KARA gathers current news about child protection and risk children to bring transparency and attention to our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. This is a sampling of what should be reported – the great majority of children’s issues, child trauma & abuse is never reported.
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Girls in Crisis Settings Overlooked for Life-Saving Care, Say Health Advocates.
United Nations Population Fund.
In the face of natural disasters, wars and displacement, women and girls become more vulnerable to rape, sexual exploitation, unwanted pregnancies, forced marriage and several other plights. When in these situations women and girls cannot or do not seek care because of a lack of access and/or because of a stigma surrounding seeking care. Through several programs UNPF has broken down many barriers to care and education about reproductive and health care.
http://www.unfpa.org/news/girls-crisis-settings-overlooked-life-saving-care-say-health-advocates
80 Years On and Not Enough Has Changed.
Huffington Post.
The millions of children who are displaced because of natural disasters or civil wars all miss out on continuing their education, which subsequently hinders their future development. Teachers play in important role by traveling from refugee camp to refugee camp, not only teaching, but empower children and building peace, hope, self-esteem and valuable skills.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/plan-international-canada/children-refugee-crisis_b_15496158.html
How Dogs Could Make Children Better Readers.
The Independent.
It is well known the reading at a young age can build future academic success and development. Therapeutic animals, including dogs, may have a calming effect and ease the pressure some children may experience in schools. Being able to read to a dog without an uncritical audience may help build the confidence of these children, which may also result in them wanting to read more often.
St. Kitts – Early Childhood Education Plays a Vital Role in a Child’s Development.
The St. Kitts Observer.
The government of St. Kitts says it is dedicated to ensuring the all children have access to early childhood education, whether it be public or private. The government has subsided a portion of the cost, in some cases nearly 50%. The program in St. Kitts has garnered attention from UNICEF not only for having a plan to ensure the education of children, but also for having properly trained teachers to ensure a high standard of education for children.
Africa – From Cost to Coast: Africa Unites to Tackle Threat of Polio.
World Health Organization.
Several countries in Africa have taken steps to immunize all children under 5 to stop polio. Health ministers have described the urgency of the need for multiple synchronized immunization campaigns. For the plan of vaccination to be successful, volunteers and health workers will have to work for 12 hours a day, traveling by foot or bicycle from village to village.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2017/africa-tackles-polio/en/
Romania – Measles Outbreak in Romania: Over 3, 400 Cases Registered, 17 Children Dead.
Romania Insider.
It is argued that the measles outbreak is at least partially due to a campaign against vaccination for children. Measles is a highly contagious virus and it is argued that children who are unvaccinated are at a higher risk of contracting measles. The campaign alleges that the vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella has serious side effects and may even cause autism.
Yemen – At Two-Year Mark, Yemen’s Conflict Takes Heavy Toll on Women and Girls.
United Nations Population Fund.
Food insecurity and high poverty levels puts mothers and children at risk during child birth. Women and girls are also increasingly vulnerable to gender based violence at home and in society. Young children are bearing the burden of caring for their families alone.
http://www.unfpa.org/news/two-year-mark-yemens-conflict-takes-heavy-toll-women-and-girls
Kenya – Teen Mothers in Kenya Become Powerful Advocates for Change.
United Nations Population Fund.
Teen pregnancies hinder girls from continuing their education and building a future. Teen pregnancies are a result of a lack of sexual and reproductive health information in developing countries. Community outreach and training about reproductive health and rights have educated young girls and enabled them to make more informed decisions.
http://www.unfpa.org/news/teen-mothers-kenya-become-powerful-advocates-change
China – Safeguarding Children Against Domestic Violence in China.
The Asia Foundation.
Abuse of ‘left behind’ children has garnered attention and media coverage. Children, generally aged 10 to 17, experience corporal punishment, verbal punishment, or psychological abuses. Studies have shown that such abuse is inflicted by parents, biological, adoptive or step-parents. Corporal punishment is banned by law in China’s schools, however; parents or guardian are given a high level of discretion when exercising discipline, which results in many believing that engaging in such behaviour is not domestic violence.
http://asiafoundation.org/2017/03/01/safeguarding-children-domestic-violence-china/
Trinidad – Kamla Defends Sat Over Position on Child Marriage.
Trinidad Express Newspapers – Daily Express.
The opposition leader supports a religious group in the debate over the age of marriage. The opposition leader and religious group argues that the age of marriage is a matter of culture and is also tied into the history of East Indians, the Hindu faith and Indian people in Trinidad.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20170319/news/kamla-defends-sat-over-position-on-child-marriage
Time for a Clear Roadmap for States to End Child Immigration Detention.
Open Democracy.
Children are being detained for years for not having correct travel documents; a five year old girl was detained for three years. While both sides of the argument has strong support, sates have said they would work to end the practice, but they have not put forward concrete steps to ending the practice. Access to existing child protection mechanisms have been cited by groups as a possible alternative to immigration detention. Amending legislation, so as to restrict the age of detainees, has also been argued to be key step in ending immigration detention.
Yemen – Falling Through the Crackers – the Child of Yemen.
Relief Web.
As poverty increases, food supplies dwindle and coping mechanisms erode, children are being recruited by warring parties, pushed into early marriage and also suffering from diseases such as cholera and acute diarrhoea. Schools are being destroyed and are also being used to host displaced families, and as a result, children are missing school and unable to continue their education. About 2 million children are out of school, more than 1, 500 children have been killed and the number of children recruited by waring parties have increased to nearly 1, 580.
Kenya – Nairobi has Most Cases of Reported Child Abuse, Study Shows.
Daily Nation.
It has been reported that in the last 10 years more than 33, 000 cases of child abuse have been reported. The forms of child abuse included child abandonment and neglect, child trafficking, abduction and kidnapping, child labour, emotional abuse and physical abuse. It has been reported that sexual abuse against girl children is often carried out against them by family members. It is stated that this nigh number can be attributed to there being more awareness.
Do you Know Where your Children Are – When it Comes to Being Online?
Toronto Sun.
Experts warn of the dangerous of online grooming. They say it is not enough to monitor a child’s time on the internet, but appropriate boundaries and knowledge of safe internet usage needs to be developed with the child and parents so that when children are outside the home they are equipped to make smart choices. This comes as a warning as children experience sexual solicitation from online predators.
Indonesia – China Marriage, Genital Cutting ‘Unacceptable’ – UN.
Asian Correspondent.
Women and girls face barriers to health rights and experience violence and discrimination because of gender inequality. Stigmatization and opposition by certain groups who continue oppose policies and mechanisms make it even more difficult to achieve equality and health rights for women and girls.
Canada – Manitoba Sets Time Limits to Speed up Child Protection Hearings.
The Globe and Mail.
The justice system attempted to work with families and agencies to reunite children with their parents, this however resulted in institutional delays leaving children in limbo, waiting in foster care and hotel. With the ruling of the Supreme Court of Canada in the R. v. Jordan case, unreasonable delay in bringing cases to trial have been scrutinized. A Chief Justice stated that the justice system must differentiate between urgent and important cases, recognizing that the child protection matters are urgent.
