives in child-welfare system
The chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on residential schools and Manitoba's first Indigenous judge was raised by his grandparents just outside Winnipeg.
More >> Residential school 'monster' now lives in child-welfare system
Yakima Valley state worker pleads guilty to abusing children
A state worker responsible for investigating child abuse and neglect cases has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing several children over several years.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reports that 50-year-old Rodolfo De Leon pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of child molestation and two counts of child-rape in Yakima County Superior Court.
More >> Yakima Valley state worker pleads guilty to abusing children
The Yakima Herald-Republic reports that 50-year-old Rodolfo De Leon pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of child molestation and two counts of child-rape in Yakima County Superior Court.
More >> Yakima Valley state worker pleads guilty to abusing children
Foster Father Indicted on Murder Charge in Boy's Death
A man whose 5-year-old foster son died after sustaining severe head trauma and bruises has been indicted on charges of murder and involuntary manslaughter in the boy's death.
Thirty-year-old Kenneth Schulz, of Newark, was indicted in June on child endangering charges after Nathaniel Gard was hospitalized and died a few days later. Licking County prosecutors had the boy's autopsy results reviewed by an independent expert and recently presented additional evidence to a grand jury, which indicted Schulz last week on the latest charges.
More >> Foster Father Indicted on Murder Charge in Boy's Death
Thirty-year-old Kenneth Schulz, of Newark, was indicted in June on child endangering charges after Nathaniel Gard was hospitalized and died a few days later. Licking County prosecutors had the boy's autopsy results reviewed by an independent expert and recently presented additional evidence to a grand jury, which indicted Schulz last week on the latest charges.
More >> Foster Father Indicted on Murder Charge in Boy's Death
B.C. youth aging out of foster care call for serious child welfare reform
More than 40 B.C. youth who have experienced living in government care descended on the legislature Wednesday, calling for changes to the child welfare system.
The group met with multiple cabinet ministers and youth transition organizations as part of Fostering Change, an advocacy campaign, to push for more comprehensive supports for youth who are set to leave care, as opposed to the current “needs-based funding” approach.
More >> B.C. youth aging out of foster care call for serious child welfare reform
The group met with multiple cabinet ministers and youth transition organizations as part of Fostering Change, an advocacy campaign, to push for more comprehensive supports for youth who are set to leave care, as opposed to the current “needs-based funding” approach.
More >> B.C. youth aging out of foster care call for serious child welfare reform
Why adopting black babies costs less than adopting white babies
Yes, someone actually wrote an article with this headline.
Black babies cost less. My wife and I learned this sitting on a worn couch across from two white women explaining the fee schedule for adoptions.
The cost to adopt a newborn black infant was a fraction of that to adopt a white one. At another agency, we were offered a deal on twins — adopt one and get the other at half off. Years before America asked "do black lives matter?" I could tell you: "Not as much."
More >> Why adopting black babies costs less than adopting white babies
Black babies cost less. My wife and I learned this sitting on a worn couch across from two white women explaining the fee schedule for adoptions.
The cost to adopt a newborn black infant was a fraction of that to adopt a white one. At another agency, we were offered a deal on twins — adopt one and get the other at half off. Years before America asked "do black lives matter?" I could tell you: "Not as much."
More >> Why adopting black babies costs less than adopting white babies
Baby Girl Mauled to Death by Foster Family's Pit Bull Mix — and Mom Says 'I Want Answers'
Police in Clearwater, Florida, continue to investigate the dog mauling death of a 7-month-old girl, who was killed while in the care of her foster family.
Investigators tell PEOPLE they are consulting with state prosecutors to determine if anyone should be criminally charged following the Oct. 5 death of Khloe Grossman.
More >> Baby Girl Mauled to Death by Foster Family's Pit Bull Mix — and Mom Says 'I Want Answers'
Investigators tell PEOPLE they are consulting with state prosecutors to determine if anyone should be criminally charged following the Oct. 5 death of Khloe Grossman.
More >> Baby Girl Mauled to Death by Foster Family's Pit Bull Mix — and Mom Says 'I Want Answers'
Thursday, October 25, 2018
New details released in case involving Clovis man accused of sexually assaulting his own foster children
On Wednesday, there was a preliminary hearing for a Clovis man accused of sexually assaulting his own foster children.
At least three victims have come forward claiming Robert Martin molested them while they were in his care.
More >> New details released in case involving Clovis man accused of sexually assaulting his own foster children
B.C. youth aging out of foster care call for serious child welfare reform
More than 40 B.C. youth who have experienced living in government care descended on the legislature Wednesday, calling for changes to the child welfare system.
The group met with multiple cabinet ministers and youth transition organizations as part of Fostering Change, an advocacy campaign, to push for more comprehensive supports for youth who are set to leave care, as opposed to the current “needs-based funding” approach.
More >> B.C. youth aging out of foster care call for serious child welfare reform
The group met with multiple cabinet ministers and youth transition organizations as part of Fostering Change, an advocacy campaign, to push for more comprehensive supports for youth who are set to leave care, as opposed to the current “needs-based funding” approach.
More >> B.C. youth aging out of foster care call for serious child welfare reform
DCYF investigating death of baby in foster care
State child welfare officials are investigating the death of an 18-day-old boy in foster care early Wednesday morning.
