Sad Stories (find your state here)
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KARA (Kids At Risk Action) tracks current news about at risk children bringing transparency and attention to our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. KARA’s reporting is only sampling of what should be reported – the great majority of child trauma & abuse is never known.
American states are struggling to find answers for ending adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and saving at risk children by reversing the explosive growth of child abuse and neglect. Today, many state ward children are the 4th and 5th generation of abused children raising their own families without parenting skills and with serious drug, alcohol and mental health issues
37% of children overall and 53% of Black children are reported to child protection services in America by the time they turn 18. (American Journal of Public Health 1.17)
12 million children a year are reported to child protection services each year and in many states, 1/3 of foster children are required to take psychotropic medicines
ALL ADULTS ARE THE PROTECTORS OF ALL CHILDREN
Compilation of information and writing on this page is the hard work of
David Vang, Mike Toronto, Jamar Weston, Adolf Nchanj, Josh Jedlicka and Blaz Zlate, Callie Benscoter, (student volunteers at Century College) Katie Frake, Boston College, Julie O, and KARA.
| To foster a child is to open your heart: Learn how
Jackson Clarion Ledger There are children in Mississippi who desperately need a foster home — a place where they can feel safe, cared for and loved. Canopy Children’s Solutions is hosting an informational meeting April 24 at 6 p.m. at the Canopy office located at 1465 Lakeland Drive in Jackson. The meeting is for …
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| Call for support for foster care system to protect vulnerable children
Irish Times The foster care system needs to be robustly supported to ensure the safety of children, according to the Irish Foster Carers Association. The organisation’s chief executive Catherine Bond called for a full investigation into the case of three children abused in a foster home in Co Galway. Each individual … HSE apologises ‘unreservedly’ to women raped while they were children in foster care – thejournal.ie Abuse victim calls for commission of investigation into Galway home – RTE.ie Foster home abuse case: Taoiseach pledges report recommendations will be acted upon – Independent.ie
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| Muslim foster child row shows more faith must be put in the care system
The Conversation UK In a strongly-worded rebuke, Britain’s press regulator has ruled that The Times newspaper “distorted” its coverage of a five-year-old Christian girl who was placed with Muslim foster carers. The coverage attracted much criticism, for careless reporting, of trading on “Muslim baiting” and of portraying a …
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DCF Defends Response To Report Of Foster Child Molested In Home CBS Boston / WBZ A Massachusetts foster parent is devastated. A 6-year-old girl he and his wife have been caring for was molested in his home. WBZ-TV’s Paul Burton reports. Program: WBZ News Evening. Categories: News Crime General Local News WBZTV …
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| Should the Second Amendment trump foster–home safety rules?
AZCentral.com The state must have some control over safety in homes where it places children, McKay said. Foster parenting is a privilege, not a right. “No one forces them; they choose to tolerate and adhere to conditions set by the state for safety,” he said of foster parents. “We will ensure that rules prevent a child’s …
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| Five ways to make a difference for children in foster care
The Daily Courier The month of May is National Foster Care Month, a time to recognize the critical role that we each can play in transforming the lives of foster youth in our community. More than 14,000 children are in foster care in Arizona, many of whom are legally free for adoption and awaiting permanent families.
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| ‘Worst foster parents in the world’: Federal agency says it lost track of 1475 migrant children
Chicago Tribune Federal officials lost track of nearly 1,500 migrant children last year after a government agency placed the minors in the homes of adult sponsors in communities across the country, according to testimony before a Senate subcommittee Thursday. The Health and Human Services Department has a limited …
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| In Oregon, lawyers for foster children don’t even have to show up
OregonLive.com An Oregon State Bar rule requires lawyers to communicate with their clients, even if they are young children. During hearings on foster care and adoptions, government lawyers argue for what child welfare workers say is in a child’s best interest. Children also are assigned attorneys, and those lawyers …
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| DHS looks at foster care system changes
KFYR-TV “That would allow us to serve more youth who probably have more acute needs and more need for the ongoing, all day foster parent involvement,” said Nancy McKenzie, Path ND … For about 140 kids, the department spends about $9,000 per month per child for Residential Child Care Facilities.
