A 28-year-old East Hartford man was sentenced this week to 10 years in federal prison for luring a 16-year-old girl from Auburn across state lines to work as a prostitute in the Hartford area.
Alexander Pedraza was given the sentence on Tuesday by Judge Victor A. Bolden in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport. The sentence follows Pedraza admitting to a single count of sex trafficking of a minor in February.
More >> Alexander Pedraza of East Hartford sentenced to 10 years in prison for luring Massachusetts teen across state lines to work as prostitute
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Before he became a registered sex offender, Carlile was a foster parent in Wichita Falls
Jason Wayne Carlile of Wichita Falls was an active foster parent in a window of time between committing indecency with a child and pleading guilty to the crime, according to information obtained by the Times Record News through an open records request to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
More >> Before he became a registered sex offender, Carlile was a foster parent in Wichita Falls
Longer stays in foster care prompt lawmaker's move toward easier termination of parental rights
For Marathon County foster parents who have been serving for a few years, they’ve watched firsthand as not only the number of children in the system increased, but also the length of time they were staying in foster homes.
More >> Longer stays in foster care prompt lawmaker's move toward easier termination of parental rights
More >> Longer stays in foster care prompt lawmaker's move toward easier termination of parental rights
Siblings separated while in foster care had a chance to spend time together this past week.
68 children participated in St. Jude's Camp to Belong.
More >> Siblings separated by foster care spend time together thanks to St. Jude's
68 children participated in St. Jude's Camp to Belong.
More >> Siblings separated by foster care spend time together thanks to St. Jude's
Social worker arrested, accused of falsifying records at least 125 times
A Winter Haven social worker has been arrested and accused of falsifying records, grand theft and official misconduct.
The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF)'s Office of the Inspector General first contacted law enforcement about inconsistencies in Robinson Ruben Cancel's reports.
More >> Social worker arrested, accused of falsifying records at least 125 times
The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF)'s Office of the Inspector General first contacted law enforcement about inconsistencies in Robinson Ruben Cancel's reports.
More >> Social worker arrested, accused of falsifying records at least 125 times
A Doctor Found Malnourished And Sick Babies In Border Patrol Custody That She Compared To “Torture Facilities"
"Many infants and children are losing weight because of the quality and quantity of food being provided," a doctor who inspected a Border Patrol facility said.
More >> A Doctor Found Malnourished And Sick Babies In Border Patrol Custody That She Compared To “Torture Facilities"
More >> A Doctor Found Malnourished And Sick Babies In Border Patrol Custody That She Compared To “Torture Facilities"
- Immigrant parents frantic over daughter in government custody
- Alyssa Milano denied access to Homestead detention center, country’s largest child migrant shelter
- Trump Admin Moves 100 Migrant Kids Back to “Child Jail” Despite Concern over Inhumane Conditions
- Lawsuit accuses U.S. government of holding migrant children in ‘deplorable’ conditions
- Federal funds for legal help to child migrants at border are running out
- How conditions in U.S. detention centers can affect children’s health
- Bank of America Will No Longer Do Business With Companies That Run Detention Centers
Four-Year-Old Illegally Removed From Homeschool Family by CPS
On June 20, Child Protective Services (CPS) illegally removed Drake Pardo (age four) from his family, alleging an “emergency” despite having delayed for nearly two weeks since initial contact with the family. The Pardo family (a homeschool family and members of the Texas Home School Coalition) is being represented by Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) attorneys Chris Branson and Julie Jacobson.
On June 7, a CPS caseworker left a business card on the Pardo family’s door. After refusing to communicate with the family’s attorney for nearly two weeks, CPS showed up at the family’s door to remove Drake.
More >> Four-Year-Old Illegally Removed From Homeschool Family by CPS
On June 7, a CPS caseworker left a business card on the Pardo family’s door. After refusing to communicate with the family’s attorney for nearly two weeks, CPS showed up at the family’s door to remove Drake.
More >> Four-Year-Old Illegally Removed From Homeschool Family by CPS
Bill Allowing Child Visitation for Parents Whose Rights Are Terminated Set to Become Law
Family court judges in New York currently can’t allow any kind of contact between a parent and their child after parental rights have been terminated—but that’s likely to change after the state Legislature approved a bill addressing the issue last week.
More >> Bill Allowing Child Visitation for Parents Whose Rights Are Terminated Set to Become Law
More >> Bill Allowing Child Visitation for Parents Whose Rights Are Terminated Set to Become Law
Warwick woman pleads not guilty in adopted girl’s death
A scathing report by the state’s child advocate found that years of ineptitude by the state’s child welfare system led directly to the death of Zha-Nae, who had cerebral palsy and drowned in a bathtub.
More >> Warwick woman pleads not guilty in adopted girl’s death
More >> Warwick woman pleads not guilty in adopted girl’s death
Essex DA investigating deaths of 3 babies involving DCF
The Essex County District Attorney's Office has launched an investigation into the deaths of three babies involving the Department of Children and Families.
The first case in the investigation refers to the death of a 4-week-old boy in Haverhill on April 18, 2019, who was reported to emergency services as unresponsive and rushed to Holy Family at Merrimack Valley Hospital.
More >> Essex DA investigating deaths of 3 babies involving DCF
Family reunification must be goal of foster program | Commentary
When it comes to foster care, we’ve all heard a familiar story: Biological parents are the villains and it is our job, as a community, to swoop in to save kids from troubled circumstances. But this stereotype does an injustice to the reality of most families in the system — and it’s past time to flip the script.
June is National Reunification Month, a fitting occasion to reshape the narrative about families in crisis. As the lead agency overseeing child welfare in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, Embrace Families serves more than 2,600 vulnerable children and their families each day.
More >> Family reunification must be goal of foster program | Commentary
June is National Reunification Month, a fitting occasion to reshape the narrative about families in crisis. As the lead agency overseeing child welfare in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, Embrace Families serves more than 2,600 vulnerable children and their families each day.
More >> Family reunification must be goal of foster program | Commentary
‘No one listened’: How reports of sexual abuse in an Ontario foster home were allegedly dismissed for years
ntario’s Prince Edward County is an isolated place. Geographically speaking, the county is surrounded by water except for an isthmus at Carrying Place, Ont. The county is a spot for Torontonians to take a day trip, looking for wine or a sandy beach.
But for the most part, what happens in Prince Edward County tends to stay isolated among its 25,000 residents.
More >> ‘No one listened’: How reports of sexual abuse in an Ontario foster home were allegedly dismissed for years
But for the most part, what happens in Prince Edward County tends to stay isolated among its 25,000 residents.
More >> ‘No one listened’: How reports of sexual abuse in an Ontario foster home were allegedly dismissed for years
Trauma of Australia’s Indigenous ‘Stolen Generations’ is still affecting children today
Indigenous children in Australia who live in families that experienced forced separations in much of the twentieth century are more likely than other Indigenous children to have poor health and negative school experiences, according to a landmark government report released this month.
As many as one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were taken from their families and communities between 1910 and the 1970s, under racist government policies that tried to force Aboriginal people to assimilate with white Australians. The children were brought up in institutions or foster homes, or were adopted by white families. The Australian government formally apologized to members of these ‘Stolen Generations’ in 2008.
More >> Trauma of Australia’s Indigenous ‘Stolen Generations’ is still affecting children today
As many as one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were taken from their families and communities between 1910 and the 1970s, under racist government policies that tried to force Aboriginal people to assimilate with white Australians. The children were brought up in institutions or foster homes, or were adopted by white families. The Australian government formally apologized to members of these ‘Stolen Generations’ in 2008.
More >> Trauma of Australia’s Indigenous ‘Stolen Generations’ is still affecting children today
Friday, June 28, 2019
Family suing DCFS in 2-year-old boy’s death
The family of a 2-year-old Chicago boy is suing a Department of Family and Children Services contractor in the boy’s beating death.
Jahir Gibbons died in March. The Cook County medical examiner’s office said he died of multiple injuries stemming from child abuse and deemed his death a homicide.
More >> Family suing DCFS in 2-year-old boy’s death
Jahir Gibbons died in March. The Cook County medical examiner’s office said he died of multiple injuries stemming from child abuse and deemed his death a homicide.
More >> Family suing DCFS in 2-year-old boy’s death
DA: Investigation underway after 15-month-old foster child dies at Lawrence hospital
An investigation is underway after a 15-month-old baby girl in foster care died at Lawrence General Hospital over the weekend, officials announced Wednesday.