Gambia – LRR Stakeholders Capacitated on Child Protection Issues.
All Africa.
As part of an initiative to strength child protection services, regional level leaders, such as headmasters and teachers, took part in a forum to learn about and training in positive discipline. These efforts are made to protect children from everyday violence by training teachers to promote and recognize child rights and child protection.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201703220452.html
India – Child Protection Officer Arrested.
The Times of India.
Government employees and administrative officials have been arrested in connection to facilitating the trafficking of children. Also, a nursing home owner and ‘middleman’ have been arrested for being a ‘source’ where a baby could be found, assumedly to be trafficked.
Australia’s Aboriginal Children ‘Essentially Being Punished for Being Poor’ – UN Rights Experts.
UN News Centre.
Youths and children from Australia’s Indigenous and Aboriginal communities are being overrepresented in youth detention centres. A UN human rights experts explains that a low age of criminal responsibility, socio-economic disadvantages and budget cuts in funding support programs, have all contributed to child removal and the increase of children being detained.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56493#.WOeZ4ncZOu5
Colombia Landslide Leaves at least 254 dead and hundreds missing.
The Guardian.
After a major landslides hundreds of people have been killed or injured, including at least 62 children, and hundreds of people have been left without power, gar, or little clean water. Children have also been orphaned because their parents have either been killed in the landslide or were missing. The city of Mocoa is now left with the issue of rebuilding and finding the missing victims.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/01/colombia-landslide-mocoa-putumayo-heavy-rains
South Sudan – Developing Local Child Protection Capacity in South Sudan.
Relief Web.
US aid organizations and community groups have come together to provide workshops within communities to address child protection issues. The workshops enables communities to recognize cases where children are in need of psych-social or medical support. These workshops also promote the value of equal opportunity to education for both boys and girls.
http://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/developing-local-child-protection-capacity-south-sudan
Canada – Underfunding for B.C. Aboriginal Agencies Means Kids Removed from Homes: Report.
680 News.
B.C.’s representative for children and youth states that the agency funding has created in a two tired system which provides inequitable services for children. The inequitable funding has also resulted in children being removed from their homes. More funding needs to be put towards Aboriginal agencies, as they are handling more complex cases and also a greater caseload in general.
Australia’s Rate of Indigenous Child Removal ‘Unique,’ UN Investigator Says.
The Guardian.
A report states that Australia’s rates of child removal, from families, is ten times the rate of non-Indigenous child removal. Also, the rate of incarceration among the Indigenous community is higher than that of non-Indigenous communities There was an instance of a 12-year-old boy being incarcerated for stealing a piece of fruit. The report, along with a royal commission, had made several recommendations to address the disproportionate representation of Indigenous people in jail and the poor child protection system, however, very few of the recommendations had been implemented.
Pakistan – Child Sex Abuse on the Rise in Pakistan: Report.
Business Standard.
A NGO’s report states the child sex abuse in Pakistan has risen from 3, 768 registered cases in 2015 to 4, 139 registered cases in 2016. Activists state that children and families are hesitant to come forward and report cases of abuse due to a conservative culture and also due to a lack of a safe space to report incidents to. The government has also began to punish those guilty of child abuse with life imprisonment or even death.
Pakistan – Stricter Child Abuse Punishments.
The Nation.
Statutory rape, punishment for it, and consent are controversial topics in Pakistan. A new bill that would increase punishment for statutory rape and child pornography was rejected in parliament. A National Assembly member stated that there a different punishment for statutory rape was not necessary because a punishment already existed, and that statutory rape is not equivalent to rape. Rather than addressing the inability of children to consent or protect themselves in a relationship where they are helpless, victims are often times prosecuted for extra marital intercourse.
http://nation.com.pk/editorials/09-Apr-2017/stricter-child-abuse-punishments
England – Bournemouth Scout Leader Jailed for 41-year Child Abuse.
BBC News.
Despite a vulnerable persons check, a scout leader abused nine boys, some as young as eight or nine-years-old, between 1975 and 2016. The accused admitted to all 18 charges which included indecent assaults and possessing indecent photos.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-39563358
Malaysia – Rape Victims Should Marry their Rapists, Malaysian MP Tells Parliament.
The Guardian.
During a parliamentary debate over a bill on sexual offences against children, a former sharia judge stated that a rape victim should marry her rapist. He stated that the victim does not necessarily have to have bleak future, she will instead have a husband. The MP also suggests that girls of a certain age, as young as 12, maybe spiritually and physically mature enough for marriage.
The Desperate Journey of a Trafficked Girl.
The New Yorker.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/10/the-desperate-journey-of-a-trafficked-girl
China – Hong Kong’s Tourism Sector the Loser Without Laws to Protect Rights of Sexual Minorities, Experts Say.
South China Morning Post.
Anti-discrimination ordinances in China fails to afford protection to the LGBT community despite a climate of acceptance in Hong Kong’s society and several neighbouring jurisdictions. Experts say if Hong Kong were to take more legislative steps to provide adequate protection to the LGBT community, its business sector is projected to see considerable growth.
Myanmar – UNFPA Responds to Gender Violence in Conflict-Scarred Kachin.
United Nations Population Fund.
In the face of any humanitarian crisis, women and girls become more vulnerable to gender based violence and face the stigmatization that is attached to it. Such stigmatization makes women and girls afraid to report rapes and domestic abuse to the police. However, with the aid of UNFPA women and girls are receiving medical treatment and emergency care for their injuries.
http://www.unfpa.org/news/unfpa-responds-gender-violence-conflict-scarred-kachin
Yemen – Millions of Children in Yemen Vaccinated Against Polio through UN-Backed Campaign.
UN News Centre.
The UN Children’s Fund and the Word Health Organization has worked with community leaders to reach high risk groups, including internally displaced persons and refugees, to vaccinate children against contagious and potentially fatal diseases. The vaccination and immunization campaigns have succeeded in reducing the number of child deaths.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56531#.WOz4OHcZN-W
Ireland – Canadian Man Flew to Ireland to Have Sex with Girl (13) He Groomed on Internet.
A Canadian man, who posed as a 16-year-old boy on the internet, is facing charges under Canadian child sex tourism legislation. The Canadian Criminal Code allows for the laying of charges against citizens and permanent residents who have committed certain sexual offences against children in other countries. Locals became suspicious when they saw the accused with the victim, and reported it to the police.
UAE – Reporting Child Abuse s Everyone’s Responsibility, Dubai Foundation Says.
The National UAE.
Dubai Foundation for Women and Children is launching its annual campaign which would address the new law that covers physical and sexual abuse, habitual maltreatment, neglect and the exploitation of children. The Foundation states that the law will strengthen the campaign’s initiative. Through media exposure, lectures and education events, the Foundation aims to create a collective initiative to protection child and raise awareness.
Guatemalan Tragedy Reveals Need for Better Protection for Children.
