Here’s the latest child welfare news:
There’s been a lot in the press the last few months about the common practice in most jurisdictions of using foster children’s social security benefits to offset the costs of foster care. You can read about it here. Now, New York City’s new Commissioner of the Administration for Children’s Services, Jess Dannhauser, is stopping the practice. Instead, “the Social Security money will be placed in savings accounts that children can access when they leave foster care–either when they return to family, are adopted or age-out of foster care between ages 18 and 24,” NPR reports.
We’ve long known that youth in foster care are often targeted by sex traffickers and those who would otherwise exploit them. Two recent stories highlight the issue. In Texas, a group home employee at “The Refuge” sold nude photos of two young girls and used the money to purchase illegal drugs and alcohol for them. Further investigation revealed several staffers still employed at The Refuge were involved in the criminal activity. In New York, a foster couple were charged with sex trafficking the girls in their home. It appears the husband was a registered sex offender, but no one did a background check on him because the wife told those doing the home study that they were separated and that she hadn’t had contact with him in over a year.
West Virginia is on the verge of adopting significant reforms designed to improve a struggling child protection system and increase hiring and retention of case managers. The legislation now appears in serious jeopardy.
The “troubled teen” industry, centered in Utah, is under fire thanks to a series and accompanying podcast in the Salt Lake Tribune.
The Supreme Court is taking up a challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act. So you’ll know the issues, here’s an op-ed opposing the law and another article in support of it.
As noted previously, the State of Texas has begun investigating as potential child abuse the provision of puberty blockers, hormones, and other gender transition services to children. In one of the first investigations, the mother of the 16-year-old transgender child at issue is herself an employee of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). After she was placed on leave, the ACLU sued on her behalf, and there’s a hearing today to determine whether the investigation should be blocked. The Washington Post has more details.
OK, that’s the news. Now back to work!!