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Fort Smith display seeks to raise foster care awareness Times Record For several hours on Tuesday, pairs of shoes represented every foster child in Sebastian and Crawford counties to anyone driving through Fort Smith. Workers with the Department of Human Services, Arkansas Family Alliance and others placed hundreds of pairs of children’s shoes on the northwest …
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| children are awaiting foster care
MPB : Mississippi Public Broadcasting Canopy Children’s Solutions. Advocates are asking more Mississippians to consider becoming foster parents. MPB’s Ashley Norwood reports. Each day, the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services refers new children to be removed from their homes and placed into a therapeutic foster care …
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| For girls in the Texas foster care system, teen pregnancy is 5 times more likely
Texas Tribune Curry’s foster sisters were a part of a larger population of teen parents in Texas’ foster care system. According to a report released Sunday by child welfare policy organization Texans Care for Children, teen girls in Texas’ foster care system or who have just left it have a much higher risk of becoming … Study: Texas foster children five times as likely to get pregnant than other teens – San Antonio Express-News Teens in foster care more likely to become pregnant than other Texas youths, report finds – Dallas News
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| Citizen Foster Care Review volunteer: ‘Anyone can change the direction of a child’s life’
Cincinnati.com Seven hundred volunteers may seem like a lot. It’s not even close, however, to fill the needs of Kentucky children who are in foster or other out-of-home care. According to Statewide Foster Care FACTS, as of April 1, 2018, there are 9,034 children between ages 0 and 18 in Kentucky who are unable to be … Beta students support kids in foster care – KYStandard.com Minnesota’s approach to child protection makes children less safe – MinnPost
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| Polygamists’ son, whose birth was seen on their TV show, dies in house fire in southeastern Utah
Salt Lake Tribune The family lives in Rockland Ranch, a community near Moab where the homes are built into the side of a slickrock mesa. The Foster homes consist of three apartments. Enoch Foster struggled Wednesday to explain the fire, saying his surviving children have been unable to tell him exactly what …
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| Officials working to keep tabs on 2000 foster children in a time of change
Tampabay.com TAMPA — The fallout when a child welfare agency left foster teens unsupervised spread way beyond the loss of a $9 million contract. Around 2,000 foster children were under the watch of case managers at Youth and Family Alternatives, which was fired in February by Eckerd Connects, which runs …
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| Special Report: Opioid crisis leading to more children in GA foster care
WTXL ABC 27 AMERICUS, GA (WALB) – Drug abuse has led the state of Georgia to take thousands of children from their parents’ homes over the past few years. Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services does not have specific statistics on which drugs have caused each child to be put into foster care or the …
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| Child Abuse Prevention Month: Two foster families recognized at luncheon
Shawnee News Star On Tuesday, the annual Child Abuse Prevention Luncheon was held at the Shawnee Exposition Center. Each year the Pottawatomie and Lincoln County Child Welfare Collaborative and Support Task Force hosts this luncheon, where two foster families are recognized with the “Judge Glenn Dale Carter … Local firefighters to receive special training on child abuse all month long – WTOL.com Yes, we can prevent child abuse | Guest column – TCPalm
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| Editorial: Improving foster care in Hillsborough
Tampabay.com A new foster care provider in Hillsborough County is poised to take over operations in May, only months after its predecessor was fired for what was alleged to be a pattern of failing to supervise at-risk children in its care. Many of the case managers who worked for the previous provider are likely to stay …
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| Kids in foster care doubles
Morgan County Citizen The ever-growing opioid crisis is not only creating an alarming number of addicts in life-threatening danger across the nation, but also an exploding foster child population. Morgan County is not exempt from this national trend. Within one year, the number of foster children in Morgan County has nearly …
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| The shocking number of children going missing from foster homes in Bristol
Bristol Live Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “Barnardo’s is concerned about the increasing numbers of children coming into foster care with high levels of vulnerability. We recommend that local authorities and other organisations are adequately resourced to carry out return home interviews to all …
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| Alachua County struggling to find local families for foster children
The Independent Florida Alligator Alachua County may have to look to neighboring counties to house foster children. Partnership for Strong Families, a community-based child welfare agency that cares for about 5,000 children in 13 counties, including Alachua, reports there are about 80 children in need of homes in Alachua, said Patty …
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| Our foster son came home with Family Tree homework. Seems innocent enough—until you have a …
Love What Matters “Our foster son came home with ‘Family Tree’ homework. Here’s how we chose to handle it: Tonight we got the dreaded homework assignment… the one that seems innocent enough—until you have a kid whose tree has gone through a hurricane of sorts, with leaves and branches strewn and mixed …
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| Report: Texas Must Address Teen Pregnancy & Teen Parents in Foster Care
Texans Care for Children As state leaders work on foster care improvements, supporting these teens must be a priority.