PRI.
Over 40 children died and many more were injured after a public shelter was engulfed in flames. This public shelter houses hundreds of children and teenagers, who were alleged to be victims of abuse, trafficking and neglect. A lawyer stated that this was tragedy that no one wanted but that was a long time coming. A 36 year civil war and institutional complicity towards violence of vulnerable groups has resulted in women and children being more vulnerable to sexual abuse.
https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-03-21/guatemalan-tragedy-reveals-need-better-protection-children
US: Hundreds of pinwheels planted to raise awareness on child abuse (Includes video)
WCBY – April 02, 2017
The month of April marks Child Abuse Awareness month. According to the National Children’s Alliance, in 2015, more than 1,600 children died from abuse and neglect in the U.S.
US: Trump Proclaims April 2017 As National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Inquisitr – April 02, 2017
National Child Abuse Prevention Month was first observed in 1983 by proclamation by President Ronald Reagan. Since then, the office on Child Abuse and Neglect has continued to annually coordinate activities, host multidisciplinary forums focused on prevention, awareness, and education. Following in Regan’s footsteps, and several other presidents before him, President Donald Trump also proclaimed April National Child Abuse Prevention Month on March 31, 2017.
US: April awareness month highlights dentists’ role in reporting child abuse (Press release)
American Dental Association – March 31, 2017
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and an apt time for dentists to consider their role in reporting child abuse, neglect and other forms of maltreatment. In 2015 nationwide, there were a reported 683,000 victims of child abuse and neglect, including 1,670 deaths, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
US: Psychologist: We must not harm children as a deterrent to immigrants | Opinion
NJ.com – March 30, 2017
As a social worker and developmental psychologist, I am shocked that Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly is considering separating undocumented children from their mothers — including those seeking asylum – at the U.S. border.
http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/03/we_must_not_harm_children_as_a_deterrent_to_immigr.html
US: Nearly Four in 10 Kids Are Involved in Maltreatment Investigations by Age 18
Annie E. Casey Foundation – March 28, 2017
By the time kids in the United States reach adulthood, 37% have crossed paths with Child Protective Services as potential victims of maltreatment, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health.
Information Gateway resource: Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/statistics/can/
Canada: Manitoba government under fire for keeping millions meant for kids in care
CBC News – March 31, 2017
Government kept $32M from federal allowance intended for child welfare agencies.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-fielding-cfs-money-1.4050901
Canada: B.C. youth advocate slams funding models for Indigenous youth services
CBC News – March 30, 2017
New report says ‘flawed and discriminatory’ funding makes Indigenous children more likely to end up in care.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/daa-report-1.4047903
Canada: Ottawa gives Manitoba chiefs money to study reforming child welfare system (Includes video)
APTN National News – March 27, 2017
Bennett says the $550,000 will help First Nations consult with elders, social workers and youth to figure out how to better address their needs. Grand Chief Derek Nepinak says putting more money into child welfare doesn’t make sense until the system stops rewarding the apprehension of kids.
US: How Policymakers Prioritize Evidence-Based Programs Through Law
Pew Charitable Trusts – April 03, 2017
Policymakers seeking the best return on taxpayer dollars are increasingly focusing on cost-effective programs that have been proven to achieve desired outcomes. Evidence-based policymaking, which relies on rigorous analysis of program results to inform budget, policy, and management decisions, is one strategy gaining support among public leaders who want to reduce wasteful spending, expand successful programs, and strengthen accountability.
Information Gateway resource: Evidence-Based Practice in Family Support and Preservation Services: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/supporting/resources-for-managers-of-family-support-and-preservation-services/evidence/
US: Stress of child abuse impacts the physical growth and maturation of adolescents
Science Daily – March 28, 2017
“We found that young women with sexual abuse histories were far more likely to transition into higher puberty stages an entire year before their non-abused counterparts when it came to pubic hair growth, and a full 8 months earlier in regards to breast development,” Noll stated. “Due to increased exposure to estrogens over a longer period of time, premature physical development such as this has been linked to breast and ovarian cancers. Additionally, early puberty is seen as a potential contributor to increased rates of depression, substance abuse, sexual risk taking and teenage pregnancy.”
India: 24 children in foster care
Hindu – April 01, 2017
Twenty-four destitute children from various children’s homes in the district now have a family to go home to, with the District Child Protection Unit’s (DCPU) Sanatha Balyam foster care project taking off on Friday.
South Africa: Alberton Child Welfare holds AGM (Annual General Meeting)
Alberton Record – April 02, 2017
Workers from the Department of Social Development have been on strike for several weeks, which means that no children could be removed from unsafe or abusive homes or environments.
http://albertonrecord.co.za/139871/alberton-child-welfare-holds-agm/
United Kingdom: The football child abuse scandal just keeps on growing
Guardian – April 02, 2017
After everything that has emerged about football’s sexual-abuse scandal – including some extraordinary new details that can be reported today about the lack of co-operation from a number of high-ranking Football Association officials – it can come as a jolt to realise that the problem is not just restricted to what used to be known as the good old days.
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/football-child-abuse-scandal-just-080048313.html
US: Author Ties ‘Whupping’ of Black Kids to the Days of Slavery in ‘Spare the Kids’
Chronicle of Social Change – April 04, 2017
With the end of slavery, Patton states that “whupping was used as a survival tactic to teach black children proper racial etiquette so they would not risk being beaten or lynched by whites.” Even today, black parents justify whupping their children as the only way to prevent them from being shot or locked up.
US: State-sanctioned Ransom Should Have No Place in Child Welfare (Opinion)
Youth Today – April 04, 2017
The Orwellian term typically used for these payments is “child support.” But these payments from parents do not go to supporting their own children. Rather, the money is used to keep the foster care system running. When someone’s child is taken away and the parent has to pay to get the child back, that money is not child support. It’s ransom.
http://youthtoday.org/2017/04/state-sanctioned-ransom-should-have-no-place-in-child-welfare/
US: Tsunami of UACs May Be Nearing an End
Center for Immigration Studies – April 03, 2017
The crisis of unaccompanied minors (UACs) and family units being apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol is showing signs of going from a tsunami to a steady and more manageable flow, providing cause for cautious optimism and relief for communities inundated by unaccompanied minors and the horrific crimes that have recently occurred.
Also: The Sorry State of How Unaccompanied Kids Are Handled at the Border (Opinion): http://www.signature-reads.com/2017/04/sorry-state-of-how-unaccompanied-kids-are-handled-at-the-border/
Also: Information Gateway resource: Permanency for Immigrant Children and Youth: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/permanency/specific/immigrant/
http://cis.org/kolb/tsunami-uacs-may-be-nearing-end
Mexico & US: In Mexico, a program attempts to help U.S. citizen kids deported with their undocumented parents
Daily Kos – April 04, 2017
An educational program is helping some of the U.S. citizen children who have essentially been deported along with their undocumented immigrant parents back to Mexico cope with a new language, a new school system, and a new home.