The baby’s foster father called the Lawrence Police Department around 8:55 a.m. on Sunday and reported that the child was unresponsive, according to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
More >> DA: Investigation underway after 15-month-old foster child dies at Lawrence hospital
The baby’s foster father called the Lawrence Police Department around 8:55 a.m. on Sunday and reported that the child was unresponsive, according to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
More >> DA: Investigation underway after 15-month-old foster child dies at Lawrence hospital
Court orders man to donate sperm to estranged wife, who says no time for 2nd marriage
A family court in Maharashtra has granted a woman’s plea to have a second child with her estranged husband by directing him to donate his sperm for IVF, which could kick-start a debate over the gender question in reproductive rights.
The order of the Nanded court came two years after the husband sought divorce from the woman on the grounds of cruelty, while the wife has filed a complaint against him under Section 498A (cruelty by a husband or his relatives) of the IPC.
More >> Court orders man to donate sperm to estranged wife, who says no time for 2nd marriage
The order of the Nanded court came two years after the husband sought divorce from the woman on the grounds of cruelty, while the wife has filed a complaint against him under Section 498A (cruelty by a husband or his relatives) of the IPC.
More >> Court orders man to donate sperm to estranged wife, who says no time for 2nd marriage
Family sues LA County over woman’s suicidal leap at children’s court in Monterey Park
The father of a woman who jumped to her death from a bridge at the Edelman Children’s Court in Monterey Park in 2018 after losing parental custody of her young sons is suing Los Angeles County, alleging officials were aware that his daughter’s mental health was declining and didn’t get her the proper care.
The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit was filed Monday by Chien-Tung Wu, the father of the late Shin Wu, whose two minor sons are also named as plaintiffs. The children’s father is acting as their guardian during the court proceedings.
More >> Family sues LA County over woman’s suicidal leap at children’s court in Monterey Park
The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit was filed Monday by Chien-Tung Wu, the father of the late Shin Wu, whose two minor sons are also named as plaintiffs. The children’s father is acting as their guardian during the court proceedings.
More >> Family sues LA County over woman’s suicidal leap at children’s court in Monterey Park
Sherin Mathews death: Father of adopted Indian girl gets life sentence
A US father accused of killing his adopted three-year-old daughter has been sentenced to life in jail after pleading guilty to a lesser charge.
US media said the unanimous verdict came after Wesley Mathews confessed to "injury of a child by omission".
More >> Sherin Mathews death: Father of adopted Indian girl gets life sentence
Detroit dad searching for daughters learns 1 was murdered, the other abused while under mother's care
Deonte Hill tells WXYZ his ex left with his two little girls more than a year ago. Since, he has been looking for them. He got word at times that they were in Louisiana or California. He never could get the exact location.
He now is learning that as he searched the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services investigated numerous reports of abuse against his 4-year-old Armani Hill and her 3-year-old sister Lailah Hill.
More >> Detroit dad searching for daughters learns 1 was murdered, the other abused while under mother's care
He now is learning that as he searched the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services investigated numerous reports of abuse against his 4-year-old Armani Hill and her 3-year-old sister Lailah Hill.
More >> Detroit dad searching for daughters learns 1 was murdered, the other abused while under mother's care
Fear, discontent reportedly widespread at Kern County Department of Human Services
Kern County Department of Human Services employees have reported widespread discontent with working conditions, and some say they fear for their safety after several recent incidents.
As the department’s administration attempts to grapple with several issues brought up by employees, complaints are arising in different areas. A department spokeswoman said the administration was trying to address safety and workload issues raised by employees.
More >> Fear, discontent reportedly widespread at Kern County Department of Human Services
As the department’s administration attempts to grapple with several issues brought up by employees, complaints are arising in different areas. A department spokeswoman said the administration was trying to address safety and workload issues raised by employees.
More >> Fear, discontent reportedly widespread at Kern County Department of Human Services
Child Protective Services Takes 4-Year-Old Into Custody, Family Given Little Warning
The family's advocates claim that Child Protective Services failed to properly notify Ashley and Daniel Pardo of the allegations being levied against them.
More >> Child Protective Services Takes 4-Year-Old Into Custody, Family Given Little Warning
Man gets nearly 25 years in attempted murder of DSS worker
Christopher Lee Neal, 44, was found guilty in Alamance County Superior Court for his role a June 2017 shooting targeting a Child Protective Services case worker
More >> Man gets nearly 25 years in attempted murder of DSS worker
More >> Man gets nearly 25 years in attempted murder of DSS worker
'That's Not My Daughter': Wrong Child Taken From Day Care for Supervised Visit
A child was mistakenly taken from her day care by a Department of Children and Family Services contract worker, who was supposed to pick up a different baby for a supervised visit.
Chanel Haney said her daughter was dropped off at a day care on Madison Avenue in Maywood last Wednesday morning. Hours later, she received a call from an employee at the day care with some unsettling news.
More >> 'That's Not My Daughter': Wrong Child Taken From Day Care for Supervised Visit
Chanel Haney said her daughter was dropped off at a day care on Madison Avenue in Maywood last Wednesday morning. Hours later, she received a call from an employee at the day care with some unsettling news.
More >> 'That's Not My Daughter': Wrong Child Taken From Day Care for Supervised Visit
Helping adopted adults learn about their past
A new law, passed last week by the New York State Assembly will allow adult adoptees to unseal their original birth certificate.
More >> Helping adopted adults learn about their past
More >> Helping adopted adults learn about their past
Woman who faked pregnancy in bizarre adoption case to serve 2 years in prison
Elizabeth Jones, a Virginia woman who faked being pregnant to dupe an Orange County couple in 2018, pleaded guilty to eight felony counts Wednesday and will serve two years in state prison.
Jones’ trial ended abruptly when she decided to plead guilty during the jury selection procedure.
More >> Woman who faked pregnancy in bizarre adoption case to serve 2 years in prison
Italy arrests 18 for allegedly brainwashing and selling children
Italian police have arrested 18 people including a mayor, doctors and social workers for allegedly brainwashing vulnerable children into thinking their parents had abused them so they could then be sold to foster parents.
Police in the northern city of Reggio Emilia made the arrests after an investigation started in 2018 revealed an alleged network of carers who used methods including electroshock to make the children believe they had been sexually abused.
More >> Italy arrests 18 for allegedly brainwashing and selling children
Police in the northern city of Reggio Emilia made the arrests after an investigation started in 2018 revealed an alleged network of carers who used methods including electroshock to make the children believe they had been sexually abused.
More >> Italy arrests 18 for allegedly brainwashing and selling children
Judge denies request to halt new group home oversight contracts
A federal judge on Tuesday denied three not-for-profit organizations the right to temporarily stop a new oversight system set to begin Monday for the care of Illinoisans with developmental disabilities.
The groups, including Central Illinois Service Access in Lincoln, immediately appealed the decision by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Mills to the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in hopes of getting Mills’ ruling overturned by the end of this week.
More >> Judge denies request to halt new group home oversight contracts
The groups, including Central Illinois Service Access in Lincoln, immediately appealed the decision by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Mills to the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in hopes of getting Mills’ ruling overturned by the end of this week.
More >> Judge denies request to halt new group home oversight contracts
Family sues LA County over woman’s suicidal leap at children’s court in Monterey Park
The father of a woman who jumped to her death from a bridge at the Edelman Children’s Court in Monterey Park in 2018 after losing parental custody of her young sons is suing Los Angeles County, alleging officials were aware that his daughter’s mental health was declining and didn’t get her the proper care.
The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit was filed Monday by Chien-Tung Wu, the father of the late Shin Wu, whose two minor sons are also named as plaintiffs. The children’s father is acting as their guardian during the court proceedings.
More >> Family sues LA County over woman’s suicidal leap at children’s court in Monterey Park
The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit was filed Monday by Chien-Tung Wu, the father of the late Shin Wu, whose two minor sons are also named as plaintiffs. The children’s father is acting as their guardian during the court proceedings.
More >> Family sues LA County over woman’s suicidal leap at children’s court in Monterey Park
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Sherin Mathews' father testifies he was 'driven by fear' when he put daughter's body in Richardson culvert
If he had a second chance to save his adopted daughter's life, Wesley Mathews said Tuesday that he would handle things differently. But the Richardson father said crippling fear prevented him from seeking emergency help the night Sherin Mathews died.
During the second day of his trial, Mathews took the stand to describe his actions after the 3-year-old died in October 2017.
More >> Sherin Mathews' father testifies he was 'driven by fear' when he put daughter's body in Richardson culvert
During the second day of his trial, Mathews took the stand to describe his actions after the 3-year-old died in October 2017.
More >> Sherin Mathews' father testifies he was 'driven by fear' when he put daughter's body in Richardson culvert
Youth court recognizes National Reunification Month
The Forrest County Youth Court celebrated National Reunification Month with a picnic at Town Square Park in Hattiesburg Tuesday.
According to the American Bar Association, National Reunification Month recognizes the people and efforts around the country that help families to stay together.