A spokesman with the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families confirmed the death, but said, “We cannot comment further at this time, because of confidentiality laws.”
East Texas children caught in foster care crisis
East Texas foster children are caught in the middle of a growing crisis. Right now, the number of children going into foster care is on the rise. Unfortunately, there are not enough homes and families to take care of them.
"There are children who have had to sleep in a CPS office," Justin Hayes, Executive Director for the East Texas Orphan Care Network says. "I heard about a 15-year-old who spent five days in a CPS office because there was no home for that child to go to. We heard about a newborn just a couple of months ago that needed a placement in Smith County and there were no homes available. That child had to go all the way to San Antonio. We hear that a lot."
More >> East Texas children caught in foster care crisis
If Parents Get Deported, Who Gets Their Children?
As the Trump administration increases immigration enforcement actions against working adults, grandparents and other extended family members — often immigrants themselves — are stepping in to care for many of those children left behind.
One in five children being raised by extended family members — grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins — live in an immigrant household, more than half a million children, a new report shows. And as the number of deportations continues to rise, the number of immigrant “grandfamilies” will increase as well, researchers say.
More >> If Parents Get Deported, Who Gets Their Children?
- Federal agencies were unprepared to deal with family separations, government report says
- US watchdog: Agencies 'unaware' of child separation policy
- More Than 200 Migrant Children Are Still In Federal Custody, Separated From Families
- Report: Chaos and confusion after 'zero tolerance' policy on immigration
- Reunited Families Grow Desperate In Texas Family Detention Centers
- More Than 200 Migrant Children Are Still In Federal Custody, Separated From Families
- ‘Zero Tolerance’ Immigration Policy Surprised Agencies, Report Finds
- Agency Efforts to Reunify Children Separated from Parents at the Border
Schools refer nearly 5,000 more pupils to social services
Schools are sending more vulnerable children to social care services, with more than 119,000 cases last year, the latest government data has revealed.
In 2017-18, schools were responsible for referring 119,030 children in need to social care services, an increase of nearly 4,500 compared with the previous year.
More >> Schools refer nearly 5,000 more pupils to social services
In 2017-18, schools were responsible for referring 119,030 children in need to social care services, an increase of nearly 4,500 compared with the previous year.
More >> Schools refer nearly 5,000 more pupils to social services
State pays $19.3M to settle foster abuse case
Washington state has agreed to pay $19.3 million to settle a lawsuit accusing state officials of ignoring red flags and sending an 18-month-old foster child to live with a man who severely beat her.
The News Tribune reports that the abuse left the foster child, now 5, blind and quadriplegic.
More >> State pays $19.3M to settle foster abuse case
The News Tribune reports that the abuse left the foster child, now 5, blind and quadriplegic.
More >> State pays $19.3M to settle foster abuse case
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
'Landmark reforms' for NSW to keep kids out of state care
Troubled parents will have the right to address concerns about their children's welfare and resolve issues before any action is taken by authorities, as part of new child protection reforms designed to keep children out of state care.
The reforms, set to be introduced into NSW Parliament on Tuesday night, will also make it easier for courts to appoint legal carers for children in instances where parents have consented, without the need for a court hearing.
More >> 'Landmark reforms' for NSW to keep kids out of state care
The reforms, set to be introduced into NSW Parliament on Tuesday night, will also make it easier for courts to appoint legal carers for children in instances where parents have consented, without the need for a court hearing.
More >> 'Landmark reforms' for NSW to keep kids out of state care
National Adoption Month PSA
LK of Legally Kidnapped and Beverly Tran would like to wish everyone Happy National Adoption month by honoring the industry of trafficking of tiny humans with this Public Service Announcement
Social workers ‘did not respond’ to risks murdered teenager faced
Social workers involved with a boy shot in an East London street in 2017 failed to respond to growing risks he faced from gang members, a serious case review has found.
The investigation by Newham local safeguarding children board, published last Friday, found professionals, including social workers, did not properly perceive 14-year-old Corey Junior Davis, who died shortly after the attack, as a victim of exploitation.
More >> Social workers ‘did not respond’ to risks murdered teenager faced
The investigation by Newham local safeguarding children board, published last Friday, found professionals, including social workers, did not properly perceive 14-year-old Corey Junior Davis, who died shortly after the attack, as a victim of exploitation.
More >> Social workers ‘did not respond’ to risks murdered teenager faced
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
The Attack on Faith-Based Adoption Agencies
t a recent campaign rally in Texas, Beto O’Rourke, who is running against Ted Cruz for a seat in the United States Senate, remarkably claimed that “in this state, with 30,000 kids in the foster care system . . . they say that under the guise of religious liberty that you can be too gay to adopt one of those children who needs a loving home.”
More >> The Attack on Faith-Based Adoption Agencies
More >> The Attack on Faith-Based Adoption Agencies
Australian foster care scheme promises $75k salary for carers
The South Australian government is considering a move that would offer people a tax-free $75,000 salary to give up their careers and become foster carers for the state's most troubled children.
More >> Australian foster care scheme promises $75k salary for carers
More >> Australian foster care scheme promises $75k salary for carers
My father raped me when I was six but what social services did to me was even worse
“What my father did to me was wrong but what social services did to me was even worse."