US: Childhood sex abuse could accelerate puberty in girls, study finds
CBS News – April 05, 2017
Researchers who’ve carefully tracked a small cohort of child sex abuse survivors over three decades say they’ve observed another phenomenon: that child sex abuse accelerates the timeline of puberty in adolescent girls. The Pennsylvania State University researchers shared their findings in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Study: Childhood Sexual Abuse and Early Timing of Puberty: http://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(16)30352-4/fulltext
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sexual-abuse-accelerates-puberty-girls/
US: Senators Lankford, Inhofe Co-Sponsor Bill to Protect Rights of Child Welfare Charities (Press release)
Public Now – April 05, 2017
Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) have cosponsored the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, a bill to protect the rights of child welfare charities to operate without the fear of discrimination based on religious beliefs. The bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) and in the House by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA).
http://publicnow.com/view/10910FE3A94722E04270E4DC5018F393A21F766C
US: States Seek Medicaid Dollars for Addiction Treatment Beds
Pew Charitable Trusts – April 05, 2017
The federal government is encouraging all states to seek a waiver of Medicaid’s residential treatment rule, but only if the care is offered as part of a comprehensive set of addiction services for low-income people.
Japan: Japan has officially recognised a same-sex couple as foster parents
Mashable – April 06, 2017
Japan has officially recognised a same-sex couple as foster parents, marking a first for the country and signalling a growing recognition of LGBTQ rights in Japan.
US: How Organized Sexual Abuse Has Stayed Under The Radar For So Long
Collective Evolution – April 05, 2017
Many people who live through sexual /sadistic abuse cannot bring themselves to talk about what happened because they fear no-one would believe them. How has this widespread problem existed in relative secrecy for so long?
US: Cities are taking a new approach to homelessness
Curbed – April 04, 2017
Especially as the future of Housing and Urban Development funding is up in the air due to budget cuts proposed by the new administration that would specifically limit low-income vouchers, cities won’t be able to rely on federal housing dollars. While funneling energy toward building more residential units is important, what cities need to focus on are ways to provide immediate stability to their residents, whether it’s a safe place to park an RV, or a storage locker for valuables, so homeless residents can focus on their jobs, their families, their lives.
Information Gateway resources: Housing Services: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/service-array/housing/
http://www.curbed.com/2017/4/4/15112866/homeless-affordable-housing-crisis-hud
US: New deportation policy proposals place kids at risk
Child Trends – March 29, 2017
An estimated 5.1 million children in the United States live with at least one unauthorized immigrant parent, and nearly 80 percent of those children are U.S. citizens. Though recent changes to immigration policy and enforcement announced by the Trump administration more directly target adults, they threaten these children’s well-being.
https://www.childtrends.org/new-deportation-policies-place-kids-risk
Ireland: Congregations’ child abuse apologies lack credibility (Opinion)
Irish Times – April 05, 2017
It is practice when reviews of child protection standards are published by the Catholic Church’s National Board for Safeguarding Children that these are followed by many apologies from the institutions concerned. These follow a usual formula welcoming the review, apologising for what was uncovered, and assurances that such will never, ever happen again. Yesterday, the De La Salle Brothers, the Norbertines, the Nazareth Sisters and the Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd congregations followed suit.
US: Fostering a better relationship between foster kids and the media
University Star – April 09, 2017
Foster children have been portrayed in movies and television shows as rogue, mysterious and badass. Often, these kids are branded heroes for disobeying the status quo and making their own rules as they go along. Not only does this paint a bad image for the community, but propagates a false narrative of what foster care is really like.
US: How foster care turns into hell (Opinion)
New York Post – April 07, 2017
Indeed, maintaining children’s connections with other adults may be the first step not only to preventing abuse but to improving the foster system in general. In recent years, church-based programs like Faithbridge in Georgia search for foster parents in the immediate vicinity of kids in need. Co-founder Bill Hancock recalls going to a church and announcing that there were 11 kids in his own ZIP code in need of foster families. Four dozen people showed up to volunteer.
http://nypost.com/2017/04/07/how-foster-care-turns-into-hell/
US: How Government Is Reforming IT Procurement and What it Means for Vendors
Government Technology – April 06, 2017
In California, it first took the form of a request for a new case management system from Child Welfare Services (CWS) – an important tool, since it’s the nexus through which the state checks in on tens of thousands of children suffering abuse and neglect each year. The agency took years crafting exactly the kind of RFP everybody complains about. Those familiar with the project say even the people who wrote the RFP didn’t think it would end with a good system.
US: NCJFCJ Recognizes Child Abuse Prevention Month (Press release)
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges – April 06, 2017
The work of the NCJFCJ has several initiatives and programs so that judges in their communities can oversee positive outcomes in child welfare matters. The Child Abuse and Neglect Institute, created in 1996, provides training in dependency court best practices for judicial officers. This week-long program brings together national and local faculty to teach on core topics including hearing practice, child development, substance abuse, and cutting-edge court improvement developments, among other topics.
http://www.einpresswire.com/article/374674396/ncjfcj-recognizes-child-abuse-prevention-month
Hungary: Government to continue revamping foster-care system in Hungary
Daily News Hungary – April 08, 2017
Hungary’s government will implement further measures as part of an overall revamp of the country’s foster care system, the human resources ministry said on Friday.
https://dailynewshungary.com/government-continue-revamping-foster-care-system-hungary/
Ukraine: Over 200,000 children in E. Ukraine need urgent support to overcome trauma of conflict: UNICEF
China.org.cn – April 07, 2017
More than 200,000 children, or one in four, in the two regions most severely affected by ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine require urgent and sustained psychosocial support to address the trauma of living through more than three years of violence, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2017-04/07/content_40580507.htm
US: iFoster Announces Employer Tax Bill for Foster Youth
PR Web – April 10, 2017
The Improved Employment Outcomes For Foster Youth Act H.R.2060 amends the Internal Revenue Code to include transition age foster youth as categorically eligible for purposes of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). Employers may be eligible to receive a credit of up to $2,400 annually for each foster youth hired.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/04/prweb14231136.htm
US: Turner Reintroduces Foster Care Housing Bill (Press release)
Congressman Michael Turner – April 10, 2017
Aging out of foster care should not mean aging into homelessness. The Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act will remove obstacles blocking these vulnerable youths’ access to safe housing during their overnight transition into adulthood.
https://turner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/turner-reintroduces-foster-care-housing-bill
US: Big Data’s Latest Brainstorm: Target Poor People and Make Parents Suspects If They Ask For Help (Opinion)
Chronicle of Social Change – April 11, 2017
SAS’ evidence that its new approach works consists of pointing out that a lot of those it targeted had repeat reports of child abuse. But the reasoning is circular. Part of the rationale for predictive analytics is that decisions now are too subjective and prone to bias. Logically, then, you can’t turn around and cite those same subjective, biased decisions as proof your approach works.