More >> Youth court recognizes National Reunification Month
According to the American Bar Association, National Reunification Month recognizes the people and efforts around the country that help families to stay together.
More >> Youth court recognizes National Reunification Month
Trauma of Australia’s Indigenous ‘Stolen Generations’ is still affecting children today
Indigenous children in Australia who live in families that experienced forced separations in much of the twentieth century are more likely than other Indigenous children to have poor health and negative school experiences, according to a landmark government report released this month.
As many as one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were taken from their families and communities between 1910 and the 1970s, under racist government policies that tried to force Aboriginal people to assimilate with white Australians. The children were brought up in institutions or foster homes, or were adopted by white families. The Australian government formally apologized to members of these ‘Stolen Generations’ in 2008.
More >> Trauma of Australia’s Indigenous ‘Stolen Generations’ is still affecting children today
As many as one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were taken from their families and communities between 1910 and the 1970s, under racist government policies that tried to force Aboriginal people to assimilate with white Australians. The children were brought up in institutions or foster homes, or were adopted by white families. The Australian government formally apologized to members of these ‘Stolen Generations’ in 2008.
More >> Trauma of Australia’s Indigenous ‘Stolen Generations’ is still affecting children today
Republicans committing child abuse at border to get Dems to fund border wall: Rep. Bass
Rep. Karen Bass, a member of the Judiciary Committee and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Tuesday that Republicans are knowingly abusing migrant children separated from their families at the border as a political play.
Ms. Bass was asked on CNN’s “New Day” show about reports of inhumane conditions in detention facilities and children being denied hygienic items like toothpaste and soap.
More >> Republicans committing child abuse at border to get Dems to fund border wall: Rep. Bass
Ms. Bass was asked on CNN’s “New Day” show about reports of inhumane conditions in detention facilities and children being denied hygienic items like toothpaste and soap.
More >> Republicans committing child abuse at border to get Dems to fund border wall: Rep. Bass
- Christians speak out as migrant children are detained without soap, hygiene needs
- ‘The Taliban gave me toothpaste’: Former captives contrast U.S. treatment of child migrants
- Children Remain in Dangerous Conditions on the Texas Border
- Rep. Karen Bass Echoes AOC, Claims Trump Administration Torturing Migrant Children
- Shakeup at Homeland Security as migrant children are moved back to troubled Texas facility
- Resettlement agency struggles to find foster families for young refugees
- Do Photos Show Children at Detention Center Under Trump’s Watch?
Irish widow, 83, reunited with daughter she was forced to give up for adoption over 60 years ago
AN Irish great-great-grandmother has been reunited with her daughter more than six decades after she was forced to give her up for adoption as a baby.
Margaret Sweeney, 83, and Cathy, 62, met in an emotional episode of the ITV series Long Lost Family last week – the first time the widow had seen her daughter since she was a six-week-old infant named Imelda.
More >> Irish widow, 83, reunited with daughter she was forced to give up for adoption over 60 years ago
Margaret Sweeney, 83, and Cathy, 62, met in an emotional episode of the ITV series Long Lost Family last week – the first time the widow had seen her daughter since she was a six-week-old infant named Imelda.
More >> Irish widow, 83, reunited with daughter she was forced to give up for adoption over 60 years ago
Teen population spikes over 200 percent at troubled foster care center
The number of kids in a scandal-plagued foster care center has ballooned by over 200 percent as the city’s jail population has decreased, officials revealed at a hearing Tuesday.
“There’s a small group of young people that have very high needs and part of that is related to the incredible success we’ve had on the juvenile justice and criminal justice side,” said Administration for Children’s Services Deputy Commissioner Julie Farber at a City Council hearing.
More >> Teen population spikes over 200 percent at troubled foster care center
“There’s a small group of young people that have very high needs and part of that is related to the incredible success we’ve had on the juvenile justice and criminal justice side,” said Administration for Children’s Services Deputy Commissioner Julie Farber at a City Council hearing.
More >> Teen population spikes over 200 percent at troubled foster care center
California Woman Wins Huge Settlement In CPS Incident Where Son Was Taken, Given 13 Vaccines
A California woman said her infant son was taken by Child Protective Services, then given a full body medical test and thirteen vaccines without a warrant or parental consent.
This was done based on the recommendation of a doctor who has been sued repeatedly.
More >> California Woman Wins Huge Settlement In CPS Incident Where Son Was Taken, Given 13 Vaccines
This was done based on the recommendation of a doctor who has been sued repeatedly.
More >> California Woman Wins Huge Settlement In CPS Incident Where Son Was Taken, Given 13 Vaccines
Children file class action lawsuit against Indiana Department of Child Services, Governor Holcomb
A group of children filed a class action lawsuit Tuesday morning against Governor Eric Holcomb, the Indiana Department of Child Services and its director Terri Stigdon alleging Indiana is failing in its duty to protect more than 22,000 children in the state’ child welfare system.
The names of the children are not identified in the lawsuit.
More >> Children file class action lawsuit against Indiana Department of Child Services, Governor Holcomb
The names of the children are not identified in the lawsuit.
More >> Children file class action lawsuit against Indiana Department of Child Services, Governor Holcomb
- Foster mom: "Our system is broken"
- Lawsuit claims Indiana child protection agency inflicting trauma on kids in its care
- Group of Children File Federal Lawsuit Against Gov. Holcomb, DCS
#BringDrakeHome: Texas family claims son was illegally taken by Child Protective Services
It's a trending hashtag out of Kaufman County, Texas: #BringDrakeHome. A family claims their medically challenged son was illegally removed from their home by Child Protective Services. The family home-schools their children and are members of the Texas Home School Coalition or THSC, and now the home school community is stepping up and trying to help the family.
It all started on June 7, 2019 when the Pardo family says a CPS caseworker left a card on their door, but the family claims that CPS never contacted them again, and never communicated with their attorney. So when CPS came knocking unannounced on June 20, they pulled out their phone and started recording.
More >> #BringDrakeHome: Texas family claims son was illegally taken by Child Protective Services
It all started on June 7, 2019 when the Pardo family says a CPS caseworker left a card on their door, but the family claims that CPS never contacted them again, and never communicated with their attorney. So when CPS came knocking unannounced on June 20, they pulled out their phone and started recording.
More >> #BringDrakeHome: Texas family claims son was illegally taken by Child Protective Services
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Former Texas probation officer charged in adoption effort
Authorities say a North Texas probation officer fabricated records and sought to revoke the probation of a pregnant woman whose child the officer wanted to adopt.
An investigation by Texas Rangers determined 38-year-old Lakisha Nicole McKnight sought to benefit from revoking the woman’s probation and denying her parental rights upon the birth of the child.
More >> Former Texas probation officer charged in adoption effort
An investigation by Texas Rangers determined 38-year-old Lakisha Nicole McKnight sought to benefit from revoking the woman’s probation and denying her parental rights upon the birth of the child.
More >> Former Texas probation officer charged in adoption effort
For generations, Illinois' child welfare agency has failed to adequately serve Spanish-speaking families
When his son was born in 2014, Jorge Matias held the infant in the hospital and sang him the lullabies he had learned as a child in Guatemala. He teased the boy’s mother that he would raise their son to speak Spanish, and one day the two of them would talk in secret around her.
But the boy was born with heroin in his system and, when it cleared from his body, Illinois child welfare officials placed him in a foster home. To get his son back, Matias had to complete a long list of requirements, including ending his relationship with the boy’s mother, a heroin addict.
More >> For generations, Illinois' child welfare agency has failed to adequately serve Spanish-speaking families
But the boy was born with heroin in his system and, when it cleared from his body, Illinois child welfare officials placed him in a foster home. To get his son back, Matias had to complete a long list of requirements, including ending his relationship with the boy’s mother, a heroin addict.
More >> For generations, Illinois' child welfare agency has failed to adequately serve Spanish-speaking families
Teens in DCFS care slept on floors of South Loop office
Just two weeks ago, two teenagers were left with no choice but to sleep on the floor of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services office building in the South Loop.
That’s according to a letter written by the Cook County Public Guardian to a federal judge overseeing a consent decree.
More >> Teens in DCFS care slept on floors of South Loop office
That’s according to a letter written by the Cook County Public Guardian to a federal judge overseeing a consent decree.
More >> Teens in DCFS care slept on floors of South Loop office
Federal Lawsuit Alleges 'Dangerous Conditions' For Children Held At Woodside
A new federal lawsuit alleges children at Vermont's juvenile detention center are being held in conditions that are "physically and emotionally harmful."
Court documents say children at Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center are held in dangerous restraints and long-term isolation and don't receive adequate mental health treatment.
More >> Federal Lawsuit Alleges 'Dangerous Conditions' For Children Held At Woodside
Court documents say children at Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center are held in dangerous restraints and long-term isolation and don't receive adequate mental health treatment.