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| Hart family mystery deepens as friends remember previous foster child in Minnesota
Seattle Times The picture of Jen and Sarah Hart, who drove off a California cliff with at least some of their kids, gets more complicated as friends recall a Minnesota teen they fostered. The women seemed caring and outgoing. “What happened to them in the last few years?” one friend asked. Story of Harts’ foster child is one of heartbreak, though not the way some might expect – Seattle Times Neighbor’s Father Called 911 After Hart Child Jumped Out of Window and Begged For Help … – The Root Devonte Hart’s aunt fought — and lost — battle for custody, court records show – OregonLive.com
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| ‘Haven House’ to provide comfort for foster children
KFYR-TV WILLIAMS COUNTY, N.D. – It may look like an ordinary house, but it’s actually turning into a safe haven for children. “It’s helping to fulfill a huge … There are currently 92 children in Williams County who are in foster care, 42 boys and 50 girls from infants to 18 years of age. “Across our region, which is … Donations needed for ‘comfort cases’ to help foster children – WWBT NBC12 News
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| Indigenous, Black children over-represented in foster care and group homes, inquiry says
Toronto Star Indigenous and Black children are over-represented in foster care and group homes overseen by children’s aid societies across the province, an Ontario Human Rights Commission inquiry confirms. “These findings are deeply concerning,” said Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane, who noted …
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| Three-quarters of Colorado foster kids aren’t graduating on time. Officials say rides to school would …
The Denver Post The education outcomes for foster kids in Colorado are grim and getting worse: Just 23 percent graduated from high school on time last year. And that’s even worse than in 2016, when the four-year graduation rate for foster youths was 33 percent. Among the reasons, experts and former foster kids … A rising number of children in foster care – WDTV Can a Broken Foster Care System Be Fixed? These Philanthropists Think So – Inside Philanthropy
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| Say no to LGBTQ discrimination in Kansas foster care law
Kansas City Star Every day, I help children in foster care unite with loving families who will care for them unconditionally. Sadly, there are painful moments in my job where that just doesn’t happen. And the Kansas Legislature may make it even harder to find qualified parents for these children. I remember a child I had the …
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Volunteers in Worcester fill 500 backpacks for foster kids Worcester Telegram WORCESTER – Hearing that a child headed to foster care might have only a few minutes to gather some treasured items in a trash bag before being placed in a new home left Andrea Castinetti stunned. “I was like, ‘How is that possible?’ ” Ms. Castinetti said. “I was so naive to it.” Back in January, when … Changes in store for foster care system – Hopkinsville Kentucky New Era Cost of foster care services rising – The Courier Intensive Recruiting Finds Families For Foster Youth – CBS Denver
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| Inside Game: How Foster Care Was Changed Forever
The American Prospect With an opioid epidemic raging, leaving states from Indiana to New Mexico with ballooning numbers of foster children, hundreds of child welfare advocacy organizations and nearly every member of Congress agreed the time for change had come. But some state child welfare officials had campaigned …
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| Foster parent faces child abuse charges
KeysNews.com Foster parent faces child abuse charges. By Mandy Miles Key West CitizenApril 12, 2018. Holly Estes Monroe County child welfare officials removed four foster children, all younger than 3, from a foster home on Big Pine Key, as a result of an investigation and subsequent arrest on Thursday of longtime … Fostering Love: Wyoming County couple steps up to help kids in need – WVVA TV
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| Jennifer Hart was drunk when she drove family off California cliff in deadly crash
New York Daily News The couple’s former foster child, identified only as Lee, reflected on the troubling period she spent with them. One memory in particular stands out to her: Her one-time guardians abandoned her at a therapy appointment, turning her over to a new family without as much as a good-bye, according to the …
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| Alamance County hosts statewide foster care conference
Burlington Times News GRAHAM — Most children in foster care are there because of abuse or neglect, but some are there because of how they behave, and teaching people how to care for them is a full-time job. “The children coming into our homes and the homes we support are coming with their own behavioral health …
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| Midland Co. is in need of more foster homes for foster children – KWES NewsWest 9 / Midland …
NewsWest9.com April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and the Midland County Child Welfare Board is getting ready for their 10th annual Blue Ribbon Run. It raises money to help foster children in Midland County while also raising awareness. The idea of fostering a child for a period of time and seeing them leave can …
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| Claim: Foster children got ‘super lice,’ dental abscesses in poorly supervised foster homes
The San Diego Union-Tribune A San Diego County employee in the child welfare department claims she was fired after she reported a protective service worker was failing to properly check on foster children, who suffered harm in their foster homes including dental abscesses and infestations of “super lice,” according to a claim filed …
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| Roseville woman started a nonprofit to grant simple wishes for kids in foster care
