After a brief delay caused in part by a large cup of coffee colliding with my laptop keyboard, we’re back with the latest in child welfare and protection news.
Leading off is the verdict in the Jennifer Crumbley case. The mother of convicted school shooter Ethan Crumbley was herself convicted of involuntary manslaughter last week. The New York Times has a good breakdown of the case. Although many experts doubt this will lead to a significant trend of prosecutors going after parents of troubled young people who commit these horrific crimes, this case sets a precedent. The jury rejected Ms. Crumbley’s testimony that she didn’t realize how troubled her child was and the fact that Ethan’s school didn’t insist that she take him home the day of the murders. I still have to question, as I did when these charges were first brought, whether the criminal law is the best answer here or whether it’s an easy out that prevents the public from looking into the deeper issue of our nation’s failed mental health treatment system for children and adolescents.
Interesting developments around assisting youth aging out of care: Federal legislation would create incentives for states to extend foster care to age 21; Georgia’s HB 1090 would expand tax-credited services available to these youth; and here’s a good Washington Post op-ed about the needs of these youth and what’s being done to help them bridge the gap to adulthood.
Confirming what you already know, a study shows youth with autism and other intellectual disabilities are much more likely to end up in foster care.
My neighbor has a good article in the AJC this week demonstrating that by improving legal protections for renters to ensure housing is safe, we also protect children and help keep them out of the foster care system.
Indiana legislators have proposed a safe baby court.
Remember the old adage that “you get what you measure”? In the UK, there are reports that children’s homes are reluctant to take in children with complex needs because the challenges of serving and educating these children will result in lower “quality rating” scores from regulators.
Read about problems with New Hampshire children placed in out-of-state facilities.
As another reminder of how caring for foster children with complex needs is incredibly challenging, a major Arizona foster provider is struggling financially and seeking to shift some of its behavioral health work to other providers.
A fellow child welfare lawyer shares concerns about New Mexico’s system.
Kansas’ Attorney General weighs in on the significant issue of whether schools have a duty to inform parents when their children are experiencing gender identity issues at school.
Minnesota wants to bring in experts to diagnose failures in its child protection system.
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