Here’s the latest news in the child welfare world this first week of January, 2022.
US news:
As a sad reminder of how difficult and dangerous child welfare and protection work can be, we highlight the murder this week of Ms. Deidre Silas, an Illinois child protective services worker who was stabbed for just doing her job of protecting kids.
PBS Newshour did a nice piece on Sixto Cancel’s efforts to reform child welfare through his work with Think of Us. Along the same lines of promoting kinship care, I recommend this op-ed from Ohio.
Also from PBS, an article on Rep. Karen Bass’ bill that would essentially overturn the Adoption and Safe Families Act and, in my humble opinion, leave thousands of children languishing for years in foster care. More on that next week.
Colorado may soon join Georgia and 27 other states in providing client-directed counsel for children involved with child welfare court cases. Glad to see this happening in the home state of the NACC.
Changes in child welfare leadership are afoot nationally: Jess Danhauser is taking over as head of New York City’s Administration for Children and Families. In Missouri, the appointment of Darrell Missey continues a nationwide trend of placing former judges in charge of the child welfare agency in hopes doing so will end the revolving door of directors. Salud!
The Young Center is doing yeoman’s work assisting migrant children at the border.
Read about foster care instability issues in Tennessee.
From the international desk:
Children around the world continue to suffer violence, especially due to war and unrest.
Reforming child welfare should be on the legislative list of priorities in the UK, says the head of the NSPCC.
Interesting perspectives from Vietnam on whether neighbors should have a duty to report child abuse.
Canada just reached a major financial settlement with indigenous groups over the government’s historically abusive child welfare practices.
Speaking of Canada, the societal cost of youth aging out of foster care in Ontario without proper support is estimated at $2 billion.
That’s all the news that I saw fit to print this week! As always, please send me new items of interest, suggested topics for columns, and any feedback you have. Thanks!