Minneapolis Star Tribune Last year, Ledy founded a new nonprofit called Adoption Is Love out of her Roseville home. Its mission is to grant wishes for the growing number of Minnesota children who are in foster care or are waiting to be adopted. Ledy’s goal is to offer them a unique gift, or a special activity or experience — no …
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| ‘Foster Boy,’ Legal Thriller About Foster Child, Has Surprising Real-Life Turn Of Events
Deadline It’s a case of art imitating life and vice versa. This month, a legal thriller about the abuse of an African-American kid in the foster system from producer Peter Samuelson (Arlington Road) is in post-production and readying for festivals. But just last week, the screenwriter for the film Foster Boy won a $45M …
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| Child welfare: How you can become a foster parent, donate or volunteer in Arizona
AZCentral.com If you want to help better the lot of children in Arizona, there are many things you can do. Some options involve money. Others require a time commitment. Still others could propel you into advocacy. There’s something for everyone, depending on what you believe is the best way to help a child in need … The Adoption Exchange Changes The Future For Children In Foster Care – CBS Denver Heart gallery aims to ‘find forever families’ for children hoping to be adopted – Miami Herald
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| New Bills CB Vontae Davis brings legacy of caring for foster children
Buffalo News When Suzy Roth got off the phone after hearing that NFL players wanted to partner with her organization and treat foster children to a shopping spree, the first thing she did was look up the team’s phone number to find out if it was for real. “I thought, I cannot line up kids in foster care to go shop with Colts …
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| Letter: How many more children endangered in broken foster care system?
The Mercury News According to the child welfare system, they have an unwavering commitment to keep children safe; disturbingly this was not the case for 3-year-old Mariah Sultana Mustafa, who overdosed on “meth” twice in the care of her foster placement. Grayling magnet maker supports animals and children in foster care – Crawford county avalanche Wright County needs loving families to provide foster care – ECM Publishers Triad Foster Families ‘Desperately’ Needed – WFMYNews2.com
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| Foster child had ‘soft spot’ for kids in need
Tribune-Review “He was always concerned about children who are homeless because he was actually in a foster home as a child,” said Judy Ankney. Mr. Ankney contributed regularly to Hephzibah Children’s Home in Macon, Ga., and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “He had a soft spot for all those children,” … Reporter’s Notebook: A Foster Child’s Story – CBS Denver Students come through for foster kids in need – Fremont News Messenger
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| Eckerd Connects proposes fix to Hillsborough foster care crisis
WFLA On March 20, Eckerd Connects sent out a “request for Information” for child welfare agencies to propose how they would staff and manage a specialized residential group home for foster teens who don’t fit in anywhere else. It’s the first step leading to a bid process to create such a home with intense …
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| More foster parents needed as opioid epidemic surges in Florida
FirstCoastNews.com WTLV-WJXX As the opioid epidemic continues to grow, so does the number of children entering Florida’s foster care system. Right now in Jacksonville, more than 800 kids are in foster care. Gabby Ricard used to be one of them. Ricard was 15-years-old when her mother was sent to prison on drug-related charges … Letter to the editor: Valley urgently needs foster homes – Valley Courier Number of kids in Florida’s foster care system continues to rise – WTXL ABC 27 Foster care and adoption reform bill goes to governor – Ohio County Monitor
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| Friday photo: Buckner Foster Care and Adoption participates in balloon release for National Child …
Buckner International April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and several Buckner locations participated in activities to help bring awareness to the issue of child abuse. In Midland, Buckner Foster Care and Adoption participated in a balloon release, releasing ballons to honor victims of child abuse. Nationally, one in …
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| Somerville: Troubled foster child makes ‘transformation’ in loving home
SFGate “His first day in my home he said: ‘I will never get adopted, so many people say they will keep me, then they don’t want me anymore.'” This is a perfect Sunday read. This is Kareem and his new mom Elaine. It’s been a long and difficult journey for Kareem. But now he finally has a real home. Your Turn: Arizona is neglecting its foster kids. Suing may be the only way to save them – AZCentral.com Mom says state put her son in foster care when she got sick. Now, she can’t get him back. – Lexington Herald Leader Alabama’s foster children need ‘forever families’ – AL.com
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| In a Loving Foster Family, but Missing Home
New York Times An extended relative once pulled me aside at a holiday gathering, confused by my 4-year-old foster son’s uncharacteristic moodiness. Instead of the typically spirited, joyful little boy he’d most often been since he came to live with us eight months earlier, my foster son was sullen and withdrawn. More foster parents needed in Omaha – KMTV – 3 News Now Comfort for kids in foster care – NUjournal
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| Nurturing foster children through ‘normalcy’
mySanAntonio.com Kristopher Bibaud, left, 18, and Adiel Fandino, right, 19, who are housemates share some laughs in 2014. A year earlier, to help those teens aging out of the system better adjust, the Texas Department of Family and Protective services started a program centered around supervised independent living.
