It’s been a bit quiet since last week, but here’s the latest.
North Carolina’s legislature is considering a 30-page bill that will make significant changes in the state’s child welfare system. Among its provisions:
Language ensuring that if a local county DSS office has a conflict of interest in a CPS case, that the matter is referred out to an objective investigator;
Required training for attorneys representing DSS;
Greater placement stability for children who have been in the same caretaker’s home in excess of 12 months; and
Increased oversight by the State.
A Florida CPS worker at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office was fired and charged for falsifying records. In a case that policy required she involve law enforcement, she claimed to have summoned the St. Pete police. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Sheriff’s officials said no children involved in the investigation were harmed because of the deception.” My question here is — was the policy that she lied about following even necessary in the first place?
In the UK, there’s a new scandal regarding the horrid living conditions in residential homes for children significant disabilities and complex medical needs.
A promising Maine initiative to provide legal assistance to parents involved in child protection investigations has failed in the legislature.
New Hampshire’s child welfare chief is stepping down. Public radio has this profile.
While critics claim that child protection algorithms discriminate against certain populations, University of Connecticut researchers are trying to make one that reduces bias among medical providers who are sorting out whether a child’s injury resulted from abuse.
Book Question! What do you think are the best books about children who have experienced neglect or abuse, trauma-responsive care, the child welfare system, or about children’s rights? My wife is reading The Body Keeps the Score, and its focus on how trauma affects individuals made me wonder what’s out there I should be reading. Your recommendations are appreciated!