A new report from the Illinois auditor general slammed the state’s troubled child welfare agency for failing to follow its own policies when investigating cases of abuse and neglect, finding a hotline used to report allegations cannot handle the call volume and caseloads for staff are too high.
The long-awaited audit was released Tuesday morning, hours before a group of state lawmakers announced plans to create a new caucus aimed at reforming the state Department of Children and Family Services as it faces intense scrutiny after several young children under its watch have died in recent months.
More >> As new DCFS report highlights failures, Cook County guardian says 'inept' child welfare agency is ‘not doing its job ... at every level’
Wednesday, May 08, 2019
Tuesday, May 07, 2019
No Washington caseworkers held accountable despite violating multiple policies in horrific child abuse case
In the state of Washington when a foster child is abused to the point of nearly dying, there are steps in place to get to the bottom of what went wrong.
In 2015 Governor Jay Inslee signed “Aiden’s Act” into law. It mandates that after a near-fatality in the foster care system, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is to conduct a review of the files of caseworkers assigned to the child. If it’s found that the caseworkers violated a policy, rules, or state statute, “the department is to conduct a formal employee investigation.”
More >> No Washington caseworkers held accountable despite violating multiple policies in horrific child abuse case
In 2015 Governor Jay Inslee signed “Aiden’s Act” into law. It mandates that after a near-fatality in the foster care system, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is to conduct a review of the files of caseworkers assigned to the child. If it’s found that the caseworkers violated a policy, rules, or state statute, “the department is to conduct a formal employee investigation.”
More >> No Washington caseworkers held accountable despite violating multiple policies in horrific child abuse case
Exclusive: DCFS investigators reveal missteps of agency
The death of a McHenry County 5-year-old last month, whose parents are charged with his murder, has many pointing the finger at the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services.
AJ Freund's family had contact with DCFS before his murder. Four months before the child was beaten and buried in a shallow grave, according to police, DCFS made a visit to the home. A police officer detailed "dog feces and urine were scattered about the residence,” windows were open or broken [in December], there was a broken heat source and clothes were piled up. A window in AJ and his brother's room was open and “the smell of feces was overwhelming” in their room.
More >> Exclusive: DCFS investigators reveal missteps of agency
Monday, May 06, 2019
ACS is often careless when handing kids to foster parents: probe
The city’s embattled child-welfare agency routinely hands over neglected and abused kids to foster parents without proof that background checks or on-site visits were ever done first, a probe has found.
A city comptroller report released to The Post revealed that the files for 89 of 110 foster homes certified for placement by the Administration for Children’s Services didn’t contain “critical records” showing they met such state regulations.
More >> ACS is often careless when handing kids to foster parents: probe
A city comptroller report released to The Post revealed that the files for 89 of 110 foster homes certified for placement by the Administration for Children’s Services didn’t contain “critical records” showing they met such state regulations.
More >> ACS is often careless when handing kids to foster parents: probe
‘Winnie the Pooh’ Actor Jim Cummings and Ex-Wife Investigated by Child Protective Services
Winnie the Pooh star Jim Cummings and his ex-wife’s legal battle has been so volatile, that law enforcement, including officials with child protective services in three different states, have been investigating the couple for years.
According to court records obtained by The Blast, the Disney voice actor claims there have been “16 reports” related to child protective services getting involved in Utah, Colorado and California, due to Stephanie Cummings living and with the couple’s two children in different states.
More >> ‘Winnie the Pooh’ Actor Jim Cummings and Ex-Wife Investigated by Child Protective Services
Custody Or Care: Parents Surrender Kids To State For Mental Health Treatment
In Ohio, parents of children with severe mental health issues sometimes face an excruciating decision: To get their child costly care, they must sign over custody to the state. Now those parents are fighting for change, and a chunk of Gov. Mike Dewine’s budget.
More >> Custody Or Care: Parents Surrender Kids To State For Mental Health Treatment
More >> Custody Or Care: Parents Surrender Kids To State For Mental Health Treatment
Saturday, May 04, 2019
Proclamation on National Foster Care Month, 2019
I bring you the Presidential Proclamation of National Foster Parent Glorification Month.
If this doesn't demonstrate that President Trump has a thing or two to learn, I don't know what does.
