View allAces and TraumaAdoption, Foster and Kinship CareCASA, GAL and Child ProtectionChild Abuse and DeathsDay Care and EducationChild ProtectionChild self harm and suicideChildren's RightsCOVID 19 and its ImpactsDomestic ViolenceEducationFeatured ArticlesGuest PostsGun Violence and ControlJuvenile + Criminal JusticeKARA News and EventsAll Posts from Kids at Risk ActionLGBTQMikes Favorite PostsMental Health + Over MedicationRebuttals & Guest PostsReligion, Politics + the LawReporting and News - InternationalReporting and News - MN SpecificReporting and News - US BasedStunning StatisticsThe StatesTheir stories
Jan42024

Were Governor Walz State Board Members Misled About Volunteers (and what it could mean)?

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, Featured Articles, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - MN Specific

There is a political battle being waged over the elimination of qualified community volunteers in Child Protective Services. There are too many pieces of this puzzle to include in this article, but one piece must be addressed to determine if wrongdoing has happened in the drive to eliminate the Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers. KARA has sent two requests to Governor Walz Guardian ad Litem State Board members over the past few months requesting a conversation about their role in making this critical decision.

Details
Dec292023

Child Suicide – What’s Not Said

Aces and Trauma, Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child self harm and suicide, Mental Health + Over Medication, Reporting and News - US Based

Repeated childhood trauma does cruel things to children. Things that never go away. Those things (behaviors/thoughts/self-harm/suicide) can be managed with help. Without help, depression, pain and sadness often become overwhelming. 

Details
Dec282023

Parental Drug Use Killing Children in Pennsylvania at High Rates (investigative report)

Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - US Based, Stunning Statistics

KARA follows investigative reporting on child death and near death by caregivers while the children are known to CPS (Child Protective Services). Please send us links to the reports in your state and we will make them available to a larger audience.Parental Drug Use Killing Children in Pennsylvania at High Rates (investigative report)

Details
Dec182023

Highlights on Family Assessment and Child Death from Star Tribune Child Abuse Reporting Part I

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Featured Articles, Mikes Favorite Posts, Reporting and News - MN Specific

These highlights on Family Assessment and Child Death from recent Star Tribune Child Abuse reporting (1, 2, 3) are the tip of the iceberg. Read to the end to get KARA’s historical perspective of how Child Protective Services (CPS) has evolved over the years and its current iteration.

Details
Nov302023

American Crime Costs & Statistics

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Gun Violence and Control, Juvenile + Criminal Justice

If the medical community,

Children’s Defense Fund

and former MN Supreme Court

Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz

are right,

the vast majority of crime in America

is the result of what happened to that person as a child.

LEARN THE COSTS OF CRIME IN AMERICA TODAY

The U.S. has the highest rate of incarceration of

any nation on earth with:

Details
Nov242023

Have Governor Walz State Board members been mislead?

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - MN Specific

Dear Reader,Allowing the State board to eliminate 10,000 future volunteers (over the next 40 years) at a time when we are reporting on children murdered by their parents may be an unfixable mistake costing even more children their lives.

Rebuttals to the State MAD report from several top child advocates here;

Details
Nov172023

Child Death, Employee Burnout & Guardian ad Litem Volunteers

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Reporting and News - MN Specific

The tortured death of 4 year old Eric Dean in 2013 prompted the first in depth reporting on parental child murder I can remember. CASAMN gave the reporter (Brandon Stahl) an award and had him speak at our annual conference.

At that time, several children in my caseload had been almost murdered by their caregivers.

A number of my caseload kids (4,5, and 6 year old children) had suffered years of unspeakable sexual abuse and other violence. Their stories never made the paper.

Details