US: Bishops back bill to let agencies opt out of adoption for same-sex couples
Catholic Herald – April 11, 2017
Three bishops, in a joint letter to the measure’s sponsor, voiced their support of the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, which would permit social service agencies to refuse on religious grounds to provide adoption or foster services for households headed by same-sex couples.
US: Can the child welfare system handle trans children? Part Two
Windy City Times – April 11, 2017
From the conversations, which her parents’ groups have shared with those in Illinois, Martha told Windy City Times that she knows of two cases of transgender children currently in Illinois DCFS courts where the parent stands accused of some form of abuse or neglect and 10 that have been similarly heard nationwide.
Also: Can the Child Welfare System Handle Trans Children? Part One Transgender youth being removed from homes by child welfare agencies: http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Can-the-Child-Welfare-System-Handle-Trans-Children/58703.html
Also: Child Welfare Information Gateway Resource: Working With LGBTQ Families in Adoption: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/diverse-populations/lgbtq/working-with-lgbtq-families-in-adoption/
Also: Child Welfare Information Gateway Resource: Working With LGBTQ Youth and Families: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/diverse-populations/lgbtq/
US: How The Heroin Crisis Is Straining Foster Care
Huffington Post – April 11, 2017
With the increase in children being placed into foster care, the foster care system is struggling to keep up. With roughly 450,000 children in foster care across the nation, there are not enough foster homes, as foster care agencies face the challenge of recruitment and retention of foster parents. The end result is simply that there are not enough homes for children in need to be placed in, or a child is moved from one home to another.
INTERNATIONAL
India: In a first, welfare officials stop underage wedding
Times of India – April 11, 2017
Members of the Child Welfare Committee, along with a team from the woman and child helpline, prevented a child marriage in the periphery of Chandigarh. The teams swung to action after receiving a call on the helpline number, 181 at 2.07pm on Monday. This is the first time such a case has come to fore in the city, members of the rescue team said.
US: Corporal punishment is no way to discipline kids
Clarion Herald – April 12, 2017
Patton’s work over the past decade aims to reform cultural attitudes of African-American parents: that physical punishment of children is a proper form of discipline that comes from love and an impulse to protect them from getting into worse trouble later.
Also: How about sparing the kid and not using the rod?: http://tsdmemphis.com/news/2017/apr/12/how-about-sparing-kid-and-not-using-rod/
Information Gateway resource: Family-Centered Approach to Working With Families: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/famcentered/caseworkpractice/working/
INTERNATIONAL
International: Adoption, Foster Care: Exploring Which Countries Have The Easiest Adoption Procedures
Parent Herald – April 13, 2017
China is on the top list of easiest countries to adopt with its “stable and predictive adoption program,” as per Insider Monkey. Parents can adopt Chinese infants and kids up to 7-years-old, provided they have been married for two years and are not under 30-years-old.
US: Child Adoption for Same Sex Couples (Opinion)
Artipot – April 12, 2017
According to Human Rights Campaign, more than 104,000 youth in the foster system are eligible for adoption. By refusing couples of the same sex of the right to adopt, these children are more affected. They are being deprived of their right for a safe and a happy family.
http://www.artipot.com/articles/2066082/child-adoption-for-same-sex-couples.htm
INTERNATIONAL
Belgium: EU boosts child migrant protection efforts
News24 – April 12, 2017
The EU on Wednesday announced steps to better protect child migrants running the risk of abuse as they come to Europe in record numbers, including avoiding placing them in detention centres.
Also: E.U. Seeks Stronger Protections for Child Migrants: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/world/europe/eu-migrants-children.html?_r=0
http://www.news24.com/World/News/eu-boosts-child-migrant-protection-efforts-20170412
Canada: From foster care to missing or murdered: Canada’s other tragic pipeline (Opinion)
MaClean’s – April 12, 2017
The increasing number of First Nations children being placed into foster care in Canada is nothing short of a crisis. Although Indigenous children make up only seven per cent of the population in Canada, they represent 48 per cent of all children in foster care. It is an astounding number until one examines these rates on a province-by-province basis.
United Kingdom: Child safety chiefs attack Facebook over abuse content
Times – April 14, 2017
Britain’s leading child protection charity called last night for Facebook and other technology giants to “stop making up their own rules” regarding child safety. The charity spoke out after an investigation by The Times revealed that Facebook continued to host potentially illegal child abuse content even after its moderators were told that it was on the site.
Also: Facebook’s darkest secret: a platform for paedophiles: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/facebook-s-darkest-secret-a-platform-for-paedophiles-hqlxxt2xq
US: Adoption Fairness Bill: Bipartisan Legislation for Tribal Special Needs Children
Indian Country Today – April 16, 2017
Bill would give parents adopting tribal special needs children an adoption tax credit available to states.
Also: A Right-Wing Think Tank Is Trying to Bring Down the Indian Child Welfare Act. Why? (Opinion): https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/politics/right-wing-think-tank-trying-bring-indian-child-welfare-act/
US: Partnership to help foster youth attend, complete college
University Business – April 16, 2017
FosterClub, a national network for foster youth, announced a new partnership today with student success coaching leader InsideTrack to help close college attendance and achievement gaps among foster youth and children. The coaching initiative bridges the period between emancipation and college, where many foster youth abandon education due to a lack of support and guidance. It then continues to support them through their first year of postsecondary education to ensure they make a successful transition.
https://www.universitybusiness.com/news/partnership-help-foster-youth-attend-complete-college
US: CDC study: Half-million U.S. women, girls at risk for genital mutilation
Macomb Daily – April 14, 2017
The 2012 study estimates 513,000 females under age 18 are at risk for female genital mutilation, an increase more than four times that of a 1990 estimate. Another study, conducted by The Population Reference Bureau in February 2015, estimates up to 507,000 U.S. women and girls are at risk of undergoing the procedure.
The Study: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Humanitarian/Special%20Situations/fgmutilation.pdf
US: The Other Missing Children: Those Fleeing Abusive and Neglectful Homes
Chronicle of Social Change – April 14, 2017
Federal data suggests that nationwide over 20 percent of the youths who run away or are thrown out of their homes reported being physically or sexually abused at home in the prior year or fearing abuse upon returning home. Many of these children have been betrayed by a system that failed to protect them, leaving running away as their only option.