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| Foster children suing state faced unemployment, homelessness and trafficking after leaving the …
San Antonio Express-News A blue stuffed dog — a gift from her great-grandmother — is the only thing Alyssa held onto as she was shuffled through 21 foster homes over a decade, suffering alleged abuse from one family that forced her to drink vinegar as punishment and later watching as a family that wouldn’t take her adopted …
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| Losing children to foster care endangers mothers’ lives
The Conversation CA Mothers whose children are placed in foster care are at much higher risk of dying young, particularly due to avoidable causes like suicide. When a child is placed in foster care, most of the resources are focused on the child, with little to no support for the mothers who are left behind. I have been working … Number Of Children Placed With Relatives, In Foster Care Continues To Rise In Wisconsin – Wisconsin Public Radio News New extended support in NWT for foster care age-outs sees uptake – CBC.ca Kiana Barroso, former foster-care child: ‘They can’t just be a normal kid’ – AZCentral.com
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| WKYT Investigates | Kentucky foster mom says state not properly funding disabled children
WKYT Saylor has spent her career taking care of people. She worked in emergency medical services for years before becoming a home health provider, so it made sense in her mind to foster children with medical issues. 14 years ago she took on three “medically fragile” boys in their early to mid-teens.
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| Foster families feel this bill could save vulnerable children
WIS Foster parent Zach Cooper has been following the bill’s progress. Cooper’s large family includes 2-year-old foster son, ‘E’, for short. He has experienced issues with DSS but says a child advocate could help resolve these. “When we live in the tension of…tomorrow, something could go very wrong one …
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| Court appointed special advocates needed for foster children
KATV The organization known as CASA, or, court appointed special advocates, is reporting a shortage of volunteers as more children are pulled from homes of parents with drug addiction. The CASA chapter in Lonoke serves 153 foster children, but there are an additional 30 kids without a CASA the …
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| Khamphanh family fosters children in need of loving home
Daily Globe After she and Daeng — her elementary school classmate and high school prom date — married, they’d considered applying to be foster parents. Then they became pregnant with their first child and the plans were temporarily set aside. Still, the idea lingered through Natya’s baby and toddler years, and … Officials search for 3 kids after cliff crash kills family – Washington Post Boy in viral hug photo and his family feared dead after their SUV plunges off a cliff – Washington Post
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| Braxton Slager drowning: death of toddler in foster care preventable, coroner finds
The Guardian When police searched the home, they found “excessive amounts of alcohol” and prescription medication within easy reach of children. Tests on Slager found cyproheptadine – a strong antihistamine unsuitable for children under the age of two – in his blood. The foster mother did not have the capacity to …
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| Families and Caregivers
National Child Traumatic Stress Network Parents and caregivers play an essential role in helping children and teenagers recover from traumatic events. These resources are for parents, adoptive parents, resource/foster parents, grandparents, caregivers, and all others who care for children and teens. The more caregivers learn about how …
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| Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Wendy’s This is all we need to find forever families for kids across the country: a little help form you and a lot of love from our Wendy’s Wonder Kids recruiters. children. Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption®. It’s the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s mission to help every child in foster care find a …
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