Former foster father 'ashamed' of abusing child in his care, court hears

A former foster father who admitted sexually abusing a young girl in his care is "incredibly ashamed" of his crimes and should be given a "merciful" sentence, his lawyer says during sentencing submissions.

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Native leaders slam province’s suggestion to house foster kids

A provincial suggestion that children in foster care could be temporarily housed in empty space in youth criminal justice facilities in northern Ontario is under fire from native leaders and the province’s youth advocate.

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How cultural shifts lead some adoption agencies to close

A Catholic diocese in St. Cloud, Minnesota, is ending its pregnancy counseling and adoption services. It's the result of national trends putting pressure on adoption: fewer pregnant teens and growing acceptance of out-of-wedlock births.

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How the criminal justice system often fails poor children

If a group of teenagers vandalize a downtown building and are charged with a crime, their ability to handle the court-ordered punishment may depend a lot on their family’s economic status. This two-tiered system of justice, in which the inability to pay fines and restitution can significantly lengthen a sentence to jail or probation, is wrong for adults and can be especially harmful to juvenile offenders.

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Schwabs plan protest ahead of federal court hearing

Raymond and Amelia Schwab, the couple who have been entangled in an antagonistic dispute with the Department for Children and Families for more than a year, are planning to return to Topeka to hold a protest and attend a court hearing.

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A quarter of Welsh foster children move home several times a year

Action for Children found that one in four children were moved between foster care homes two or more times a year.

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Uncertainty lingers for those supervising Arizona foster-child visits

Local agencies that provide supervised visitation to foster children and help reunite foster kids with their parents are still waiting to see what the months ahead will bring.

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New divorce law to help dads, but requires 50/50 custody

A new Missouri child custody went into law last week.

Its aim is to put fathers on a level playing field when it comes to custody arrangements.

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Mother loses custody of children after being a ‘snob’ about ex’s family

A teacher who described herself as a ‘snob’ and said a member of her ex-husband’s family spoke ‘Geordie’ and lived on a ‘grotty’ estate has lost a court fight over the care of her two children.

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DHHS faces questions after senior worker at child protection unit charged with abuse

A government department responsible for protecting Victoria's most vulnerable children has been accused of ignoring serious child abuse allegations involving a senior staff member and a boy in her care more than 20 years ago.

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The machinations used to deny care to one disabled foster kid

No one at Florida’s disabilities agency disputes that S.J. is an unfortunate soul who needs help from the state just to survive.

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Police: Tulsa Foster Parents Sexually Abused And Neglected Nine Children In Their Care

Police in Tulsa have reportedly arrested a pair of foster parents after they say they discovered evidence of child abuse and neglect. News 6 reports that married couple Paul and Amy Sanders are accused of committing a laundry list of crimes against the nine children who have been in their care. The details surrounding this case are shocking to say the least.

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Too fat to foster: Student, 32, who weighs 21 stone is told she is too big to look after children

A student says she's been told by council bosses she is too fat to foster. Would-be foster mum Zoe Young, who is 21 stone, has accused Salford council of discrimination.

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Our foster kids may be over-medicated, but under-supervised medically, report says

Thousands of California’s foster care kids may be overdrugged with psychotropic medications, often without medical follow-up or a legally required approval from a judge or parent, according to a stinging report by the California State Auditor.

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Girl, 8, arrested on suspicion of ‘lesbianism’ in Uganda

An eight-year-old girl has been arrested for the so-called crime of ‘lesbianism’ in Uganda, according to reports.

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Two DCF Workers Suspended, Others Face Probe, in Groton Child-Abuse Case

Two state child-protection workers have been suspended and at least two others are the subject of an internal investigation arising from a foster-care placement in Groton in which the aunt of an 18-month-boy was charged with abusing the child.

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Ballwin man charged with assaulting social worker while on supervised children's visit to McDonald's

A Ballwin man was charged with felony assault Friday after he allegedly threw a Missouri Children's Division worker into a window and stomped on her head while on a supervised visit to McDonald's with his children.

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Men filmed creeping into foster girl's room days before she died of drug overdose

The teen, known as "Girl X" suffered so much abuse that one expert believed she would have developed severe personality disorders had she survived childhood


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Advocate for the Schwab family continues fight against DCF

A couple who staged a hunger strike at the Kansas Statehouse to protest the state taking their children has a hearing set in federal court.

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Mother of boy handcuffed to porch with chicken around neck speaks out

The boy at the center of the 2013 Wanda Larson child abuse case is now a teenager. He's 14 years old and living with his biological mother.

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‘Grace Case’ foster home abuse report handed in to Minister

A full investigation into the ‘Grace case’ has now moved a step closer.

A report was commissioned last year after serious allegations were made that a woman, who became known as Grace, was sexually abused in a foster home in the South East.

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Child services breaches foster kids' privacy at least 58 times: report

A car was doused in petrol in one of six "significant" cases where children or carers were put in danger as a direct result of the leak-plagued child protection department's own breaches, a review has uncovered.

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Debtors' Prison for Kids: Poor Children Incarcerated When Families Can't Pay Juvenile Court Fees

Many states are incarcerating poor children whose families can't afford to pay juvenile court fees and fines, a report published Wednesday finds, which amounts to punishing children for their families' poverty—and that may be unconstitutional.

More >> Debtors' Prison for Kids: Poor Children Incarcerated When Families Can't Pay Juvenile Court Fees

10 Reasons Why Assuming A Kid Is At Risk Is Actually Hurtful, Not Helpful

Remember that old playground saying about, “what happens when we assume”?Turns out, as adults, we risk a lot more than making an ass of ourselves when it comes to assuming things about kids and their parents. Many people assume kids are at greater risk of danger than they really are, when they disagree with their parents' choices on moral grounds, frequently causing them to put kids in real danger when they intervene in response to imaginary danger. That's why assuming a kid is at risk is actually hurtful, not helpful.

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Our foster kids may be over-medicated, but under-supervised medically, report says

Thousands of California’s foster care kids may be over-drugged with psychotropic medications, often without medical follow-up or a legally required approval from a judge or parent, according to a stinging report by the California State Auditor.

More >> Our foster kids may be over-medicated, but under-supervised medically, report says