More >> Federal Lawsuit Alleges 'Dangerous Conditions' For Children Held At Woodside
Woman claims men should be able to ‘opt-out’ of being a dad
A woman on Mumsnet is asking for opinions, after claiming that she believes men should have the option to opt-out of being a dad, should they get a casual fling pregnant.
The anonymous woman came up with the controversial idea, after a friend of hers fell pregnant to a man she had a casual sex relationship with. She says that the father immediately made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with the baby however, now that the child has grown to be a toddler he is showing interest in building a relationship.
More >> Woman claims men should be able to ‘opt-out’ of being a dad
The anonymous woman came up with the controversial idea, after a friend of hers fell pregnant to a man she had a casual sex relationship with. She says that the father immediately made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with the baby however, now that the child has grown to be a toddler he is showing interest in building a relationship.
More >> Woman claims men should be able to ‘opt-out’ of being a dad
I'm sorry for posting this link - Organization seeks to find foster families at Pride festival
For decades, the Nashville Pride Festival has been a celebration with loud music and big fashion. One group's seeing the event as a powerful opportunity.
Colleen O'Connell searched through the crowd over the weekend to ask a question.
"You guys interested in foster care?" she asked one couple. "You are? Excellent!"
More >> Organization seeks to find foster families at Pride festival
Colleen O'Connell searched through the crowd over the weekend to ask a question.
"You guys interested in foster care?" she asked one couple. "You are? Excellent!"
More >> Organization seeks to find foster families at Pride festival
Violence, often instigated by staff, has become common at Red Rock Canyon School in St. George for troubled children
Months before dozens of police cars raced to a St. George school for troubled youths, one of its teachers had emailed managers with a warning: The staff was losing control, and something bad would happen if things weren’t fixed.
Red Rock Canyon School didn’t have enough staff to calm disputes and teachers were quitting. Brawls among students were becoming more frequent, more than Dane Camp had ever seen during his five years working there.
More >> Violence, often instigated by staff, has become common at Red Rock Canyon School in St. George for troubled children
Red Rock Canyon School didn’t have enough staff to calm disputes and teachers were quitting. Brawls among students were becoming more frequent, more than Dane Camp had ever seen during his five years working there.
More >> Violence, often instigated by staff, has become common at Red Rock Canyon School in St. George for troubled children
East Hartford man sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking 16-year-old runaway for sex
An East Hartford man who trafficked a 16-year-old runaway girl for sex was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison and five years of supervised released.
Alexander Pedraza, 28, promoted the prostitution of the girl, who had been a ward of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. He picked the girl up in Auburn, Mass. in March 2017 and pressed her into working as a prostitute at the Flamingo Inn in Windsor, the Rodeway Inn in East Windsor and hotels in Hartford, according to federal prosecutors.
More >> East Hartford man sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking 16-year-old runaway for sex
Alexander Pedraza, 28, promoted the prostitution of the girl, who had been a ward of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. He picked the girl up in Auburn, Mass. in March 2017 and pressed her into working as a prostitute at the Flamingo Inn in Windsor, the Rodeway Inn in East Windsor and hotels in Hartford, according to federal prosecutors.
More >> East Hartford man sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking 16-year-old runaway for sex
Man gets 22 years in prison on accusations that he molested foster children
A 25-year-old man was sentenced to serve 22 years in prison and life on supervised release on charges the he molested two foster children between Sept. 2017 and June 2018.
According to Assistant District Attorney Emily Johnson:
More >> Man gets 22 years in prison on accusations that he molested foster children
Trump Claims Administration Doing ‘Fantastic Job’ Housing Migrant Kids At Border
President Donald Trump claimed his administration is doing a “fantastic job” at the country’s southern border days after a Justice Department lawyer argued against providing detained migrant children with toothbrushes or beds.
NBC’s Chuck Todd discussed the horrifying conditions at some of the immigrant detainment facilities in the U.S. during an interview with the president that aired Sunday on “Meet the Press.”
More >> Trump Claims Administration Doing ‘Fantastic Job’ Housing Migrant Kids At Border
Almost 300 migrant children have been removed from a border patrol facility in Texas after media reports of lawyers describing “appalling” and potentially dangerous conditions, Department of Homeland Security officials told NBC News.
Lawyers who recently visited two Texas facilities holding migrant children described seeing young children and teenagers not being able to shower for days or even weeks, inadequate food, flu outbreaks and prolonged periods of detention.
More >> Almost 300 migrant children removed from Texas facility described as 'appalling'
They're hitting it hard this morning.
NBC’s Chuck Todd discussed the horrifying conditions at some of the immigrant detainment facilities in the U.S. during an interview with the president that aired Sunday on “Meet the Press.”
More >> Trump Claims Administration Doing ‘Fantastic Job’ Housing Migrant Kids At Border
- Trump, Pence falsely blame Democrats for detained children suffering at the border
- Children Are Being Held Without Soap, Toothpaste & Diapers In Overcrowded Detention Centers
- Eye Roll: Hillary Swoops In To Save 'The Children' At The Southern Border
- Trump administration still separating hundreds of migrant children at the border through often questionable claims of danger
- Statement on Abuse of Children at Southern Border
- Doctor Compares Conditions At Immigrant Holding Centers To 'Torture Facilities'
- They Are Concentration Camps—and They Are Also Prisons
- US moves 249 migrant children from Texas facility after reports of poor conditions
- Fact check: Trump takes credit for reuniting migrant families, making 'largest trade deal ever'
- The Anti-Immigrant Extremists in Charge of the U.S. Immigration System
- Trump Falsely Blames Obama For Appalling Treatment Of Migrant Children
- GOP TEXAS REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL SAYS MIGRANT CHILD DETENTION CENTER CONDITIONS ARE 'WORST I'VE EVER SEEN': 'THIS IS REAL STUFF'
Lawyers who recently visited two Texas facilities holding migrant children described seeing young children and teenagers not being able to shower for days or even weeks, inadequate food, flu outbreaks and prolonged periods of detention.
More >> Almost 300 migrant children removed from Texas facility described as 'appalling'
They're hitting it hard this morning.
Social worker struck off for filing reports littered with errors
A social worker who was employed by Wolverhampton City Council has been struck off by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for filing case reports littered with a catalogue of serious errors.
Nilima Thawait, whose work was also found to contain repeated spelling and grammatical errors, is said to have carried out the incidents of misconduct while employed by the council between January 2012 and March 2016.
More >> Social worker struck off for filing reports littered with errors
Nilima Thawait, whose work was also found to contain repeated spelling and grammatical errors, is said to have carried out the incidents of misconduct while employed by the council between January 2012 and March 2016.
More >> Social worker struck off for filing reports littered with errors
New York Parents With Unvaccinated Children Threatened with CPS Investigation
A new law in Albany, New York, requiring all school children, public and private, to be vaccinated by July in order to continue their education is causing confusion and panic. Parents in the Deer Park area have received a letter from Assistant Superintendent James Cummings explaining that "In the event that you do not follow this mandate we will be reaching out to Child Protective Services to alert them of your non-compliance."
More >> New York Parents With Unvaccinated Children Threatened with CPS Investigation
More >> New York Parents With Unvaccinated Children Threatened with CPS Investigation
DCFS investigator under review in AJ Freund case faced prior discipline, sits on McHenry County Board
The last child welfare investigator who made contact with Andrew “AJ” Freund before the young Crystal Lake boy was allegedly killed by his parents is a local elected official with a history of workplace complaints and a recent suspension, according to documents reviewed by the Tribune.
In one case, the investigator was disciplined for ignoring a court order to connect a family with support services, delaying help for four children in a home with a record of domestic violence and alcohol abuse, the documents show. Separately, prosecutors wrote a letter saying he failed to alert them about a mother’s heroin use and that he refused to hold a child because he was worried about bedbugs.
More >> DCFS investigator under review in AJ Freund case faced prior discipline, sits on McHenry County Board
In one case, the investigator was disciplined for ignoring a court order to connect a family with support services, delaying help for four children in a home with a record of domestic violence and alcohol abuse, the documents show. Separately, prosecutors wrote a letter saying he failed to alert them about a mother’s heroin use and that he refused to hold a child because he was worried about bedbugs.
More >> DCFS investigator under review in AJ Freund case faced prior discipline, sits on McHenry County Board
Govt. busted for trying to snatch daughter away from dad forever
The European Court of Human Rights has scolded foster child care officials in Spain for violating the parental rights of a father whose daughter was put in care when he was charged with a crime, then left there when he was acquitted.
More >> Govt. busted for trying to snatch daughter away from dad forever
More >> Govt. busted for trying to snatch daughter away from dad forever
Murder Trial Begins Monday for Dad Accused of Killing Adopted Daughter
Testimony is set to begin Monday in the capital murder trial of Wesley Mathews. The Richardson man is accused in the 2017 murder of his three-year-old daughter, Sherin Mathews. If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole.
