Safe Passage for Children of MN Advocacy (shining a light on at Minnesota’s at risk children)

By the time she was 11 years old, McKenna Ahrenholz of Swift County, Minnesota, and her four younger brothers and sisters had endured years of abuse and neglect by her father.

The abuse was frequently reported to child case workers, but each time, time after time, the Ahrenholz children were returned to their father. Even when they asked not to be returned. Every time – seventeen times.

Today, McKenna and her siblings live safely and happily with their grandparents. But in too many cases, Minnesota’s child welfare system continues to fail our state’s children.

Safe Passage for Children advocates for reforms in the child welfare system. As you make your year-end charitable donations, please help us reach our $8,000 goal with a contribution to Safe Passage – and the future of Minnesota children.

Children Feeling Betrayed (thank you Safe Passage for Children & PBS)

Children who are badly abused sometimes seek help from teachers, extended family, or social workers. When they get none they feel profoundly betrayed by adults. This can have lifelong consequences for the children and society, as this PBS story illustrates.

Today’s dominant political view is that children are nearly always better off with their families. This creates systemic pressures to leave children where they are even when abuse is extreme.

Decisions should be based on each child’s best interests. Children shouldn’t be vehicles for the politics of ideology, culture or race. They don’t care about these things. They just want the pain to end.

Children don’t participate in policy-making. Their interests can only be factored into child protection practices by adults who comprehend their anguish and speak out for them.

Reducing Child Fatalities (from Safe Passage for Children)

This article by Safe Passage for Children of MN notes the Federal Child Fatalities Commission and clearly articulates the procedures and data gathering necessary for reducing the death and trauma suffered by abused children. One more important thing to support for the at risk children in your state. All Adults Are the Protectors of All Children.
Reducing Child Fatalities

Posted on April 6, 2016 by SPadmin
Safe Passage LogoThe Federal Child Fatalities Commission (see summary, full report) notes that 50% of children killed by their parents or caregivers are infants, so are frequently unknown to child protection.

But usually someone knew the child was in danger and could have taken action.

This is why the Commission proposed $500 million in funding for multidisciplinary pilot projects, which would integrate operations and data sharing between child protection and other agencies – including First Responders, law enforcement, hospitals, pediatric clinics, mental health providers, and domestic abuse programs.

This is the kind of in-the-weeds overhaul of procedures, training, and IT systems that no one thinks they have time for, and which is notoriously hard to fund. Nevertheless we must find ways to do this work if we are serious about reducing child fatalities.