US: American Parents Are Adopting Fewer Children From Abroad
Associated Press – April 13, 2017
The number of foreign children adopted by U.S. parents dropped almost 5 percent last year, continuing a steady decline that’s now extended for 12 years, according to new State Department figures.
http://time.com/4739434/adoption-rates-international-children-decline/
US: Separate mothers and children: How a Trump threat deterred illegal migrants (Includes video)
Reuters – April 13, 2017
President Donald Trump has won the first major battle in his war on illegal immigration, and he did it without building his wall. The victory was announced last week by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which released figures showing a 93 percent drop since December of parents and children caught trying to cross the Mexico border illegally.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-mothers-insight-idUSKBN17F23M
Vietnam: Recording 1,000 child sexual abuse cases each year
Vietnam.net – April 14, 2017
More than 1,000 cases of sexual abuse against children occur in Vietnam each year and in the first quarter of 2017, 33 cases were reported, heard a forum in Hanoi on April 14. Organised by the Vietnam Association for Protection of Child Rights (VAPCR), Child Rights Working Group (CRWG) and child rights net (CRnet), the forum aimed to collect opinions from individuals and social organisations for preventing sexual abuse and physical violence against children.
http://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-records-1000-child-sexual-abuse-cases-each-year/110284.vnp
UT: Parents wanted: Utah families overlooking adoption while some kids go years without home (Includes video)
KUTV – April 17, 2017
Utah Foster Care, a non-profit organization contracted by the state of Utah, reports 2,700 children in the foster system at any given time. However, only 1,300 licensed foster families to care for those kids.
US: & Canada: Human Trafficking’s High Toll on Homeless Youth
US News & World Report – April 17, 2017
In the U.S. and Canada, nearly one-fifth of homeless youth are victims of human trafficking, according to new studies. Of 911 homeless young adults interviewed between February 2014 and March 2017, about 20 percent reported being trafficked for sex, labor or both. The majority, 15 percent, were trafficked for sex, 7.4 percent were trafficked for labor, and 3 percent were trafficked for both.
Report: Labor and Sex Trafficking Among Homeless Youth: https://www.covenanthouse.org/landing/trafficking/
US: MAP MONDAY: States with religious exemptions for healthcare of children
AllOnGeorgia – April 17, 2017
This week’s Map Monday addresses religious exemptions for parents seeking to opt out of certain protocols of healthcare for children. The map above illustrates the varying policies for full exemptions and health care requirements of person under the age of 18, by state.
US: Renewing CHIP Is Bipartisan No-brainer (Opinion)
Youth Today – April 17, 2017
Children and youth who receive Medicaid are in families with low incomes and/or are children who have special health care needs or are in the child welfare system, and some are former foster youth. Their Medicaid benefits include vaccinations, well-child exams, oral health, vision care, chronic disease management and needed therapies. Going without any of those or facing a cutback in eligible providers would harm the healthy growth and development of our most vulnerable children and youth.
http://youthtoday.org/2017/04/renewing-chip-is-bipartisan-no-brainer/
US: Road blocks in place as foster parents file taxes (Includes video)
KOAA – April 17, 2017
With Tax Day looming, local foster parents are running into road blocks as they file. Some, even missing out on the tax breaks they deserve.
http://www.koaa.com/story/35171919/road-blocks-in-place-as-foster-parents-file-taxes
Canada: Child welfare, environment among top election issues for B.C. First Nations
CBC News – April 15, 2017
According to Judy Wilson, the Chief of the Neskonlith Indian Band, changes to the Ministry of Children & Families (MCFD) are urgently needed as well.
Kenya: Plans to intensify efforts to address child neglect cases
Coast Week – April 15, 2017
Kenya plans to intensify efforts to address child neglect cases in order to eliminate child abuse in the country, officials said on Tuesday. Ministry of East African Community, Labour and Social Services Director of Children Services Noah Sanganyi told journalists in Nairobi that Kenya has designed parenting programmes to empower parents with skills to keep their children safe and thus reduce their vulnerability to abuse.
http://coastweek.com/4015-Kenya-plans-to-intensify-efforts-to-address-child-neglect-cases.htm
Costa Rica: Global studies, MAGDJ students study abroad in Costa Rica (Press release)
Multnomah University – April 18, 2017
‘Roblealto and Casa Viva are two organizations which have transitioned into a more just model of ministry with children at risk,’ she said. ‘Instead of building orphanages and perpetuating the cycle of abandonment, these organizations assist families in working through their challenges and provide foster families for children who need to temporarily live apart from their families while they do the necessary work to become healthy and whole families once again. The holistic model these organizations provide help families and children in their physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual health.’
http://publicnow.com/view/82B13DDDB2A76ED110042A30C4A4DA1B771CBF31
Ireland: HIQA reports raise concerns over foster care services
News Talk – April 18, 2017
Tusla’s Dublin South Central foster care service met only one of 26 standards assessed by the health watchdog. A report, which followed an announced inspection, on Tusla’s foster service in the region outlines five significant risks. The high risk areas include – safeguarding and child protection; assessment and reviews of foster carers; and training and qualifications of staff.
http://www.newstalk.com/HIQA-reports-raise-concerns-over-foster-care-services
US: Student Affairs Officers as Makers of Meaning
Inside Higher Ed – April 20, 2017
The student affairs conversation increasingly includes discussion of student hunger and homelessness — realities that student affairs staffs have been dealing with for years that have moved into higher education’s collective consciousness. Nonprofits like Guardian Scholars and the Wily Network join a growing group of agencies managing the transition from foster care to the campus — they are all manifestations of the demands on campus programs and services to respond to urgent societal needs.
https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2017/04/20/changing-careers-student-affairs-officers-essay
US: USCCB: Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act would protect religious liberty (Opinion)
Catholic Culture – April 20, 2017
Three bishops who chair committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have called for support of the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2017 (H.R. 1881, S.811). The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY), is designed to counter actions by Massachusetts, Illinois, California, and the District of Columbia that exclude adoption and foster care agencies from acting on the belief that marriage is the union of a man and a woman.
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=31349
Canada: “Let’s bring it back to the children,” Canadian Human Rights Commission’s Annual Report to Parliament
Canada Newswire – April 19, 2017
In its newly released 2016 Annual Report to Parliament, Canada’s human rights watchdog is shining a light on how too many children in Canada are being left behind when it comes to their basic rights of dignity, safety, education and family.
Report: http://chrcreport.ca/
http://www.tickertech.com/cgi/?a=news&ticker=a&w=&story=201704201704191149CANADANWWEB______C7069
France: Child refugees in northern France facing exploitation and violence on a daily basis, Unicef warns
Independent – April 19, 2017
Unaccompanied minors ‘threatened by men armed with knives and machetes’, according to report, as charities warn children are more at risk than ever following Dunkirk camp fire.
India: Workshop against child marriages
Hindu – April 19, 2017
Mr. Rajiv explained about the Child Marriage Prohibition Act, 2006 and the consequences if a minor was married. Mr. Prasad said the Girls Advocacy Alliance (GAA) was a programme designed to address the problems of adolescent girls and to avoid child trafficking, child marriages, sexual harassment and exploitation.
Ireland: Childcare for the homeless scheme will be extended
New Irish News – April 18, 2017
A scheme to provide free childcare for under fives living in emergency accommodation is to be expanded. Fifty-two families have been availing of the service since it was initiated in Dublin last year but Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone has a significant portion of the €8.25m allocated still at her disposal. As a result, the scheme is to be extended to a number of counties including Cork, Cavan, Donegal, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Offaly, Wicklow and Clare.