Proclamation on National Foster Care Month, 2019
The future of our Nation rests with our children. We must invest in their futures, instill in them the values of family, faith, and country, and ensure they have every opportunity to realize their full potential. The development of our children begins at home, and my Administration is fully committed to strengthening American families.
This month, we recognize that there are children in our towns and communities who may not have a family, or whose families may be experiencing great difficulty and hardship. In America, we believe in standing beside these children, walking with them through their trials, and finding permanent and safe families for each of them. Kindhearted citizens across our land embody this belief, dedicating their time and efforts in doing so. In fiscal year 2017 alone, American families opened their doors to 443,000 young people in foster care ‑‑ a number that has increased each of the last 5 years. During National Foster Care Month, we honor these patriots, who open their hearts to children who need a home, and who care for the most vulnerable among us. We also acknowledge the profound contributions of the individuals and organizations supporting foster and kinship caregivers, and those of the community providers and professionals who are helping children in foster care find safe and stable families.
We must strive to keep families united, wherever possible, and my Administration is working to reduce the removal of at‑risk children from their homes and familiar surroundings. Last year, I signed into law the Family First Prevention Services Act, which is working to bolster families and keep children safely in their homes, when possible. This legislation gives States access to funding for evidence‑based prevention and early intervention services such as mental health therapy, family counseling, substance use and addiction treatment, and parenting classes. By allowing States to address factors, such as the opioid crisis, America’s sons and daughters are more likely to experience improved outcomes and hope for a brighter future.
When it becomes necessary to move children out of their homes in order to provide more safety, stability, and opportunity, placement with relatives who can provide that environment is the first option. Children often experience less trauma when in kinship care, which is why the Federal Government is funding programs that provide family caregivers the services and support they need and requiring States to demonstrate how their foster care licensing standards promote family-friendly options.
Children deserve stable family environments, and foster care provides a wonderful opportunity for selfless and compassionate men and women to nurture children while we work to ensure that they have a forever family. This month, and always, we express our gratitude to all of the families who generously open their doors to children in need and provide them with love and support. We recommit to looking for opportunities to invest in the lives of our vulnerable young people, and we celebrate those who tirelessly serve our Nation’s children in foster care.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2019 as National Foster Care Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by taking time to help children and youth in foster care, and to recognize the commitment of those who touch their lives, particularly celebrating their foster parents and other caregivers.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.
If this doesn't demonstrate that President Trump has a thing or two to learn, I don't know what does.
Proclamation on National Foster Care Month, 2019
The future of our Nation rests with our children. We must invest in their futures, instill in them the values of family, faith, and country, and ensure they have every opportunity to realize their full potential. The development of our children begins at home, and my Administration is fully committed to strengthening American families.
This month, we recognize that there are children in our towns and communities who may not have a family, or whose families may be experiencing great difficulty and hardship. In America, we believe in standing beside these children, walking with them through their trials, and finding permanent and safe families for each of them. Kindhearted citizens across our land embody this belief, dedicating their time and efforts in doing so. In fiscal year 2017 alone, American families opened their doors to 443,000 young people in foster care ‑‑ a number that has increased each of the last 5 years. During National Foster Care Month, we honor these patriots, who open their hearts to children who need a home, and who care for the most vulnerable among us. We also acknowledge the profound contributions of the individuals and organizations supporting foster and kinship caregivers, and those of the community providers and professionals who are helping children in foster care find safe and stable families.
We must strive to keep families united, wherever possible, and my Administration is working to reduce the removal of at‑risk children from their homes and familiar surroundings. Last year, I signed into law the Family First Prevention Services Act, which is working to bolster families and keep children safely in their homes, when possible. This legislation gives States access to funding for evidence‑based prevention and early intervention services such as mental health therapy, family counseling, substance use and addiction treatment, and parenting classes. By allowing States to address factors, such as the opioid crisis, America’s sons and daughters are more likely to experience improved outcomes and hope for a brighter future.
When it becomes necessary to move children out of their homes in order to provide more safety, stability, and opportunity, placement with relatives who can provide that environment is the first option. Children often experience less trauma when in kinship care, which is why the Federal Government is funding programs that provide family caregivers the services and support they need and requiring States to demonstrate how their foster care licensing standards promote family-friendly options.