Those are the words of 17-year-old Chantelle Thomas who was abused by her father when she was six.
More >> My father raped me when I was six but what social services did to me was even worse
Those are the words of 17-year-old Chantelle Thomas who was abused by her father when she was six.
More >> My father raped me when I was six but what social services did to me was even worse
'Reduce costs at all costs:' Child welfare agencies worried about block funding
Some child-welfare agencies in Manitoba are worried they will be pushed into a new provincial funding model they say will put vulnerable Indigenous children at risk.
"The block funding model is detrimental towards the agency, it's detrimental to service delivery altogether," said Clemene Hornbrook, executive director at Peguis Child and Family Services.
More >> 'Reduce costs at all costs:' Child welfare agencies worried about block funding
"The block funding model is detrimental towards the agency, it's detrimental to service delivery altogether," said Clemene Hornbrook, executive director at Peguis Child and Family Services.
More >> 'Reduce costs at all costs:' Child welfare agencies worried about block funding
Security measures tightened at boys reform school
The Simpson C. Penn School for Boys has implemented short and long-term security measures to ensure that there are no future breaches, said Minister of Social Services Frankie Campbell.
The move comes after five boys who absconded from the reform school in recent weeks still remain at large.
More >> Security measures tightened at boys reform school
The move comes after five boys who absconded from the reform school in recent weeks still remain at large.
More >> Security measures tightened at boys reform school
Challenges to Indian Child Welfare Act Concern Native Americans
On Mother’s Day 2015, Iva Johnson, a member of the Navajo Nation living off reservation in Flagstaff, Arizona, suffered a heart attack and fell into a coma. When she opened her eyes days later, she saw two unfamiliar women sitting at the end of her bed.
“I was trying to focus, and I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, did I die?’” she said.
More >> Challenges to Indian Child Welfare Act Concern Native Americans
“I was trying to focus, and I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, did I die?’” she said.
More >> Challenges to Indian Child Welfare Act Concern Native Americans
Newark foster father faces murder charge in death of child
One of the foster fathers caring for a 5-year-old boy who died in June has been indicted on charges of murder and involuntary manslaughter.
Kenneth Schulz, 30, of Newark, was indicted by a Licking County grand jury last week. In June, Schulz was indicted on two endangering children charges, one a second-degree felony and the other a third-degree felony, in Licking County Common Pleas Court.
More >> Newark foster father faces murder charge in death of child
30 stolen children to get new start on National Adoption Day
National Stolen Child Liquidation Month is coming
Thirty children will take their first step into a new life on National Adoption Day, a day where Lake County Juvenile Court is open to the public to witness and celebrate with families and their newly adopted kids.
It's a day that Tracey Miller, the adoption champion for Lake County, said is cherished for the rest of the children and family's lives.
More >> 30 children to welcome new start on National Adoption Day
Thirty children will take their first step into a new life on National Adoption Day, a day where Lake County Juvenile Court is open to the public to witness and celebrate with families and their newly adopted kids.
It's a day that Tracey Miller, the adoption champion for Lake County, said is cherished for the rest of the children and family's lives.
More >> 30 children to welcome new start on National Adoption Day
Washington foster kids sent to Iowa were abused at Clarinda Academy, report says
Washington state foster youth sent to an Iowa facility allegedly were physically abused and kept largely segregated from the outside world, a possible violation of their constitutional rights, according to a recently released report.
The report by Disability Rights Washington details living conditions of foster kids sent by Washington state to the for-profit Clarinda Academy, which houses about 200 children between the ages of 12 and 18, according to the report.
More >> Washington foster kids sent to Iowa were abused at Clarinda Academy, report says
The report by Disability Rights Washington details living conditions of foster kids sent by Washington state to the for-profit Clarinda Academy, which houses about 200 children between the ages of 12 and 18, according to the report.
More >> Washington foster kids sent to Iowa were abused at Clarinda Academy, report says
It's Time To Follow The Law And Take Reasonable Efforts Seriously
A caseworker driving a child four hours--one way-- to visit his mother on a weekly basis. The child welfare agency putting a family up in a hotel for two days and hiring a professional cleaning service to return a home to a habitable condition. A children’s attorney refusing to give up on finding a family connection for a severely disabled young man, even though he requires a residential treatment setting. A judge understanding the treatment and recovery process and insisting a parent receive the support they need. These are all solid examples of reasonable efforts to prevent removal or finalize a permanency plan recently provided by an audience of child welfare legal professionals. In total, a dozen or so strong responses to the straightforward question, what are the best examples of reasonable efforts that you have seen made? The question was posed to an audience of approximately 700. There were twelve examples of reasonable efforts in a room of 700 participants from around the country.
Sure, this scarcity could be partially attributable to a reluctance of folks to speak up publicly-- asking for audience participation during a conference plenary is an unusual request. But it could also be something more serious. It could be that reasonable efforts have become a hollow finding, one made to comply with federal requirements and maintain funding as opposed to a legal finding to protect the integrity of the parent child relationship, advance the best interest and well-being of children, and prevent the trauma of unnecessary family separation.