US: Cherokee Nation sues drug firms, retailers for flooding communities with opioids
Washington Post – April 20, 2017
“We have a generation of children who are living in chaos,” said Nikki Baker-Limore, executive director of child welfare for the Cherokee Nation. “The children are our tribe’s future, and without them, we can’t go on. This just isn’t fair.”
US: Congresswoman pushing for more education on human trafficking (Includes video)
KMOV – April 19, 2017
Congresswoman Ann Wagner is pushing for more education when it comes to human trafficking. She said the St. Louis area is in the top 20 locations in the country for human trafficking. Victims of human trafficking are often used for sexual exploitation.
http://www.kmov.com/story/35191830/congresswoman-pushing-for-more-education-on-human-trafficking
US: In a Class of 20 Teen Girls, Six Have Been Sexually Assaulted, New Study Finds
Broadly – April 19, 2017
According to an extensive report released today by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), teenage girls face a number of barriers to getting a quality education. The survey, titled Let Her Learn: Stopping School Pushout, aims to take a closer look at what girls with varying identities and experiences face in school on a daily basis.
Report: Stopping School Pushout: Overview and Key Findings: https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Final_nwlc_Gates_OverviewKeyFindings.pdf
US: Juvenile Detention Facilities Are A Special Kind Of Hell For Queer Youth
Logo – April 19, 2017
LGB youth who endure rape and abuse will carry those scars with them for the rest of their lives. And, when they get out, many find themselves in a foster care system or homeless-both environments where LGBT people are highly overrepresented, and where the patterns of victimization, trauma, and substance abuse are likely to be perpetuated.
Report: Disproportionality and Disparities Among Sexual Minority Youth in Custody: https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/safe-schools-and-youth/lgbtq-youth-disproportionately-incarcerated-in-the-u-s-juvenile-justice-system/
http://www.newnownext.com/queer-youth-incarceration-rape-abuse/04/2017/
Canada: Parents who smoke pot
Today’s Parent – April 20, 2017
Here’s a look at the ways Canadian parents use cannabis and whether the stigma really is fading.
https://www.todaysparent.com/family/parenting/parents-who-smoke-pot/
United Kingdom: New research shows victims of child sexual abuse within families face differential access to support with many failing to receive the help they need (Press release)
Commissioner for Children – April 20, 2017
New research shows victims of child sexual abuse within families face differential access to support with many failing to receive the help they need Professionals often failing to pick up signs of abuse, leaving many victims having to seek help themselves.
Report: Making life better for children and young people in England: http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/publications?field_publicaton_category_tid=5
United Kingdom: Joint inspections to focus on child neglect
Community Care – April 19, 2017
Inspectors will evaluate how risks to children living with neglect are prevented and reduced, and assess whether they are receiving the right help and protection. They will also gauge whether the impact of neglect on children is reduced by local agency involvement.
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2017/04/19/joint-inspections-focus-child-neglect/
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/878980
US: The Trafficking Targets (Opinion)
US News & World Report – April 21, 2017
Researchers on Monday released the most comprehensive findings to date on the prevalence of human trafficking among homeless youth in the United States and Canada, reporting that 1 in 5 have been the victims of human trafficking – involving either the sale of minors for sex, or compelling sex or labor from victims through the use of force, fraud or coercion.
US: Why America’s Babies Are Suffering Opioid Addictions, Placing More Babies In Foster Care
Huffington Post – April 20, 2017
The newborn baby was going through withdrawal from drugs – drugs transmitted by her mother during pregnancy. Known as neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS, these withdrawal symptoms can take the form of seizures, elevated heart and respiratory rate, difficulty in sleeping and eating, and extreme bouts of irritability, and even problems in growth development.
Canada: CAS backs down. Strike/lockout is over
Bay Today – April 21, 2017
The end has come for a four month lockout at the Nipissing and Parry Sound Children’s Aid Society. According to a CUPE news release, “strong solidarity and enormous political pressure” caused the Society to make an eleventh-hour decision to end the labour dispute.
https://www.baytoday.ca/local-news/cas-back-down-strikelock-out-is-over-594910
United Arab Emirates: Campaign raises awareness of impact of child abuse
Gulf News – April 23, 2017
An ongoing campaign by the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC) in April is conveying a strong message about child abuse and the impact it can have on the future psychological well-being of children.
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/campaign-raises-awareness-of-impact-of-child-abuse-1.2015952
US: Indian Child Welfare Act: One Family’s Journey Along the Adoption Trail
Indian Country Today – April 24, 2017
The Indian Child Welfare Act has taken a beating in the mainstream press lately. It is often portrayed as an obscure, frivolous law of ill-service to the many mixed race Indian children living off the reservation. Like many things in our world, Indian culture and families have changed. They no longer resemble (not that they ever did) the television fueled mainstream vision of Indian life. In fact, 60 percent of Native families are like ours, they live off the reservation.
https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/culture/social-issues/one-familys-journey/
US: Report: States lack protections for transgender youth
Associated Press – April 24, 2017
Most states lack anti-discrimination policies and staff training needed to protect transgender youth in foster care, juvenile detention facilities and homeless shelters, according to a new report.
Report Announcement: Nearly All Fifty States are Failing Transgender, Gender-Expansive and Gender-Nonconforming (TGNC) Youth: http://www.childrensrights.org/press-release/report-nearly-all-fifty-states-are-failing-transgender-gender-expansive-and-gender-nonconforming-tgnc-youth/
Report: http://www.childrensrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/TGNC-Policy-Report_2017_final-web.pdf
Also: Republicans in Congress push for religious liberty executive order: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/24/republicans-congress-push-religious-liberty-executive-order/100842590/
http://wkrg.com/ap/report-states-lack-protections-for-transgender-youth/
US: Richard Gelles Argues for a Child-Centered Approach to Child Welfare
Chronicle of Social Change – April 24, 2017
Gelles asserts that governments respond to horrific deaths like Daniael’s by “rounding up the usual suspects.” These include adding money, staff and training; firing the commissioner; forming a blue-ribbon panel; and even changing the name of the agency. Advocates for children often respond by filing class action lawsuits, which result in court receiverships that often fail to achieve significant changes for children. In the rest of the book, Gelles lays out his own blueprint for system reform that “eschews the normal calls for more money, more staff, more training, and more lawsuits.
Information Gateway resource: Protective Factors to Promote Well-Being: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/promoting/protectfactors/
US: Studies find 1 in 5 homeless Atlanta youth are victims of human trafficking
Chicago Defender – April 24, 2017
Researchers announced findings today from the largest-ever combined sample of homeless youth in the United States and Canada, revealing that nearly one-fifth are victims of human trafficking, including those trafficked for sex, labor, or both. Homeless youth in Atlanta were among those surveyed for the study, and the local finding echoed the national results: of the 64 young people interviewed, 20.3 percent were trafficked for sex, labor, or both.
Reports: https://www.covenanthouse.org/two-groundbreaking-studies-covenant-house-youth
US: When a child has no lunch money, whose problem is it?