Children deserve stable family environments, and foster care provides a wonderful opportunity for selfless and compassionate men and women to nurture children while we work to ensure that they have a forever family. This month, and always, we express our gratitude to all of the families who generously open their doors to children in need and provide them with love and support. We recommit to looking for opportunities to invest in the lives of our vulnerable young people, and we celebrate those who tirelessly serve our Nation’s children in foster care.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2019 as National Foster Care Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by taking time to help children and youth in foster care, and to recognize the commitment of those who touch their lives, particularly celebrating their foster parents and other caregivers.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.
DONALD J. TRUMP
Shocking conditions at now shuttered Thunder Bay foster homes detailed in child advocate’s final report
Three Thunder Bay foster homes — closed by the province in 2017 after the death of a First Nations youth — had feces- and blood-stained floors, no working stove or food in the fridge, and were staffed by workers ill-equipped to handle the complex needs of youth in their care.
The shocking conditions are included in an investigative report by the office of Ontario’s Advocate for Children and Youth, which closed Tuesday as part of the Ford government’s “restoring trust, transparency and accountability” law. The office’s investigative role moves to the provincial ombudsman’s office May 1.
More >> Shocking conditions at now shuttered Thunder Bay foster homes detailed in child advocate’s final report
The shocking conditions are included in an investigative report by the office of Ontario’s Advocate for Children and Youth, which closed Tuesday as part of the Ford government’s “restoring trust, transparency and accountability” law. The office’s investigative role moves to the provincial ombudsman’s office May 1.
More >> Shocking conditions at now shuttered Thunder Bay foster homes detailed in child advocate’s final report
I swiped spider off my daughter's chest - now I've been reported for child abuse
A mum has hit back at critics who reported her to child protection services after she "punched" a spider crawling on her toddler daughter.
In a viral Facebook post, Megan Garcia described the horrifying moment a "massive wolf spider" appeared on her 18-month-old child's summer dress during a photoshoot.
More >> I swiped spider off my daughter's chest - now I've been reported for child abuse
Child Protection in Alaska struggles to maintain staff, manage case loads
As many as 3,000 children are in foster care in Alaska on any given day, spread across some 1,300 licensed foster homes, according to Alaska's Office of Children's Services.
The workload for front line workers can be overwhelming.
Understaffing and high case loads put strain on a job that's already emotionally difficult. While no one wants kids to fall through the cracks, it does happen.
Lisa Reasner, a 30-year-old mother of two, is so terrified her kids will land in protective custody, she's meticulous about making sure no one can say they're in harms way.
More >> Child Protection in Alaska struggles to maintain staff, manage case loads
The workload for front line workers can be overwhelming.
Understaffing and high case loads put strain on a job that's already emotionally difficult. While no one wants kids to fall through the cracks, it does happen.
Lisa Reasner, a 30-year-old mother of two, is so terrified her kids will land in protective custody, she's meticulous about making sure no one can say they're in harms way.
More >> Child Protection in Alaska struggles to maintain staff, manage case loads
Charges dropped against fired Tacoma cops who told grandmother to beat boy with belt
Charges against two fired Tacoma police officers who told a woman to beat her 9-year-old grandson with a belt were dismissed Thursday.
Jesse Jahner and Damion Birge had been charged with a felony of third-degree child assault as well as gross misdemeanors of coercion and official misconduct in Pierce County Superior Court.
Judge Jerry Costello dismissed the charges without prejudice.
More >> Charges dropped against fired Tacoma cops who told grandmother to beat boy with belt
Jesse Jahner and Damion Birge had been charged with a felony of third-degree child assault as well as gross misdemeanors of coercion and official misconduct in Pierce County Superior Court.
Judge Jerry Costello dismissed the charges without prejudice.
More >> Charges dropped against fired Tacoma cops who told grandmother to beat boy with belt
'No excuse for this': Family whose child was in home of foster dad who abused his son questions vetting process
The family of a toddler living in an El Mirage foster home, where an older child reported being abused by his father for two years, is questioning whether the state Department of Child Safety is adequately investigating foster parents.
The toddler was in a temporary foster placement at the home of Colin Steffee, 27, when he arrived for a family visit last month with cuts under his eyes and scratches on his cheek.
More >> 'No excuse for this': Family whose child was in home of foster dad who abused his son questions vetting process
The toddler was in a temporary foster placement at the home of Colin Steffee, 27, when he arrived for a family visit last month with cuts under his eyes and scratches on his cheek.