More >> It's Time To Follow The Law And Take Reasonable Efforts Seriously
Sure, this scarcity could be partially attributable to a reluctance of folks to speak up publicly-- asking for audience participation during a conference plenary is an unusual request. But it could also be something more serious. It could be that reasonable efforts have become a hollow finding, one made to comply with federal requirements and maintain funding as opposed to a legal finding to protect the integrity of the parent child relationship, advance the best interest and well-being of children, and prevent the trauma of unnecessary family separation.
More >> It's Time To Follow The Law And Take Reasonable Efforts Seriously
Monday, October 22, 2018
Texas kids are suffering under our foster care system, but these steps can make it better
It’s an uncomfortable truth in this state that it often takes court action to force systemic change.
That’s why we were relieved to learn this week that a federal appeals court has upheld major parts of Judge Janis Jack’s ruling that Texas must provide better protection for the more than 10,000 vulnerable kids unlucky enough to be caught up in this state’s troubled foster care system.
More >> Texas kids are suffering under our foster care system, but these steps can make it better
That’s why we were relieved to learn this week that a federal appeals court has upheld major parts of Judge Janis Jack’s ruling that Texas must provide better protection for the more than 10,000 vulnerable kids unlucky enough to be caught up in this state’s troubled foster care system.
More >> Texas kids are suffering under our foster care system, but these steps can make it better
Why children in institutional care may be worse off now than they were in the 19th century
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s national apology to the victims of child sexual abuse was a moment of reckoning for the government – an admission of the country’s failures to protect children from abuse in institutions ranging from churches and schools to orphanages and foster homes.
We too often hear about child protection when there is a scandal or crisis. For young people who grow up in out-of-home care, however, we need to go beyond simply reacting to terrible incidents like these and focus more attention on whether our systems are delivering the outcomes they should on a daily basis and for the long-term benefit of young people.
More >> Why children in institutional care may be worse off now than they were in the 19th century
We too often hear about child protection when there is a scandal or crisis. For young people who grow up in out-of-home care, however, we need to go beyond simply reacting to terrible incidents like these and focus more attention on whether our systems are delivering the outcomes they should on a daily basis and for the long-term benefit of young people.
More >> Why children in institutional care may be worse off now than they were in the 19th century
'You can't do this to people': Sixties Scoop survivors tell their stories in Winnipeg
Shannon Marks and her mother Linda Dwyer may be together today, but they are still working at putting together the pieces of a relationship torn apart for more than two decades.
Marks and her baby sister were taken from Dwyer in 1969, in what we now call the Sixties Scoop.
More >> 'You can't do this to people': Sixties Scoop survivors tell their stories in Winnipeg
Long-separated mother and daughter reunite at Edmonton airport
When Alexa Rudi rode down an escalator to the arrivals level at Edmonton International Airport on Friday night, she found a cheering crowd of more than 20 of her family members. They were waving signs and wearing name tags. Some of them had known her as a child, but many had never met her before.
Among the crowd was her mother, Theresa Atkinson, whom she had not seen face-to-face for more than 30 years. The pair locked eyes, then held each other and cried. Each woman had spent years searching for the other.
More >> Long-separated mother and daughter reunite at Edmonton airport
Australia sexual abuse: National apology delivered to victims
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has given a national apology to victims of child sexual abuse.
Hundreds of people gathered in Canberra on Monday to hear Mr Morrison deliver the emotional address in parliament.
More >> Australia sexual abuse: National apology delivered to victims
Hundreds of people gathered in Canberra on Monday to hear Mr Morrison deliver the emotional address in parliament.
More >> Australia sexual abuse: National apology delivered to victims
We must keep fighting for human rights in Norway
In this acceptance speech for an award given to him by the Nordic Committee for Human Rights, the author vows to continue his fight against Norway’s punitive and unfair child-protection programme.
More >> We must keep fighting for human rights in Norway
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Manitoba’s children advocate calls for better-trained social workers in report on death of teen
An Indigenous teen who struggled with addiction and died in 2016 did not get the help he needed from social workers, school officials and others, Manitoba’s advocate for children and youth said Friday.
More >> Manitoba’s children advocate calls for better-trained social workers in report on death of teen
More >> Manitoba’s children advocate calls for better-trained social workers in report on death of teen
Indigenous Writers & Activists on Indian Child Welfare Act & Ongoing Struggle for Native Sovereignty
Extended discussion with three leading indigenous writers and activists. Tara Houska is in Fargo, North Dakota. She is national campaign director for Honor the Earth and an Ojibwe lawyer. In Anchorage, Alaska, we speak with Mark Trahant, editor of Indian Country Today. He’s a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. In Seattle, Washington, we speak with Gyasi Ross, a member of the Blackfeet Nation and host of the podcast Breakdances with Wolves.
More >> Indigenous Writers & Activists on Indian Child Welfare Act & Ongoing Struggle for Native Sovereignty
More >> Indigenous Writers & Activists on Indian Child Welfare Act & Ongoing Struggle for Native Sovereignty
Immigrant Children Are Staying Longer in Government Custody
Migrant children who come into the U.S. without family are staying longer in crowded shelters as authorities struggle to handle their growing numbers and to screen potential sponsors, according to government data and advocates.
