Here’s the latest news:
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, on charges of kidnapping children from Ukraine and placing them with Russian families. It’s about time.
Interesting article in the Washington Post about Florida’s frequent use of involuntary commitment statutes to hospitalize children with behavioral issues.
In Idaho, during the pandemic the State was allowed to use federal funds to pay parents and spouses to provide personal care services to their relatives with significant medical needs. The State is looking for ways to keep this program going. They might look at Colorado, which also allows relatives to be paid caregivers of adults with disabilities who receive Medicaid in-home services.
I’m following this bill in Florida that would legitimate an unwed father through a simple paternity acknowledgement. Currently, as in many states (mostly in the South, it seems), unwed fathers have no rights to seek custody or visitation unless they marry the mother or obtain a court order legitimating their status.
It looks as if Tennessee’s Governor is trying to get rid of the state’s independent Commission on Children and Families. The reason? The Commission puts out the state version of the national “Kids Count” annual report, which lately has contained a lot of bad news. “[W]hile it is an unbiased group designed to provide state leaders with information, sources familiar with the situation say officials within the governor’s office are upset with the agency’s State of Kids report,” according to the Tennessee Lookout. Sounds like they have deeper problems than bad publicity.
Kentucky is succeeding in reducing its foster care population.
From Kansas, here’s another story illustrating the struggles that face families of children with high needs.
For churches and other Christian organizations, there is a new program that advises and accredits ministries to ensure they are following best practices for protecting children.
North Carolina is planning a new $1 billion investment in mental health services.
That’s all for the week!