More >> 'No excuse for this': Family whose child was in home of foster dad who abused his son questions vetting process
Friday, May 03, 2019
Child-welfare cases are private. Does that protect the kids, or the state officials?
The Department of Child Safety's enforcement of confidentiality is peppered with exceptions — particularly when the public is paying attention.
More >> Child-welfare cases are private. Does that protect the kids, or the state officials?
More >> Child-welfare cases are private. Does that protect the kids, or the state officials?
Sociologist: Evidence shows homosexual parenting harms children
A sociologist said that when it comes to children’s welfare, homosexual “marriage” accomplishes the exact opposite of conjugal marriage, placing children at four times the risk of emotional distress.
Fr. Paul Sullins, a Catholic priest and former sociology professor at the Catholic University of America, made his comments in a presentation on “the impact of same-sex parenting on children” at a “Survivors Summit,” hosted by the Ruth Institute, where Sullins now serves as senior researcher.
More >> Sociologist: Evidence shows homosexual parenting harms children
Fr. Paul Sullins, a Catholic priest and former sociology professor at the Catholic University of America, made his comments in a presentation on “the impact of same-sex parenting on children” at a “Survivors Summit,” hosted by the Ruth Institute, where Sullins now serves as senior researcher.
More >> Sociologist: Evidence shows homosexual parenting harms children
Unaccompanied 16-year-old migrant boy dies in U.S. custody
A 16-year-old boy from Guatemala died days after being apprehended in the U.S., officials confirmed Wednesday. They said he developed symptoms of an illness the day after he arrived at a shelter in Texas.
According to the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry, the boy died Tuesday of a "severe infection in the frontal lobe" of the brain.
More >> Unaccompanied 16-year-old migrant boy dies in U.S. custody
According to the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry, the boy died Tuesday of a "severe infection in the frontal lobe" of the brain.
More >> Unaccompanied 16-year-old migrant boy dies in U.S. custody
Governor already named one foster child commission, but now pushes another as Oregon crisis mounts
The 80-year-old state library is a hulking, marble box of a building whose tall, narrow windows resemble the slots in an electrical outlet.
One day last summer, it was the unlikely setting for a reckoning over efforts to reform the state’s foster care system.
More >> Governor already named one foster child commission, but now pushes another as Oregon crisis mounts
One day last summer, it was the unlikely setting for a reckoning over efforts to reform the state’s foster care system.
More >> Governor already named one foster child commission, but now pushes another as Oregon crisis mounts
Ethan Okula’s foster mother was sentenced in his tragic death. So many more are to blame
The agencies contracting with DHS falsified a record and mishandled his medical care.
More >> Ethan Okula’s foster mother was sentenced in his tragic death. So many more are to blame
One child, 13 schools: how the foster system disrupts schooling
Growing up, Dylan Puckett estimates he went to more than 13 different schools. As a foster child, he regularly moved to new placements, and with new homes came new schools.
The upheaval made it hard for Puckett to adjust, he recalled at a panel on foster care and education hosted Wednesday by UNCF and the Mind Trust, a nonprofit education group, to raise awareness of the educational challenges facing Indiana foster youth.
More >> One child, 13 schools: how the foster system disrupts schooling
The upheaval made it hard for Puckett to adjust, he recalled at a panel on foster care and education hosted Wednesday by UNCF and the Mind Trust, a nonprofit education group, to raise awareness of the educational challenges facing Indiana foster youth.
More >> One child, 13 schools: how the foster system disrupts schooling
Foster parent seeking change after she says she was poked by a needle found in a diaper bag
A Brown County foster mom says she was poked by a needle in a diaper bag. She not only wants the county to pay her out-of-pocket health costs, but she also wants a policy change.
The Szerkins Family says the county can drop off a child at their house at any time in an emergency situation.
More >> Foster parent seeking change after she says she was poked by a needle found in a diaper bag
The Szerkins Family says the county can drop off a child at their house at any time in an emergency situation.
More >> Foster parent seeking change after she says she was poked by a needle found in a diaper bag
Shocking conditions at now shuttered Thunder Bay foster homes detailed in child advocate’s final report
Three Thunder Bay foster homes — closed by the province in 2017 after the death of a First Nations youth — had feces- and blood-stained floors, no working stove or food in the fridge, and were staffed by workers ill-equipped to handle the complex needs of youth in their care.