More >> Immigrant Children Are Staying Longer in Government Custody
More >> Immigrant Children Are Staying Longer in Government Custody
Indiana child welfare agency to spend $22M on raises
The Indiana Department of Child Services is spending $22 million on raises for staff as part of an effort to improve the agency that's seen rising caseloads and internal battles.
The raises that will take effect Wednesday for more than 3,600 employees, or about 87 percent of the agency's staff. The raises will bring caseworkers' salaries on par with child welfare workers in other states, said department spokeswoman Noelle Russell.
More >> Indiana child welfare agency to spend $22M on raises
The raises that will take effect Wednesday for more than 3,600 employees, or about 87 percent of the agency's staff. The raises will bring caseworkers' salaries on par with child welfare workers in other states, said department spokeswoman Noelle Russell.
More >> Indiana child welfare agency to spend $22M on raises
DHS continues to struggle with issue of housing foster kids in hotels
Two years after FOX 12 investigators found serious problems in Oregon’s foster care system, one of the glaring issues remains a problem.
In a series of investigations beginning in 2016, FOX 12 found the Department of Human Services was spending more than $2 million a year to house foster kids in hotel rooms because of a shortage of available foster homes for children with high needs.
More >> DHS continues to struggle with issue of housing foster kids in hotels
In a series of investigations beginning in 2016, FOX 12 found the Department of Human Services was spending more than $2 million a year to house foster kids in hotel rooms because of a shortage of available foster homes for children with high needs.
More >> DHS continues to struggle with issue of housing foster kids in hotels
Canadian man confronts Trudeau over adoption struggles
Canadian man confronts Trudeau over adoption struggles
Court: Parental rights rules create challenges
The Pennsylvania Superior Court admitted this week that there are some “growing pains” at the county court level with new rules that dictate that, in cases of termination of parental rights, children must be assigned attorneys who represent their interests.
The state appeals court in the past few months, in accordance with its recent opinions, as well as those from the Supreme Court, has been vacating parental termination orders and sending the cases back to the county judges who issued the rulings for clarification as to whether the children were properly represented by attorneys.
More >> Court: Parental rights rules create challenges
The state appeals court in the past few months, in accordance with its recent opinions, as well as those from the Supreme Court, has been vacating parental termination orders and sending the cases back to the county judges who issued the rulings for clarification as to whether the children were properly represented by attorneys.
More >> Court: Parental rights rules create challenges
B.C. woman says adopted son’s citizenship not being processed, stuck in Africa for a month
A B.C. woman says she has been stuck in Africa for a month with her newly adopted son as she waits for his Canadian citizenship documents to be finalized in a process she says should only have taken a week.
In early August, Kimberlee Moran and her husband travelled to Ibadan, Nigeria to adopt their two-year-old son Ayo. The Abbotsford, B.C. mother said they used a “reputable adoption agency” and ensured all of their documents were in order before they submitted the second portion of his citizenship application.
More >> B.C. woman says adopted son’s citizenship not being processed, stuck in Africa for a month
In early August, Kimberlee Moran and her husband travelled to Ibadan, Nigeria to adopt their two-year-old son Ayo. The Abbotsford, B.C. mother said they used a “reputable adoption agency” and ensured all of their documents were in order before they submitted the second portion of his citizenship application.
More >> B.C. woman says adopted son’s citizenship not being processed, stuck in Africa for a month
Man imprisoned for more than 20 years says new evidence proves he didn't abuse his son
For more than 20 years, Jim Duncan has insisted he was wrongfully convicted of aggravated child abuse for breaking his infant son's bones in 1993.
Now a Florida judge will decide if there's enough new medical evidence to give him a new trial.
More >> Man imprisoned for more than 20 years says new evidence proves he didn't abuse his son
Now a Florida judge will decide if there's enough new medical evidence to give him a new trial.
More >> Man imprisoned for more than 20 years says new evidence proves he didn't abuse his son
Demand for inquiry into Ireland’s ‘secretive’ forced adoption programme
A fresh investigation should be opened into Ireland’s forced adoption system in mother and baby homes, a report recommended yesterday as lawyers criticised continuing secrecy on the part of the authorities.
The final report of the three-year Clann Project, an initiative to establish the truth of what happened to unmarried mothers and their adopted children, also calls for the Irish government to give those affected statutory rights to access their files.
More >> Demand for inquiry into Ireland’s ‘secretive’ forced adoption programme
- Forced adoption report calls for new investigation
- Horrors of Irish Mother and Baby Homes revealed in new report
- Heartbreaking report reveals over 2,000 Irish children were 'sold' to the US for adoption from Mother and Baby Homes
- 'I WAS PETRIFIED' Irish mum who has reunited with the daughter she was forced to give up in Mother and Baby Home in 1970s reveals ‘we were classed as scum’
- Mother and baby homes commission refuses to hold hearings in public – Ireland
National conference builds momentum for change in Canada's child welfare system
The numbers basically speak for themselves. Indigenous children, under the age of 14 make up over half — 52.2 per cent — of foster children in Canada. Considering that Indigenous children make up just seven per cent of Canadian children, the numbers can rightly be called staggering, even alarming.
