UK gov’t begins taking kids away from parents who won’t go along with gender ‘transitions’

It has now begun: The government has been taking children who wish to “change” their gender away from their parents if their families disagree that “gender transition” is the right thing for their sons or (much more often – 71 percent of the time) daughters. According to the Daily Mail, at least three children have been “taken into council care” after “rows with their parents over wanting to change gender,” although local authorities are insisting that disagreements over sex change surgeries were not the primary reasons for removal.

As the numbers of children identifying as transgender soar, parents have often been left at a loss as children have been swept away by what some experts are referring to as a social contagion. Numbers in the United Kingdom have now risen by over 4,000 percent, prompting a government investigation and urgent warnings from health experts, while the number of young people being referred to the National Health Service for gender reassignment has risen by 1,000 percent. Many parents feel that their child’s struggles may have nothing to do with gender dysphoria, but feel powerless to object as transgenderism is trendy and anything but full-hearted support for hormone treatments and life-altering surgeries is condemned by activists as hateful bigotry.

More >> UK gov’t begins taking kids away from parents who won’t go along with gender ‘transitions’

ACLU says schools need more mental health professionals, not police

Public schools need more mental health professionals and fewer police, according to a recently released report by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The report found that nearly one-third of public school students, more than 14 million, are enrolled in schools with police but without a counselor, nurse, psychologist or social worker. The shift in resources comes as schools reassess their security measures in the wake of repeated school shootings and as local, state and federal governments make more money available to fund officers on campuses.

More >> ACLU says schools need more mental health professionals, not police

Reports on Michigan child welfare 'depressing,' says judge

Michigan's new governor has inherited a troubled child-welfare system that has failed to protect foster kids from abuse and operates with a faulty computer network that might need to be scrapped after just five years, experts reported Wednesday.

A judge got an update on a case that is far from over, despite 13 years of litigation and $27 million spent on court-appointed monitors and lawyers to try to fix how the state cares for children who are removed from homes because of abuse and neglect.

More >> Reports on Michigan child welfare 'depressing,' says judge

Thousands of teenagers in care living without adults

In 2018, 3,090 looked-after children were living independently, government data published in the Children's Rights Alliance for England report shows.

And local authority data shows at least 1,173 spent more than six months living in this way, 19 of these were 14 or 15.

More >> Thousands of teenagers in care living without adults

B.C. social worker accused of punishing Indigenous youth for sexual assault while in foster care

An Indigenous woman who is suing two social workers as a result of treatment she claims she received as a youth in care of the B.C. child welfare system has added a new allegation.

The woman, who we are not identifying to protect her privacy, now alleges social worker Siobhan Stynes punished her for reporting a sexual assault while in foster care.

More >> B.C. social worker accused of punishing Indigenous youth for sexual assault while in foster care

Keeping families together: Legal and advocacy efforts helping parents

Increasing the chances that Indigenous and other families in crisis can stay together is a primary focus of a new service offered by the Legal Services Society of B.C.

If there’s a possibility your children may be removed from your home by the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), or they have already been placed in foster care, you may be eligible for help from the new Parents Legal Centre (PLC) in Smithers. The centre also services clients in Houston and Hazelton in child protection matters.

More >> Keeping families together: Legal and advocacy efforts helping parents

Judge wrong to exclude mum from hearing to have children removed, Court of Appeal rules

A judge was wrong to exclude a mother from an emergency legal bid to have her two young children removed, the Court of Appeal ruled today.

She was said to have been denied her right to a fair hearing by having no input in an application which resulted in an Emergency Protection Order (EPO) being granted.

More >> Judge wrong to exclude mum from hearing to have children removed, Court of Appeal rules

JUST IN: Court suppresses evidence seized in foster child murder case

The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday tossed out some incriminating evidence against Henry County foster parents charged with murdering a 2-year-old child in their care.

More >> JUST IN: Court suppresses evidence seized in foster child murder case

Woman who faked pregnancy, promised adoption indicted on nine felony counts

Faking a pregnancy doesn’t appear to be against the law.

But using a false pretense to convince a potential adoptive family to buy baby clothes, photographs and meals – those incidents could land a Virginia woman in jail.

More >> Woman who faked pregnancy, promised adoption indicted on nine felony counts

Foster Mother Of 3-Year-Old Indian Girl Dead In US Gets Passport Back

The Indian-American foster mother of Sherin Mathews has got her passport back, nearly a week after charges were dropped against her in connection with the tragic death of her 3-year-old daughter, whose body was discovered in a culvert in suburban Dallas in 2017.

Sini Mathews was charged with child endangerment after she left her adoptive daughter Sherin alone at home while she and her husband Wesley Mathews went out for dinner with their 4-four-year old biological daughter on the night before the toddler was reported missing from their house in Richardson, Texas.

More >> Foster Mother Of 3-Year-Old Indian Girl Dead In US Gets Passport Back

Youth feel hopeless in Arkansas juvenile justice system

After 16-year-old Kristyn failed a drug test and ran away from home, the state jailed her for more than six months. Her expected sentence was three.

Teens like Kristyn are subject to a juvenile justice system that can extend their sentences for any rules infraction, or because necessary counseling isn't available or because they have to wait in county youth jails until a state bed opens.

More >> Youth feel hopeless in Arkansas juvenile justice system

Chenango County man guilty in adopted son's murder, inspired by 'Manchester by the Sea'

The trial of a Chenango County man accused with his wife of killing their adopted son, then setting their home on fire to cover up the evidence, ended with a guilty verdict Friday as jurors took less than two hours to decide.