The child was reported missing by her father on October 7, 2017 – setting off a massive search for the little girl. Her body was discovered two weeks later in a culvert, near the family’s home in Richardson.
More >> Murder Trial Begins Monday for Dad Accused of Killing Adopted Daughter
Monday, June 24, 2019
Hancock County celebrates families reunited after foster care
June is Foster Reunification Month, a time to recognize families that have changed their lives to get their children out of the foster care system.
For the first time, Hancock County Youth Court, CASA Hancock County and Child Protective Services Hancock County hosted an event Thursday evening to recognize those families.
More >> Hancock County celebrates families reunited after foster care
For the first time, Hancock County Youth Court, CASA Hancock County and Child Protective Services Hancock County hosted an event Thursday evening to recognize those families.
More >> Hancock County celebrates families reunited after foster care
Jackson County children celebrate reuniting with families
Each year hundreds of Jackson County children are removed from their homes.
Saturday, a celebration was held at Sheila Kemper Dietrich Park in Kansas City to recognize the success stories of families and children who are successfully, and safely reunited.
More >> Jackson County children celebrate reuniting with families
Saturday, a celebration was held at Sheila Kemper Dietrich Park in Kansas City to recognize the success stories of families and children who are successfully, and safely reunited.
More >> Jackson County children celebrate reuniting with families
Another child sex abuse allegation at Homestead migrant shelter
Florida officials received a report in May of alleged child sexual abuse at the Homestead migrant shelter, marking the seventh report of such abuse at the controversial federal facility.
Homestead has received an influx of migrant children as a result of the Trump administration’s crackdown at the U.S.-Mexico border. Along with that has come scrutiny from advocacy groups and Democrats who decry the facility’s “prison-like” conditions and want it closed.
More >> Another child sex abuse allegation at Homestead migrant shelter
Homestead has received an influx of migrant children as a result of the Trump administration’s crackdown at the U.S.-Mexico border. Along with that has come scrutiny from advocacy groups and Democrats who decry the facility’s “prison-like” conditions and want it closed.
More >> Another child sex abuse allegation at Homestead migrant shelter
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Former Texas Probation Officer Charged After Fabricating Records To Adopt Child
Authorities say a North Texas probation officer fabricated records and sought to revoke the probation of a pregnant woman whose child the officer wanted to adopt.
An investigation by Texas Rangers determined 38-year-old Lakisha Nicole McKnight sought to benefit from revoking the woman’s probation and denying her parental rights upon the birth of the child.
More >> Former Texas Probation Officer Charged After Fabricating Records To Adopt Child
An investigation by Texas Rangers determined 38-year-old Lakisha Nicole McKnight sought to benefit from revoking the woman’s probation and denying her parental rights upon the birth of the child.
More >> Former Texas Probation Officer Charged After Fabricating Records To Adopt Child
Mothers fight for justice over forced adoptions
In 1969, at the age of 19, she was gang raped and forced to give up the resulting baby for adoption — a baby boy she wanted to keep.
More >> Mothers fight for justice over forced adoptions
Forced Adoption to supply UK's Slave Trade from Gerry Hannah on Vimeo.
More >> Mothers fight for justice over forced adoptions
Forced Adoption to supply UK's Slave Trade from Gerry Hannah on Vimeo.
A firsthand report of ‘inhumane conditions’ at a migrant children’s detention facility
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) leverages our limited resources to provide the best care possible to those in our custody, especially children. As DHS and CBP leadership have noted numerous times, our short-term holding facilities were not designed to hold vulnerable populations and we urgently need additional humanitarian funding to manage this crisis. CBP works closely with our partners at the Department of Health and Human Services to transfer unaccompanied children to their custody as soon as placement is identified, and as quickly and expeditiously as possible to ensure proper care.
More >> A firsthand report of ‘inhumane conditions’ at a migrant children’s detention facility
More >> A firsthand report of ‘inhumane conditions’ at a migrant children’s detention facility
Investigation of CPS procedures sought following baby's death
Scioto County commissioners sent a letter to request the director of the county's Children's Services be placed on administrative leave following the death of a baby whose body was found in a well.
Commissioners sent the letter Tuesday requesting Dr. Lorra Fuller, the agency's director, be put on administrative leave while an independent investigation of CPS procedures is conducted.
More >> Investigation of CPS procedures sought following baby's death
Commissioners sent the letter Tuesday requesting Dr. Lorra Fuller, the agency's director, be put on administrative leave while an independent investigation of CPS procedures is conducted.
More >> Investigation of CPS procedures sought following baby's death
Police: Florida couple beat, used stun gun on adopted kids
Police say a couple in northern Florida routinely beat and shocked their two adopted children with what appears to be stun guns.
The Gainesville Sun reports that the children were also malnourished and described being fed only bread and water and occasional scraps. The two children fled from the couple’s care last week and a concerned resident contacted police. The children are 8 and 10 years old.
More >> Police: Florida couple beat, used stun gun on adopted kids
The Gainesville Sun reports that the children were also malnourished and described being fed only bread and water and occasional scraps. The two children fled from the couple’s care last week and a concerned resident contacted police. The children are 8 and 10 years old.
More >> Police: Florida couple beat, used stun gun on adopted kids
Seymour man who served as foster parent for years charged with sodomy and molestation
A man from Seymour is accused of inappropriately touching a young girl, around the age of 10.
Bobby Joe Kastning, 65, is charged with three counts of statutory sodomy, and one count of child molestation.
The victim told investigators the abuse started about five years ago.
More >> Seymour man who served as foster parent for years charged with sodomy and molestation
Bobby Joe Kastning, 65, is charged with three counts of statutory sodomy, and one count of child molestation.
The victim told investigators the abuse started about five years ago.
More >> Seymour man who served as foster parent for years charged with sodomy and molestation
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Ohio sheriff charged with releasing confidential abuse reports
A county sheriff in Ohio has been accused of posting confidential child abuse reports to the department’s website and Facebook page.
A special prosecutor on Thursday filed misdemeanor charges against Williams County Sheriff Steve Towns.
More >> Ohio sheriff charged with releasing confidential abuse reports
A special prosecutor on Thursday filed misdemeanor charges against Williams County Sheriff Steve Towns.
More >> Ohio sheriff charged with releasing confidential abuse reports
"Why I handed back my adopted babies... when I got pregnant"
No parent ever forgets that first proud procession from the car to the family home. Ali Sanders remembers every tiny detail of the day she brought her twins home — the baby seats ‘took up the whole of the back seat’, she says.
She watched as her husband, Michael — already ‘head over heels in love’ — clumsily fussed over the straps and buckles, like the excited novice dad he was. Then, inside the house, came the other big family milestone — meeting the ‘over-the-moon’ new grandparents. ‘I remember Michael’s dad meeting them,’ says Ali, 35. ‘He said: “Here’s Grandad!” He was so happy. Everyone was. My parents were thrilled, too.
More >> Why I handed back my adopted babies... when I got pregnant: For years, Ali and her husband had struggled to conceive - so they chose to adopt adorable twin boys. What happened next was a heartbreaking decision that will divide EVERY family
She watched as her husband, Michael — already ‘head over heels in love’ — clumsily fussed over the straps and buckles, like the excited novice dad he was. Then, inside the house, came the other big family milestone — meeting the ‘over-the-moon’ new grandparents. ‘I remember Michael’s dad meeting them,’ says Ali, 35. ‘He said: “Here’s Grandad!” He was so happy. Everyone was. My parents were thrilled, too.
More >> Why I handed back my adopted babies... when I got pregnant: For years, Ali and her husband had struggled to conceive - so they chose to adopt adorable twin boys. What happened next was a heartbreaking decision that will divide EVERY family
Man pretended to be with CPS, forced his way into home and attempted to sexually assault victim
A man who broke into a woman’s apartment by pretending to be Child Protective Services and attempted to sexually assault her will spend the next 35 years in prison.
Raheem Brown, 26, was sentenced Monday for burglary of a dwelling with a battery and attempted sexual battery.
More >> Man pretended to be with CPS, forced his way into home and attempted to sexually assault victim
Raheem Brown, 26, was sentenced Monday for burglary of a dwelling with a battery and attempted sexual battery.
More >> Man pretended to be with CPS, forced his way into home and attempted to sexually assault victim
The US government has leaked the names of child abuse victims by failing to hide Facebook account IDs in court documents
The US government has been inadvertently revealing the names of child abuse victims by failing to conceal their Facebook account IDs.