Arlen Dumas, grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, characterized the situation by saying, “It’s truly looking more and more like a second generation of residential school.” Last November, Jane Philpott Canada’s minister responsible for Indigenous Services referred to Indigenous children in care as a “humanitarian crisis.”
More >> National conference builds momentum for change in Canada's child welfare system
Arlen Dumas, grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, characterized the situation by saying, “It’s truly looking more and more like a second generation of residential school.” Last November, Jane Philpott Canada’s minister responsible for Indigenous Services referred to Indigenous children in care as a “humanitarian crisis.”
More >> National conference builds momentum for change in Canada's child welfare system
Norway child services in European court for removing children from parents without good reason
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg will hear today the case of Strand Lobben v. Norway.
The case is one of a number where Norwegian authorities have removed children from their parents seemingly without any proper justification.
More >> Norway child services in European court for removing children from parents without good reason
The case is one of a number where Norwegian authorities have removed children from their parents seemingly without any proper justification.
More >> Norway child services in European court for removing children from parents without good reason
Black children in Travis County 8 times more likely to be removed by CPS than white children
African-American children in Travis County were nearly eight times more likely to be removed from a home by Child Protective Services than white children during the year ending Aug. 31, according to new state data.
Black children in Travis County also were 4.6 times more likely to be reported to CPS as victims of possible abuse and neglect than their white peers and 5.1 times more likely to be investigated by CPS. The disparities in Travis County are the highest among the state’s seven largest counties, a recent report by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services found.
More >> Black children in Travis County 8 times more likely to be removed by CPS than white children
Courts: DCS failed to comply with state law in termination hearing
The Indiana Court of Appeals says the Department of Child Services failed to notify a mother of a hearing that terminated her parental rights and criticized the agency’s ability to adhere to Indiana law.
In a ruling this week, the court concluded DCS failed to send notice to the mother’s last known address at least 10 days before a hearing that terminated her parent-child relationship.
More >> Courts: DCS failed to comply with state law in termination hearing
In a ruling this week, the court concluded DCS failed to send notice to the mother’s last known address at least 10 days before a hearing that terminated her parent-child relationship.
More >> Courts: DCS failed to comply with state law in termination hearing
Abusive parents risk losing adoption subsidies after change in state policy
New rules approved this month would allow the state to recoup adoption subsidies from parents who are abusing or not supporting children in their care.
Iowa’s Department of Human Services drafted the rules after a Reader’s Watchdog report last year showed parents like Mark and Misty Ray of Perry and Nicole and Joseph Finn of West Des Moines still qualified to receive subsidies even after being accused of horrific abuse.
More >> Abusive parents risk losing adoption subsidies after change in state policy
Iowa’s Department of Human Services drafted the rules after a Reader’s Watchdog report last year showed parents like Mark and Misty Ray of Perry and Nicole and Joseph Finn of West Des Moines still qualified to receive subsidies even after being accused of horrific abuse.
More >> Abusive parents risk losing adoption subsidies after change in state policy
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Parents have primary responsibility of preventing radicalisation
In a bid to enforce parental responsibility, GPF-Kenya Executive Director Daniel Juma says there is need to make it punishable by law for any parent who abdicates the role on grounds that it is a threat to national security
Speaking when he appeared before the Senate National Security Committee public hearings on the Prevention of Terrorism Amendment Bill, Juma observed that the prevalence of homeless children provided fertile grounds for their recruitment into extremism and terrorist activities.
More >> Parents have primary responsibility of preventing radicalisation
California Passes Bill Regarding Transgender Foster Children
If you were a parent, wouldn’t you want to be asked by the government for your permission before your child was given experimental drugs that include “heart attack, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer” as potential side effects?
And after you wisely refused to give your permission, wouldn’t you expect the government to respect your decision and go away? If you’re a California biological parent you can expect your wishes to be honored by the leftists in Sacramento — for now — but if you’re a foster parent you won’t be asked and you won’t be told.
More >> California Passes Bill Regarding Transgender Foster Children
And after you wisely refused to give your permission, wouldn’t you expect the government to respect your decision and go away? If you’re a California biological parent you can expect your wishes to be honored by the leftists in Sacramento — for now — but if you’re a foster parent you won’t be asked and you won’t be told.
More >> California Passes Bill Regarding Transgender Foster Children
Nebraska DHHS begins training on new child welfare practices
Nebraska's child welfare agency is moving forward with a new approach to child welfare cases designed to help more youths stay with their families.
The plan was outlined Thursday as part of a series of meetings held throughout the state. The new approach encourages case workers to spend more time with at-risk families, discuss solutions to their problems and work with them to create a network of positive influences, such as relatives or neighbors.
More >> Nebraska DHHS begins training on new child welfare practices
The plan was outlined Thursday as part of a series of meetings held throughout the state. The new approach encourages case workers to spend more time with at-risk families, discuss solutions to their problems and work with them to create a network of positive influences, such as relatives or neighbors.