Christian Science Monitor – April 24, 2017
In New Mexico it was Sen. Michael Padilla (D) – who said that as a hungry foster child he had experienced first-hand the pain of lunch shaming – who introduced the Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights. The bill was passed by the New Mexico state legislature last week. Other lawmakers nationwide have reached out to him for guidance on how they can end lunch shaming in their own states, Senator Padilla told NPR. California and Texas have tabled similar bills, and by July 1, 2017, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will require every school district to have a written policy that clearly communicates to staff and parents how schools will deal with children whose parents have not paid their lunch bills.
Also: Do You Want to Offer School Meals At No Cost to All Students?: http://blog.nassp.org/2017/04/24/do-you-want-to-offer-school-meals-at-no-cost-to-all-students/
http://www.educationviews.org/child-lunch-money-problem-it/
US: Hoeven Examines Implementation of the Native American Children’s Safety Act of 2016 (Press release)
United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs – April 21, 2017
“Today we have an opportunity to forge a path forward for the young people in this community,” Hoeven said. “Native youth are 2.5 times more likely to experience incidents involving child abuse or neglect than children of any other race or ethnicity. It is also deeply troubling that a child’s placement in foster care can lead to further involvement in the juvenile and criminal justice systems later in life. We need to break this vicious cycle for Native youth.”
Canada: Ontario urged to track foster kids after they leave care
Toronto Star – April 25, 2017
New report urges Ontario to study youth over time after they leave the care of children’s aid, to track problems they face and suggest ways to improve the system.
Kenya: Adoption process difficult because human lives are involved – Oguntoyinbo
Sun – April 25, 2017
Mrs. Aderonke Oguntoyinbo is the matron in charge of Lions’ Motherless Babies Home, Lekki, Lagos. The home, jointly owned by Lions Club International and the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Sports, has about 100 children at present. However, children are adopted from time to time. In this interview with Daily Sun, recently in Lekki, Oguntoyinbo speaks on the basic requirements for adoption, legalisation and why the process is seemingly difficult, especially in Lagos State.
http://sunnewsonline.com/adoption-process-difficult-because-human-lives-are-involved-oguntoyinbo/
US: From Denial to Desperation: Misrepresentations on Child Welfare and Race (Opinion)
Chronicle of Social Change – April 25, 2017
This is a classic example of what can best be called inference peddling. Cohen wants us to infer that there is now so much evidence that racial bias is no problem in child welfare that people who once said there was such a problem have given up and gone away.
Original article: Author Ties ‘Whupping’ of Black Kids to the Days of Slavery in ‘Spare the Kids’: https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/blogger-co-op/author-ties-whupping-black-kids-days-slavery-spare-kids/25930
US: Prevention of abuse, neglect is possible (Opinion)
Daily Item – April 25, 2017
Mary Ellen was brought into the courtroom on a stretcher and through the auspices of the SPCA had her day in court. The SPCA made its point in court. Mary Ellen was removed from the quagmire that had been her living nightmare. In 1875, a new society was formed: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
Also: Information Gateway resource: National Child Abuse Prevention Month 2017: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/
US: States Investing the Most and Least in Children (Includes video)
24/7 Wall St – April 25, 2017
Most Americans agree that it is important to provide children with ample opportunities for success, regardless of where they live. To this end, state and local government budgets include provisions for children’s basic education, health care, social services, and other support programs.
Also: Report: Unequal Playing Field? State Differences in Spending on Children in 2013: http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/89881/unequal_playing_field_0.pdf
http://247wallst.com/special-report/2017/04/25/states-investing-the-most-and-least-in-children/
US: Western States Face Spikes in Drug Use, Foster Care
Chronicle of Social Change – April 25, 2017
The terrifying uptick in opiate use and overdoses, and the continued pervasive use of methamphetamines, is largely the province of American adults. And now, national data suggests that the growing rate of dangerous drug use is fueling a growing reliance on foster care in America.
https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/analysis/intro-drugs-foster-care-west/26585
Ireland: Number of homeless children reaches record high
Irish Times – April 25, 2017
The numbers of homeless children in Dublin, and nationally, are now at their highest rate since records began.
US: How Trans Youth Are at Risk in Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice Systems
Chronicle of Social Change – April 26, 2017
Lydia’s experience is not an anomaly, according to a new study about gender nonconforming youth in state custody, released Monday by authors from Lambda Legal, Children’s Rights and the Center for the Study of Social Policy.
Report: Safe Havens: Closing the Gap Between Recommended Practice and Reality for Transgender and Gender-Expansive Youth in Out-of-Home Care: http://www.lambdalegal.org/safe-havens
Information Gateway resource: Working With LGBTQ Youth and Families: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/diverse-populations/lgbtq/
Canada: Child and youth advocate calls for better access to mental health care in remote communities
CBC News – April 25, 2017
Saskatchewan’s child and youth advocate is calling on the province to address a number of recommendations he says are “integral to a renewal of the child welfare system.”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/child-youth-advocate-2016-annual-report-1.4084995?cmp=rss
Greece: The sexual exploitation of child migrants
Harvard Gazette – April 26, 2017
Closed borders, unsafe holding camps, and increasing desperation have created an “emergency within an emergency” concerning child sexual abuse and exploitation among migrants who are stalled in Greece, according to a new report by Harvard’s François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights (FXB Center).
Report: Emergency within an Emergency: The Growing Epidemic of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Children in Greece: https://cdn2.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/04/Emergency-Within-an-Emergency-FXB.pdf
Guatemala: Fairy godmother or child trafficker? An American woman stands trial in Guatemala.
PRI: World – April 26, 2017
A controversial child trafficking trial starts this Thursday for a 64-year-old American woman who throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s placed hundreds of Guatemalan children with American families. If convicted, she could face more than a decade in prison.
US: Cardinal Health : CN opioid suit will test reach of tribal court
4-Traders – April 27, 2017
There are questions now that a lawsuit has been filed by the Cherokee Nation in tribal court, accusing six drug distributors and pharmacies of failing to prevent the flow of illegally prescribed opioids.
US: Grandparents, Other Relatives and Advocates to Rally on Lawn of U.S. Capitol (Press release)
Children’s Defense Fund – April 27, 2017
On May 10, 2017 relative caregivers, children and advocates from around the country will join members of Congress on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building for the 5th National GrandRally. The spotlight will be on the critical role grandparents and other relatives play in providing safe, loving, and permanent families for children. The opioid crisis has spurred a major increase in the number of children entering foster care, after years of decline.
Information Gateway resource: Kinship Care: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/outofhome/kinship/
http://investor.biospace.com/biospace/news/read?GUID=34156064
India: Juvenile Justice System for effective legal assistance to children
Morung Express – April 27, 2017
With an aim to ensure effective legal assistance to children who comes in conflict with law or are in need of care and protection, Dimapur District Legal Services Authority (DDLSA) conducted one day training workshop on Juvenile Justice System at conference hall, district court, Dimapur on April 26.
http://morungexpress.com/juvenile-justice-system-effective-legal-assistance-children/