The ID numbers for Facebook accounts belonging to minors have been publicly available in unsealed federal court documents, Forbes reports. Forbes was able to take these ID numbers — used along with initials to identify the victims in child abuse documents — and plug each one into a web address after "facebook.com/" to easily find out the identities of the minors.
More >> The US government has leaked the names of child abuse victims by failing to hide Facebook account IDs in court documents
The ID numbers for Facebook accounts belonging to minors have been publicly available in unsealed federal court documents, Forbes reports. Forbes was able to take these ID numbers — used along with initials to identify the victims in child abuse documents — and plug each one into a web address after "facebook.com/" to easily find out the identities of the minors.
More >> The US government has leaked the names of child abuse victims by failing to hide Facebook account IDs in court documents
Detained immigrant children aren't guaranteed soap, toothbrushes, Trump administration says
A U.S. government lawyer on Tuesday said a longstanding settlement agreement requiring sanitary conditions for detained immigrant children may not necessarily mean a toothbrush and soap must be provided for shorter stays.
Sarah Fabian, senior litigation counsel for the Department of Justice, told a three judge-panel at the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco the agreement doesn't list items that must be provided in border facilities.
More >> Detained immigrant children aren't guaranteed soap, toothbrushes, Trump administration says
Sarah Fabian, senior litigation counsel for the Department of Justice, told a three judge-panel at the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco the agreement doesn't list items that must be provided in border facilities.
More >> Detained immigrant children aren't guaranteed soap, toothbrushes, Trump administration says
- Trump is trying to rewrite the history of his family separation policy before 2020
- Agency says it needs $2.88 billion to care for immigrant children
- TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SLAMMED OVER 'CRUEL' TREATMENT OF MIGRANT CHILDREN, AS KIDS DESCRIBE LACK OF FOOD, WATER, SANITATION
- Hundreds of migrant children held in unsafe conditions at Texas facility, lawyers warn
- ‘Willful Recklessness’: Trump Pushes for Indefinite Family Detention
Former head of foster care agency sent to federal prison for nearly 3 years for embezzling more than $1 million
A judge Friday sentenced a Portland woman to two years and nine months in federal prison for stealing more than $1 million from an Oregon foster agency that she had led as president and executive director.
Mary Ayala, 59, who ran the private foster care agency Give Us This Day from 2008 through 2015, was found guilty of multiple counts of theft, money laundering and filing false personal income tax returns after an eight-day trial in February.
More >> Former head of foster care agency sent to federal prison for nearly 3 years for embezzling more than $1 million
Mary Ayala, 59, who ran the private foster care agency Give Us This Day from 2008 through 2015, was found guilty of multiple counts of theft, money laundering and filing false personal income tax returns after an eight-day trial in February.
More >> Former head of foster care agency sent to federal prison for nearly 3 years for embezzling more than $1 million
Friday, June 21, 2019
Families together: Yakima reunification celebration honors longtime advocate
Sheets of purple and large purple butterflies brightened the austere concrete block walls of the Yakima County Juvenile Justice Center courtroom Thursday. Bouquets of purple flowers decorated long tables.
LaShaunda Harris, the community advocate and champion for families who wore purple almost every day and chose butterflies as her emblem of rebirth after overcoming adversity, would have loved it, friends said. Harris likely knew — and probably helped in some way, big or small — all of the parents and children honored at the 10th annual reunification celebration that afternoon.
More >> Families together: Yakima reunification celebration honors longtime advocate
LaShaunda Harris, the community advocate and champion for families who wore purple almost every day and chose butterflies as her emblem of rebirth after overcoming adversity, would have loved it, friends said. Harris likely knew — and probably helped in some way, big or small — all of the parents and children honored at the 10th annual reunification celebration that afternoon.
More >> Families together: Yakima reunification celebration honors longtime advocate
Children can still be charged with prostitution in Texas after Greg Abbott veto
Children in Texas can still be charged with prostitution after Gov. Greg Abbott this month vetoed a popular bill prohibiting prostituted minors from being arrested or going to juvenile court.
House Bill 1771, authored by Rep. Shawn Thierry, D-Houston, would have changed the Texas penal code to not include children in its definition of prostitution. Law enforcement officers would still have the power to apprehend minors they suspected were involved in prostitution, but instead of going to jail, the children would be returned to their parents or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services.
More >> Children can still be charged with prostitution in Texas after Greg Abbott veto
House Bill 1771, authored by Rep. Shawn Thierry, D-Houston, would have changed the Texas penal code to not include children in its definition of prostitution. Law enforcement officers would still have the power to apprehend minors they suspected were involved in prostitution, but instead of going to jail, the children would be returned to their parents or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services.
More >> Children can still be charged with prostitution in Texas after Greg Abbott veto
Ex-child protective worker accused of falsifying records in child abuse investigation
A former child protective investigator is accused of falsifying records while working at the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
According to an arrest affidavit, Kaylynn Scott, 24, falsely claimed to have drug tested and interviewed a mother and father linked to a child abuse investigation in December 2018. The mom tested positive during an April drug screening by a different investigator and said she would've tested positive back in December if Scott had actually administered the screening, according to law enforcement.
More >> Ex-child protective worker accused of falsifying records in child abuse investigation
Lack of Surrogacy & Adoption Regulations in Hawai‘i Opens Door to ‘Baby Selling’
Considering expanding your family? You may want to be aware of some areas where the law does not protect you. Both surrogacy and adoption laws in the state of Hawai’i lack specificity in comparison to other states.
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law Family Law Professor Calvin Pang explained, “Although our courts have started to recognize contemporary family forms, our statutes haven’t changed significantly to accommodate new technologies or recognize and support all the ways people form and live within loving and sustainable families. It could be that we’re satisfied managing within our existing legal framework. The question is, should we be?”
More >> Lack of Surrogacy & Adoption Regulations in Hawai‘i Opens Door to ‘Baby Selling’
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law Family Law Professor Calvin Pang explained, “Although our courts have started to recognize contemporary family forms, our statutes haven’t changed significantly to accommodate new technologies or recognize and support all the ways people form and live within loving and sustainable families. It could be that we’re satisfied managing within our existing legal framework. The question is, should we be?”
More >> Lack of Surrogacy & Adoption Regulations in Hawai‘i Opens Door to ‘Baby Selling’
Report: DCYF at fault for child's death
The Rhode Island Office of the Child Advocate has concluded through an extensive report released Tuesday that the Rhode Island Department of Child Youth and Families (DCYF) “created” the situation that led to the death of a 9-year-old Oakland Beach girl in January.
The child, Zah-Nae Rothgeb, was one of eight children under the supervision of one woman, Michele Rothgeb, who over the course of 13 years had contact with 13 different children in the foster care system through DCYF. Zah-Nae was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and had a slew of other health complications, and each of the children under Rothgeb’s care had at least one physical or mental health diagnosis.
More >> Report: DCYF at fault for child's death
Oregon may close loophole that sent foster children to live with dangerous dads
Oregon child welfare workers will have to look for red flags before sending foster children to live with estranged parents as part of a proposal working its way through the Oregon Capitol.
Senate Bill 994 would require case workers at the Department of Human Services to check into criminal pasts of noncustodial parents and the adults they live with before placing a child in their home.
More >> Oregon may close loophole that sent foster children to live with dangerous dads
Senate Bill 994 would require case workers at the Department of Human Services to check into criminal pasts of noncustodial parents and the adults they live with before placing a child in their home.
More >> Oregon may close loophole that sent foster children to live with dangerous dads
Former Oklahoma teacher sentenced for raping foster child
A former Oklahoma science teacher has been sentenced for raping a foster child in her custody.
According to an arrest affidavit filed in 2018, Stephanie Cowan admitted to having sexual contact with a 15-year-old foster child on four separate occasions since the boy was placed in her care in October of 2017.
Finding Foster Families for Teens Is a Challenge in Many States
Only 58% of foster teens live with a family, compared with 95% of kids 12 and under, according to recent report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. And now the federal Family First Prevention Services Act, which became law last year, has put states under increasing pressure to find foster families for teens.
More >> Finding Foster Families for Teens Is a Challenge in Many States
More >> Finding Foster Families for Teens Is a Challenge in Many States
POOR FOSTER CARE
One troubling aspect of the Mississippi Legislature is the Republican majority’s willingness to reduce funding for social services.
Despite a years-long lawsuit over the state’s foster care system, the Department of Child Protective Services (CPS), which provides care for nearly 5,000 foster children, is meeting only 37 of 113 goals set down in a court decree.
More >> POOR FOSTER CARE
Despite a years-long lawsuit over the state’s foster care system, the Department of Child Protective Services (CPS), which provides care for nearly 5,000 foster children, is meeting only 37 of 113 goals set down in a court decree.