More >> Nebraska DHHS begins training on new child welfare practices
Woman who bit foster child sentenced to probation
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| I'm sorry, this has to be said. This is what Jaba The Hut would look like if he was a deer caught in your headlights. |
Lyman, 49, on Aug. 17 entered a no-contest plea to charges of felony child abuse, misdemeanor neglecting a child and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
More >> Woman who bit foster child sentenced to probation
SOCIAL SERVICES BOSSES UNDER FIRE OVER 'APPALLING' HANDLING OF DISABLED BOY'S CASE
Social services bosses at a London council have come under fire from a family court judge over their handling of a case involving a teenage boy with complex special needs.
Judge Kate Purkiss has criticised managers at Barking and Dagenham Council (pictured) for their failure to monitor the care the teenager was given at a specialist unit and she said his parents were treated in an "appalling way" by some professionals.
More >> SOCIAL SERVICES BOSSES UNDER FIRE OVER 'APPALLING' HANDLING OF DISABLED BOY'S CASE
Judge Kate Purkiss has criticised managers at Barking and Dagenham Council (pictured) for their failure to monitor the care the teenager was given at a specialist unit and she said his parents were treated in an "appalling way" by some professionals.
More >> SOCIAL SERVICES BOSSES UNDER FIRE OVER 'APPALLING' HANDLING OF DISABLED BOY'S CASE
Appeals Court orders Texas to reform foster care system
A federal appeals court on Thursday ordered Texas to improve investigations of child abuse in its foster care system and address long-standing problems with the caseloads of workers tasked with checking in on the children.
More >> Appeals Court orders Texas to reform foster care system
More >> Appeals Court orders Texas to reform foster care system
- Federal appeals court finds Texas foster kids were endangered — but strikes down some attempts at reform
- Court says Texas must hire more state workers to protect foster kids, a 'huge victory for children'
- Fifth Circuit Finds Texas’ Foster Care Horrendous
- Lawyer Says Ruling on Texas Foster Care System Is Foundation for Reform
The Torture of Forcibly Separating Children from their Parents
As discussed in my prior post, President Donald Trump’s family separation policy has come under legal assault from a number of civil society organizations, 17 U.S. states, and the District of Columbia. Some of these lawsuits challenging family separations date back to earlier administrations, (e.g., Flores, see our backgrounder), but new lawsuits have proliferated since Trump’s promulgation of the “zero tolerance” policy, which intends to ramp up criminal prosecution of those crossing the border without prior authorization. At the same time, the Trump administration is considering a return to the practice of separating children from their parents, but this time under the guise of giving parents an excruciating Sophie’s choice: Keep your children in detention with you for months, or even years, or hand them over to U.S. authorities.
More >> The Torture of Forcibly Separating Children from their Parents
- Immigrant aid agencies urge end to family separation
- The Lasting Pain of Children Sent to Orphanages, Rather Than Families
Tiahleigh Palmer’s mum sues state and foster care agency after murder
QUEENSLAND schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer was murdered by her foster father Rick Thorburn more than two years ago, and now her mother wants justice.
Cindy Lee Palmer is suing the state government and the foster care agency that placed her daughter with her killer who left her for dead on the banks of the Pimpama River.
More >> Tiahleigh Palmer’s mum sues state and foster care agency after murder
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Sonoma County social workers decry tight staffing they say puts children at risk
Sonoma County’s Child Protection Services agency is grappling with a severe staff shortage that has social workers claiming children’s lives could be in danger.
They have been going before the county supervisors in recent weeks to call out the agency’s unsafe practices and raise public awareness of the problems resulting from not having enough people to handle the workload.
More >> Sonoma County social workers decry tight staffing they say puts children at risk
They have been going before the county supervisors in recent weeks to call out the agency’s unsafe practices and raise public awareness of the problems resulting from not having enough people to handle the workload.
More >> Sonoma County social workers decry tight staffing they say puts children at risk
Sexual abuse claims lead to lawsuit against CYFD, Familyworks
CYFD and a foster care agency have been hit with a lawsuit following claims that a foster parent was molesting girls in his care.
Back in August, KRQE News 13 reported on Special Assignment about claims a foster parent had been sexually abusing girls in his care for almost 20 years.
More >> Sexual abuse claims lead to lawsuit against CYFD, Familyworks
Back in August, KRQE News 13 reported on Special Assignment about claims a foster parent had been sexually abusing girls in his care for almost 20 years.
More >> Sexual abuse claims lead to lawsuit against CYFD, Familyworks
'I want visitation:' Siblings separated after mother's death fight to stay together
High school seniors are supposed to worry about prom, graduation, and college plans during their last year in high school.
But for 17-year-old Angelique Orta, there is no time for high school planning because she's trying to keep her six siblings together.
More >> 'I want visitation:' Siblings separated after mother's death fight to stay together
But for 17-year-old Angelique Orta, there is no time for high school planning because she's trying to keep her six siblings together.
Both parties have failed to protect our children
The latest report by the Children’s Advocacy Institute (CAI) reveals that both Democrats and Republicans have engaged in “bipartisan neglect” in protecting and supporting our nation’s most vulnerable children.
The report documents multiple failures across the child welfare system that demonstrate a lack of understanding of the underlying causes of abuse and neglect. The system remains woefully underfunded, worsened by counterproductive flaws in the funding formula, and an inability or unwillingness to hold states accountable for violating federal laws. While two bipartisan efforts over the past decade — including the Family First statute — made some positive strides in adding more flexibility to fund prevention, the Congress has fallen woefully short.