The shocking conditions are included in an investigative report by the office of Ontario’s Advocate for Children and Youth, which closed Tuesday as part of the Ford government’s “restoring trust, transparency and accountability” law. The office’s investigative role moves to the provincial ombudsman’s office May 1.
More >> Shocking conditions at now shuttered Thunder Bay foster homes detailed in child advocate’s final report
The shocking conditions are included in an investigative report by the office of Ontario’s Advocate for Children and Youth, which closed Tuesday as part of the Ford government’s “restoring trust, transparency and accountability” law. The office’s investigative role moves to the provincial ombudsman’s office May 1.
More >> Shocking conditions at now shuttered Thunder Bay foster homes detailed in child advocate’s final report
Judge tells former foster child he'd see her in handcuffs. She's about to get a master's degree.
What a judge told Lisa Koykar almost two decades ago became a sort of catalyst for the rest of her life.
It wasn't anything particularly kind, more like "a kick in the gut," she said. Koykar was 18 years old and was being emancipated from the foster care system.
More >> Judge tells former foster child he'd see her in handcuffs. She's about to get a master's degree.
It wasn't anything particularly kind, more like "a kick in the gut," she said. Koykar was 18 years old and was being emancipated from the foster care system.
More >> Judge tells former foster child he'd see her in handcuffs. She's about to get a master's degree.
Too Many Kids, Too Few Judges Mean Delays In Child Welfare Cases In Worcester County
Guy O'Donnell is sitting in the Worcester courthouse, waiting for a decision that's been put off several times before.
O'Donnell is waiting to learn if the court will set a hearing date for him and his spouse to begin formal adoption proceedings for the two children who've been living with them for the past two years.
More >> Too Many Kids, Too Few Judges Mean Delays In Child Welfare Cases In Worcester County
O'Donnell is waiting to learn if the court will set a hearing date for him and his spouse to begin formal adoption proceedings for the two children who've been living with them for the past two years.
More >> Too Many Kids, Too Few Judges Mean Delays In Child Welfare Cases In Worcester County
What Happens When Educators Fail to Report Child Abuse (Hint: Not Much)
Sweetwater Union High School District officials received an email with detailed information about ongoing sexual abuse of a student by a teacher, but did nothing. La Jolla High School officials believed a teacher’s touching of a student rose to the level of criminal behavior, but don’t appear to have called in Child Protective Services or San Diego police.
More >> What Happens When Educators Fail to Report Child Abuse (Hint: Not Much)
More >> What Happens When Educators Fail to Report Child Abuse (Hint: Not Much)
Wednesday, May 01, 2019
Girl's aunt loses custody request to foster parents in Family Court case
An Erie County judge allowed two foster parents to retain custody of a 4-year-old girl they've raised since birth, despite the wishes of an aunt who has never met the girl but wants to adopt her.
Family Court Judge Margaret O. Szczur on Tuesday dismissed the aunt's petition for custody, saying she didn't act soon enough.
More >> Girl's aunt loses custody request to foster parents in Family Court case
Family Court Judge Margaret O. Szczur on Tuesday dismissed the aunt's petition for custody, saying she didn't act soon enough.
More >> Girl's aunt loses custody request to foster parents in Family Court case
Mom says she was threatened by judge for breastfeeding: 'I felt discriminated against'
A North Carolina mom says a judge threatened to put her baby in the custody of Child Protective Services (CPS) because she was breastfeeding in his courtroom.
Local news affiliate WRAL reports that new mom Danielle Bell of Clayton, N.C., appeared in a Johnston County courtroom last week for a case involving her traffic tickets. While she waited to be called, she sat in the back of the courtroom and nursed her 3-month-old daughter, Penelope, who was resting in a sling.
More >> Mom says she was threatened by judge for breastfeeding: 'I felt discriminated against'
Local news affiliate WRAL reports that new mom Danielle Bell of Clayton, N.C., appeared in a Johnston County courtroom last week for a case involving her traffic tickets. While she waited to be called, she sat in the back of the courtroom and nursed her 3-month-old daughter, Penelope, who was resting in a sling.
More >> Mom says she was threatened by judge for breastfeeding: 'I felt discriminated against'
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)