More >> POOR FOSTER CARE
Florida Democrat warns of hurricane threats to detained migrant kids
Several weeks into hurricane season, a South Florida congresswoman is pressing the Trump administration to provide its emergency evacuation plan for migrant children detained in vulnerable coastal areas.
At the Homestead Facility, the nation’s largest camp for unaccompanied migrant children, children are sheltered in tents, metal trailers and a former U.S. Job Corps building. It is located south of the city of Miami, and is situated in the second-most vulnerable hurricane zone in South Florida, the Miami Herald reported.
More >> Florida Democrat warns of hurricane threats to detained migrant kids
At the Homestead Facility, the nation’s largest camp for unaccompanied migrant children, children are sheltered in tents, metal trailers and a former U.S. Job Corps building. It is located south of the city of Miami, and is situated in the second-most vulnerable hurricane zone in South Florida, the Miami Herald reported.
More >> Florida Democrat warns of hurricane threats to detained migrant kids
Can Predictive Analytics Root Out the Social Workers Most Likely to Break up Black Families?
The idea of using predictive analytics in child welfare easily conjures images of child abuse investigators targeting parents a machine deems most likely to harm their children.
Because black families are so disproportionately likely to be involved with the child protection system, critics credibly argue that predictive risk modeling will only exacerbate existing racial bias. But what if the tool was used in the other direction: to identify child abuse investigators who disproportionately target black children for removals?
More >> Can Predictive Analytics Root Out the Social Workers Most Likely to Break up Black Families?
Because black families are so disproportionately likely to be involved with the child protection system, critics credibly argue that predictive risk modeling will only exacerbate existing racial bias. But what if the tool was used in the other direction: to identify child abuse investigators who disproportionately target black children for removals?
More >> Can Predictive Analytics Root Out the Social Workers Most Likely to Break up Black Families?
Members of the "Silent No More Against Maine DHHS" Facebook group protest in Augusta
Members of a newly-formed Facebook group were at the State House Wednesday protesting the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
More >> Members of the "Silent No More Against Maine DHHS" Facebook group protest in Augusta
State investigation underway in foster teen case
A Thomas County man — a foster parent — is charged with electronically furnishing obscene material to minors in a case involving a foster child in his care.
The Thomas County Sheriff's Office received a complaint about foster parent Jamie Taylor in March, said Lt. Tim Watkins, sheriff's office chief investigator.
More >> State investigation underway in foster teen case
Can a sperm donor be a legal parent? In landmark decision, the High Court says yes
On Wednesday, the High Court handed down a landmark decision that confirmed parentage rights to a man who donated his sperm to a woman who wanted to have a child.
The ruling could impact thousands of couples and single women whose children were conceived with known sperm donors.
More >> Can a sperm donor be a legal parent? In landmark decision, the High Court says yes
The ruling could impact thousands of couples and single women whose children were conceived with known sperm donors.
More >> Can a sperm donor be a legal parent? In landmark decision, the High Court says yes
Eagan woman pleads guilty to 2017 death of foster child in her care
An Eagan woman pleaded guilty Thursday in the death of a foster child in her care in 2017.
Zeporia Fortenberry, age 32, admitted to a charge of second-degree manslaughter for child neglect and knowingly permitting the abuse of 3-year-old Zayden Lawson.
More >> Eagan woman pleads guilty to 2017 death of foster child in her care
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Social worker who lied about visits to baby she'd not seen for two and a half years struck off
A social worker who lied that she had paid regular visits to a baby when she hadn’t seen him for 30 months has been struck off.
After a three-day hearing in New Brighton, Mold, the fitness to practise committee of Social Care Wales found that Debbie Hobson’s misconduct was aggravated by the fact that she had falsified electronic records.
More >> Social worker who lied about visits to baby she'd not seen for two and a half years struck off
After a three-day hearing in New Brighton, Mold, the fitness to practise committee of Social Care Wales found that Debbie Hobson’s misconduct was aggravated by the fact that she had falsified electronic records.
More >> Social worker who lied about visits to baby she'd not seen for two and a half years struck off
Montana facility that drugged Oregon foster child to control her behavior will close
A Montana children’s psychiatric treatment center will close in the aftermath of reports that it used drugs to control the behavior of a 9-year-old Oregon girl in foster care.
Butte-Silver Bow County Chief Executive Dave Palmer told The Montana Standard that Acadia Montana informed county officials Monday that it will close in a month or so.
Man pretended to be with CPS, forced his way into home and attempted to sexually assault victim
A man who broke into a woman’s apartment by pretending to be Child Protective Services and attempted to sexually assault her will spend the next 35 years in prison.
Raheem Brown, 26, was sentenced Monday for burglary of a dwelling with a battery and attempted sexual battery.
More >> Man pretended to be with CPS, forced his way into home and attempted to sexually assault victim
Adoption not always a fairy tale
This is the first of a two-part series on adoption.
More >> Adoption not always a fairy tale
Exclusive: Overruling his experts, Pompeo keeps Saudis off U.S. child soldiers list
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blocked the inclusion of Saudi Arabia on a U.S. list of countries that recruit child soldiers, dismissing his experts’ findings that a Saudi-led coalition has been using under-age fighters in Yemen’s civil war, according to four people familiar with the matter.
More >> Exclusive: Overruling his experts, Pompeo keeps Saudis off U.S. child soldiers list
More >> Exclusive: Overruling his experts, Pompeo keeps Saudis off U.S. child soldiers list
Court refuses to dismiss lesbian couple's lawsuit alleging foster care discrimination
A lesbian couple will have their day in court after the Trump administration denied them the chance to serve as foster parents to refugee children.
A federal judge has refused to dismiss the couple’s lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services alleging that they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.
More >> Court refuses to dismiss lesbian couple's lawsuit alleging foster care discrimination
A federal judge has refused to dismiss the couple’s lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services alleging that they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.
More >> Court refuses to dismiss lesbian couple's lawsuit alleging foster care discrimination
Half of kids languishing in foster care were under age 7 when they were removed from homes
Ninety-three Nebraska children have been out of their homes, in foster care, for five years or more.
That is a great concern to Kim Hawekotte, executive director of the Nebraska Foster Care Review Office, and it disturbs her even more when she considers that nearly 20% of them were under 4 years old when they were removed from their homes.
More >> Half of kids languishing in foster care were under age 7 when they were removed from homes
That is a great concern to Kim Hawekotte, executive director of the Nebraska Foster Care Review Office, and it disturbs her even more when she considers that nearly 20% of them were under 4 years old when they were removed from their homes.
More >> Half of kids languishing in foster care were under age 7 when they were removed from homes
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
DNA test helps mom reunite with daughter she gave up for adoption 67 years ago
A 67-year-old family mystery has been solved thanks to science.
Nancy Harlow and Susan Collins Adams reunited after a DNA test discovered Collins Adams was Harlow's long-lost daughter.
More >> DNA test helps mom reunite with daughter she gave up for adoption 67 years ago
Nancy Harlow and Susan Collins Adams reunited after a DNA test discovered Collins Adams was Harlow's long-lost daughter.
More >> DNA test helps mom reunite with daughter she gave up for adoption 67 years ago
HOW A RIGHT-WING ATTACK ON PROTECTIONS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN CHILDREN COULD UPEND INDIAN LAW
A LAW KEY to preventing state welfare agencies from separating Indigenous children from their families is at risk of being overturned thanks to the yearslong effort of a network of libertarian and right-wing organizations.
In the 1970s, between a quarter and a third of Indigenous children across the United States had been removed from their homes. Social services often cited neglect or deprivation — euphemisms for poverty — as grounds for placing children in the custody of non-Native families and institutions, offering birth parents little opportunity for redress. Congress passed the Indian Child Welfare Act in 1978 in order to reform a system designed to destroy Indigenous people.
More >> HOW A RIGHT-WING ATTACK ON PROTECTIONS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN CHILDREN COULD UPEND INDIAN LAW
In the 1970s, between a quarter and a third of Indigenous children across the United States had been removed from their homes. Social services often cited neglect or deprivation — euphemisms for poverty — as grounds for placing children in the custody of non-Native families and institutions, offering birth parents little opportunity for redress. Congress passed the Indian Child Welfare Act in 1978 in order to reform a system designed to destroy Indigenous people.
More >> HOW A RIGHT-WING ATTACK ON PROTECTIONS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN CHILDREN COULD UPEND INDIAN LAW
Kids Count Databook
Here is the link to the Kids Count Report for this year.
https://www.aecf.org/m/resourcedoc/aecf-2019kidscountdatabook-2019.pdf
https://www.aecf.org/m/resourcedoc/aecf-2019kidscountdatabook-2019.pdf
Adoption scandal: Line of Duty actor says he was denied chance to meet birth mother after nuns ‘falsified records’
When Patrick FitzSymons was in his thirties, his mother Patricia dropped a bombshell.