More >> Both parties have failed to protect our children
The report documents multiple failures across the child welfare system that demonstrate a lack of understanding of the underlying causes of abuse and neglect. The system remains woefully underfunded, worsened by counterproductive flaws in the funding formula, and an inability or unwillingness to hold states accountable for violating federal laws. While two bipartisan efforts over the past decade — including the Family First statute — made some positive strides in adding more flexibility to fund prevention, the Congress has fallen woefully short.
Report: Washington foster kids abused at out-of-state group home
Children entrusted to Washington’s foster-care system have endured “abusive” practices in a jail-like Iowa group home that inappropriately used painful physical restraints on children, according to a new report by a government-designated watchdog group.
The report, released today by the nonprofit Disability Rights Washington, documents numerous instances in which youths between the ages of 14 and 16 were held down by three or more workers. One child’s glasses were broken when staffers pushed the youth to the floor, and another was restrained for 45 minutes.
More >> Report: Washington foster kids abused at out-of-state group home
Texas Addresses Child Welfare Worker Stressors
In 2016, the Texas state legislature bluntly confronted their “broken” child welfare system and developed a series of reforms. While some of the changes had to do with improved processes, the real lesson (often revealed but not always learned) is that by far the most important predictor of quality in human services is the quality of the humans that provide the services.
More >> Texas Addresses Child Welfare Worker Stressors
More >> Texas Addresses Child Welfare Worker Stressors
Mary Mayhew brings Maine failures to Washington
Prior experience is a key part of any job interview, so we’re sure Mary Mayhew’s new boss at the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services looked deep into her work history. If so, they would have seen this assessment from the Office of the Inspector General: “Maine failed to demonstrate that it has a system to ensure the health, welfare and safety of the 2,640 Medicaid beneficiaries with developmental disabilities.”
The inspector general’s report covered 2½ years of Mayhew’s tenure as commissioner at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, beginning two years after she was named to the job – and it did not reflect well on her. Under Mayhew’s lead, DHHS failed to meet its most basic obligations to residents with severe disabilities, hardly a ringing endorsement of the person who now oversees the Medicaid program nationwide.
More >> Our View: Mary Mayhew brings Maine failures to Washington
The inspector general’s report covered 2½ years of Mayhew’s tenure as commissioner at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, beginning two years after she was named to the job – and it did not reflect well on her. Under Mayhew’s lead, DHHS failed to meet its most basic obligations to residents with severe disabilities, hardly a ringing endorsement of the person who now oversees the Medicaid program nationwide.
More >> Our View: Mary Mayhew brings Maine failures to Washington
There go the services which will help you to get your kids back.
‘They are dumping them’: Foster child sent to shelter on 18th birthday, now in prison
Rashaad Piper was 8 years old when the state of Louisiana placed him in foster care following reports of abuse at his home. He remembers feeling relieved at the time. He thought he was finally going to be safe, that he was going to be cared for and given a second chance at happiness.
“I got tired of getting beat,” he said. “I wanted a better outcome.”
More >> ‘They are dumping them’: Foster child sent to shelter on 18th birthday, now in prison
“I got tired of getting beat,” he said. “I wanted a better outcome.”
More >> ‘They are dumping them’: Foster child sent to shelter on 18th birthday, now in prison
Former orphanage residents to sue religious order over child abuse
Former residents who claim they were physically and sexually abused at two orphanages in Scotland are suing the religious order that ran them.
Ten people are taking legal action against the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent De Paul.
More >> Former orphanage residents to sue religious order over child abuse
Trump’s Child Separations Are Becoming Permanent Because the Whole Child Welfare System Is Broken
Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported that one of the results of the Trump administration’s family-separation program is going to be permanent legal separation in some cases. The AP reported that in the past, separated children in federal or state government care were adopted by American families, frequently without any input or participation from their deported parents. The speed with which children in state care can be permanently separated from their parents, however, isn’t Donald Trump’s doing, and it affects many more children than those caught up in this latest crackdown on undocumented immigrants. For 20 years, federal law has encouraged state child-protection agencies and courts to put hard time limits on family-reunification efforts. The result is that many parents who are good candidates to care for their children nevertheless end up with their legal rights terminated.
More >> Trump’s Child Separations Are Becoming Permanent Because the Whole Child Welfare System Is Broken
More than 60 migrant children remain in U.S. custody after being separated from their parents under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, according to the latest update from the government.
The numbers come as President Donald Trump is reportedly considering another policy that could result in additional family separations at the border.
More >> What new family separation policy is Trump considering?
More >> Trump’s Child Separations Are Becoming Permanent Because the Whole Child Welfare System Is Broken
More than 60 migrant children remain in U.S. custody after being separated from their parents under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, according to the latest update from the government.
The numbers come as President Donald Trump is reportedly considering another policy that could result in additional family separations at the border.
More >> What new family separation policy is Trump considering?
Judge strikes down Native American adoption law; Tribes plan to fight back
A landmark legislation involving Native American adoption illegal has been deemed illegal.
In the Oct. 4 ruling, a Texas federal judge said the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was unconstitutional.
More >> Judge strikes down Native American adoption law; Tribes plan to fight back