Ernest Franklin, 36, faces up to 25 years to life in state prison when he's sentenced for felony counts of second-degree murder, third-degree arson and tampering with physical evidence. The trial began Feb. 27, and jurors in Chenango County Court spent an hour and 40 minutes deliberating before reaching a verdict.

More >> Chenango County man guilty in adopted son's murder, inspired by 'Manchester by the Sea'

DCF opens investigation charging foster parent with child pornography

Dieter Bucher went from being a foster parent to an inmate. He’s been charged with four counts of possession of child pornography.

“Clearly, this is a very serious case and one we will take very serious,” said Assistant State Attorney Jack Schlechter.

More >> DCF opens investigation charging foster parent with child pornography

Family sobs as Macomb County mom's bond revoked in adoption scheme

With her family members sobbing in the courtroom, a Macomb County mother at the center of a nationwide adoption investigation has lost her freedom for violating multiple bond conditions: She tampered with witnesses, contacted victims, used a cellphone and tried to broker adoptions.

She had promised not to do these things, the judge reminded her in court. But she did them anyway — and even texted and FaceTimed her victims on the same day she signed her bond papers, prosecutors said.

More >> Family sobs as Macomb County mom's bond revoked in adoption scheme

Former county DSS workers have lawsuit dismissed

Four former Pittsylvania County Department of Social Services workers have dismissed a lawsuit filed in federal court. 

The lawsuit, ‘for injunctive and declaratory relief and damages,’ named retired assistant DSS director Cheryl Fisk, the elected officials of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, and Stedman Payne, former chairman of the county DSS board.

More >> Former county DSS workers have lawsuit dismissed

"It was the worst night our our entire lives." How a couple regained child custody

 A local couple reunited with their children after a lengthy battle with Child Protective Services, is now sharing their story to help other parents get their children back.

More >> "It was the worst night our our entire lives." How a couple regained child custody

TEXAS MAN ACCUSED OF VIOLATING ADOPTED 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WITH DOLL, FOUND GUILTY

After his 5-year-old adopted daughter sustained horrific injuries to her private areas from being abused with a doll, a Texas man faces life in prison.

John Scott Tufts, 48, was found guilty on three counts of injury to a child on Wednesday in Judge Brody Shanklin’s 211th District Court courtroom in Denton, Texas, about an hour northwest of downtown Dallas.

More >> TEXAS MAN ACCUSED OF VIOLATING ADOPTED 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WITH DOLL, FOUND GUILTY

Michigan woman charged with defrauding couples in adoptions

A Macomb County woman has been indicted on fraud charges for an alleged scheme to collect money from couples who wanted to adopt children.

Federal prosecutors say Tara Lee of New Haven isn't licensed to arrange adoptions but told people that she had a legitimate agency. The indictment accuses her of collecting more than $200,000 last year for adoption matches that were fraudulent.

More >> Michigan woman charged with defrauding couples in adoptions

Father convicted of killing adopted son, burning down home

A jury has convicted a father of killing his adopted teenage son and burning down the family's central New York home to cover up the crime.

More >> Father convicted of killing adopted son, burning down home

CCPD officer accused of impersonating a CPS worker resigns from Police Department

Senior Officer Norma DeLeon has resigned from the Corpus Christi Police Department.

According to CCPD Public Information Officer Travis Pace, DeLeon resigned yesterday.

More >> CCPD officer accused of impersonating a CPS worker resigns from Police Department

Report: Texas foster kids left in state psychiatric hospitals for weeks or months

Hundreds of Texas foster children are languishing for weeks or months in psychiatric hospitals because they have nowhere else to go, hurting them psychologically, endangering them physically and costing the state millions of dollars.

Nearly 600 foster kids in fiscal year 2017 spent a total of almost 14,000 days in psychiatric hospitals after doctors said they were ready to leave, according to a new report by Disability Rights Texas, an advocacy group for people with disabilities.

More >> Report: Texas foster kids left in state psychiatric hospitals for weeks or months

Home DNA Tests Reveal 20% of Men Are Not the Father

Recent reports from AlphaBiolabs, a leading home DNA kit manufacturer, reveal that as many as 20% of all men who take the test will discover they are not in fact the father of the child they are testing.

More >> Home DNA Tests Reveal 20% of Men Are Not the Father   

Tucson man arrested for alleged sexual conduct with his mom's adopted kids

Tucson police arrested a man Wednesday for alleged sex crimes against four different minors in his mother's home, police say.

Adam Lee Wells, 31, was arrested on suspicion of 15 charges, including molestation of a child, against four adopted children, police said in a news release.

More >> Tucson man arrested for alleged sexual conduct with his mom's adopted kids

471 parents were deported from US without their children during family separations

The Trump administration has identified 471 parents who were removed from the United States without their children, according to the latest court filing in an ongoing lawsuit.

At least some of those parents were deported before a June 2018 court order that required the government to better document parents' choices to elect or waive their right to be reunified with their children beforehand. That's not to say that parents weren't provided the opportunity, according to the Department of Homeland Security, but rather they did not fall under the court-ordered waiver procedure.

More >> 471 parents were deported from US without their children during family separations

As Texas Privatizes Child Protective Services, Will the Horror Stories Go Unheard?

Critics of the forthcoming transformation of the state’s child welfare system worry about the new model’s lack of transparency. Legislators are running out of time to introduce greater safeguards.

More >> As Texas Privatizes Child Protective Services, Will the Horror Stories Go Unheard?