One evening, he explains, he was visiting her when out of the blue she asked him if he’d ever had the intuition that he was adopted. “There’s something I need to tell you,” she said.
More >> Adoption scandal: Line of Duty actor says he was denied chance to meet birth mother after nuns ‘falsified records’
One evening, he explains, he was visiting her when out of the blue she asked him if he’d ever had the intuition that he was adopted. “There’s something I need to tell you,” she said.
More >> Adoption scandal: Line of Duty actor says he was denied chance to meet birth mother after nuns ‘falsified records’
Turning local libraries, pools and playgroups into sites of surveillance – ParentsNext goes too far
Sydney Morning Herald reporter Jacqueline Maley evoked the spectre of the Orwellian surveillance state recently when discussing how library staff had been implicated in the ParentsNext program. Maley reported that private providers contracted to run the program phoned libraries or local pools to check on parents’ attendance.
The program aims to get parents “work-ready” after child-rearing. Single parents receiving the ParentsNext benefit are required to report their attendance at particular activities with their children to providers. Activities are based on an approved list, which includes storytime at a local library, swimming lessons, or a playgroup. Payments can be stopped for “not taking part in set activities”.
More >> Turning local libraries, pools and playgroups into sites of surveillance – ParentsNext goes too far
The program aims to get parents “work-ready” after child-rearing. Single parents receiving the ParentsNext benefit are required to report their attendance at particular activities with their children to providers. Activities are based on an approved list, which includes storytime at a local library, swimming lessons, or a playgroup. Payments can be stopped for “not taking part in set activities”.
More >> Turning local libraries, pools and playgroups into sites of surveillance – ParentsNext goes too far
Jailed mothers: The 'terrible damage' to children
About 17,000 children are separated from their mothers every year by the prison system in England and Wales, which has one of the highest rates of female incarceration in western Europe. Now some MPs say the courts may be denying the human rights of these children.
Katie was 11 when her mother was sent to prison, and she never even got the chance to say goodbye.
More >> Jailed mothers: The 'terrible damage' to children
Katie was 11 when her mother was sent to prison, and she never even got the chance to say goodbye.
More >> Jailed mothers: The 'terrible damage' to children
Monday, June 17, 2019
PROTESTERS OUTSIDE SOUTH FLORIDA DETENTION CENTER FOR KIDS WANT IT CLOSED
Clutching signs and umbrellas against a drenching downpour, scores of people protested Sunday outside a South Florida facility that has become the nation’s biggest location for detaining immigrant children. A coalition of religious groups and immigrant advocates said they want the Homestead detention center closed.
Protesters held signs that read “Homes Instead!” and “Stop Separating Families” as they beat drums and sang civil rights-era protest songs.
More >> PROTESTERS OUTSIDE SOUTH FLORIDA DETENTION CENTER FOR KIDS WANT IT CLOSED
Protesters held signs that read “Homes Instead!” and “Stop Separating Families” as they beat drums and sang civil rights-era protest songs.
More >> PROTESTERS OUTSIDE SOUTH FLORIDA DETENTION CENTER FOR KIDS WANT IT CLOSED
Family says DHS 'stripped' mom, daughter of rights in battle against cancer
A group of family members and supporters gathered at Pioneer Courthouse Square Saturday calling for a Wilsonville girl and her mother to be reunited after the Department of Human Services (DHS) recently took the girl into protective custody.
Kylee Dixon and her mother, Christine, were reported missing earlier this week. Clackamas County Deputies say Christine ignored a court order to bring Kylee to DHS. Deputies told KATU News Kylee missed a surgery scheduled for June 6th.
More >> Family says DHS 'stripped' mom, daughter of rights in battle against cancer
Kylee Dixon and her mother, Christine, were reported missing earlier this week. Clackamas County Deputies say Christine ignored a court order to bring Kylee to DHS. Deputies told KATU News Kylee missed a surgery scheduled for June 6th.
More >> Family says DHS 'stripped' mom, daughter of rights in battle against cancer
DNA testing means forced fatherhood as states limit abortion
Several US states have recently passed bills to restrict abortion rights that essentially turn the clock back to the era before the landmark Supreme Court decision, making abortion illegal in nearly every circumstance. Ultimately, women may find themselves in a pre-Roe v. Wade America, where they must risk their life with an illegal abortion, or have a baby they don’t want and face a lifetime of poverty as a result.
More >> DNA testing means forced fatherhood as states limit abortion
More >> DNA testing means forced fatherhood as states limit abortion
Lawmaker seeks AG probe of foster child’s death
A lawmaker is asking Rhode Island’s attorney general to investigate the state’s child welfare agency following the death of a 9-year-old girl in foster care.
Democratic Rep. Joseph Solomon, of Warwick, said Friday the attorney general should determine whether there is any criminal liability in the case of Zha Nae Rothgeb, who was found dead in a bathtub at a Warwick home in January.
More >> Lawmaker seeks AG probe of foster child’s death
Democratic Rep. Joseph Solomon, of Warwick, said Friday the attorney general should determine whether there is any criminal liability in the case of Zha Nae Rothgeb, who was found dead in a bathtub at a Warwick home in January.
More >> Lawmaker seeks AG probe of foster child’s death
Yes, we are the Stolen Generations
Aaron Smale gives his personal account of being removed from his mother, and the legacy of loss and harm that reverberates through the generations
More >> Yes, we are the Stolen Generations
More >> Yes, we are the Stolen Generations
The Youngest Child Separated From His Family at the Border Was 4 Months Old
The text messages were coming in all day and night with only two data points: Gender and age. With each one that arrived, the on-call caseworker at Bethany Christian Services in Michigan had 15 minutes to find a foster home for another child who was en route from the border. On a brisk winter day in February 2018, Alma Acevedo got a message that caught her breath: “4 months. Boy.”
More >> The Youngest Child Separated From His Family at the Border Was 4 Months Old
More >> The Youngest Child Separated From His Family at the Border Was 4 Months Old
When children die on Oregon’s watch, state officials may soon have to say more about what went wrong
Oregon lawmakers are on the verge of requiring officials at the state’s embattled child welfare agency to inform the public more quickly and thoroughly when children die by abuse after recent intervention -- or inaction -- by their department.
Under the new mandate, the Department of Human Services would have to notify the public about a child’s abuse or neglect death soon after case workers learn how the child died. It also would impose stricter standards for the details the agency must disclose about the child’s death.
More >> When children die on Oregon’s watch, state officials may soon have to say more about what went wrong
Under the new mandate, the Department of Human Services would have to notify the public about a child’s abuse or neglect death soon after case workers learn how the child died. It also would impose stricter standards for the details the agency must disclose about the child’s death.
More >> When children die on Oregon’s watch, state officials may soon have to say more about what went wrong
Four dead babies in care with one common theme: Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
Breanne LeClair will never forget the day she got a call saying her son had turned blue and was not breathing.
As she rushed to a Thunder Bay hospital LeClair called her case worker at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care.
More >> Four dead babies in care with one common theme: Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
As she rushed to a Thunder Bay hospital LeClair called her case worker at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care.
More >> Four dead babies in care with one common theme: Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
Sunday, June 16, 2019
Flint Charges Dropped: Michigan Dismisses Criminal Cases But Will Continue Probe
Eight remaining Flint water prosecutions have been dismissed by the Department of Attorney General, officials said Thursday, June 13.
Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy issued a statement saying the cases are being dismissed without prejudice -- meaning they could be refiled -- in order to conduct a full and complete investigation, a shocking conclusion to the high-profile criminal prosecutions.
More >> Flint Charges Dropped: Michigan Dismisses Criminal Cases But Will Continue Probe
Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy issued a statement saying the cases are being dismissed without prejudice -- meaning they could be refiled -- in order to conduct a full and complete investigation, a shocking conclusion to the high-profile criminal prosecutions.
More >> Flint Charges Dropped: Michigan Dismisses Criminal Cases But Will Continue Probe
Former foster parent gets 8 years for rape of 15-year-old boy in her care
A former foster care mother was sentenced to eight years in prison for raping a 15-year-old boy.
Stephanie Cowan, 34, of Salina pleaded guilty on May 22 in Mayes County District Court to two counts of second-degree rape. One count of second-degree rape was dropped, online records show.
More >> Former foster parent gets 8 years for rape of 15-year-old boy in her care
TAKING THE P Baby P’s mum Tracey Connelly offers to take lie detector test in bid to be freed from jail
THE evil mum of tortured Baby P has offered to take a lie detector test in a desperate bid to be freed from jail.
Tracey Connelly, who was jailed over the death of little Peter Connelly, made the offer as she again prepares a fresh parole bid.
More >> TAKING THE P Baby P’s mum Tracey Connelly offers to take lie detector test in bid to be freed from jail
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