Dad’s Love Can Be Crucial for Happy Childhood, Study Confirms

Dad’s Love Can Be Crucial for Happy Childhood, Study Confirms | Live Trading News:

Move over, tiger moms. Dads can play an even more significant role in the development of happy, well-adjusted children than do mothers, a new study indicates.

The Bond of Siblings -Does it Matter in Foster Care and Adoption?

The Bond of Siblings -Does it Matter in Foster Care and Adoption? | Hopping To It:

My sisters mean the world to me.  They are who I grew up with.  Now we are raising our children together-even though separated by many miles.  One day we will be old and our parents no longer with us, but we will have each other.  We have a special bond.  Regardless of where we are in life, that bond is there.

Dad says he's losing custody battle because he's obese

Dad says he's losing custody battle because he's obese | CTV News:

Can you be too overweight to be a good parent? One Ottawa man says he's losing a custody battle in court because of his obesity.

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Celebrating June as Reunification Month but NOT in NH

Celebrating June as Reunification Month | The Children's Monitor:

No celebration in NH because there is no reunification here. Only Family Destruction!

On Tuesday, CWLA joined with ABA Center on Children and the Law, the National Foster Care Coalition, and Children and Family for a congressional briefing in recognition of National Reunification Month. The briefing recognized the hard work of birth parents, parent advocates, and the courts in helping families achieve reunification by celebrating the trials, dedication, and accomplishments of parents who were successfully reunified with their children after placement in foster care.

Presenters included a circuit court judge from Prince George’s County, Maryland, two parent advocates who were once separated from their children but successfully reunified after working with the child welfare system and the court to regain custody, and the director from the Center For Family Representation in New York City, which works with families in crisis to provide free legal representation and social services to enable children to safely remain in their parents’ custody.

Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI) who sponsored the briefing, spoke about her bill H.R. 3873, the Enhancing the Quality of Parental Legal Representation Act of 2011. This bill takes steps to ensure that when child welfare intervenes on behalf of allegations of abuse or neglect, parents will be afforded legal representation at all stages of their case. In addition, the bill increases funding for discretionary and other targeted grants to improve the quality of legal representation for parents. HR 3873 has yet to be reported out of the Ways and Means Committee.

Forum on Psychotropic Medications for Children in Foster Care

Forum on Psychotropic Medications for Children in Foster Care | The Children's Monitor:

Today in Washington a forum was held on psychotropic medications for children in foster care. Dr. David Rubin of the Policy Lab and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is leading a major research project on this issue. He reviewed their latest findings and highlighted data from all fifty states regarding use of psychotropic medications by children in foster care over a five year span.

Providing the state perspective was James A. Rogers, M.D., Medical Director, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, which is a CWLA member agency. Dr. Rogers presented on what steps have been taken in Texas, which has historically high rates of psychotropic medication use. He also highlighted some of the improvements that have been made and explained the new protocols and monitoring that are being developed inTexas.

Clare Anderson, Deputy Commissioner at the Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) and Kate Stepleton also from ACYF spoke about the coordination initiative underway between federal agencies on these issues, the technical assistance webinar series they are conducting, and a planned summit that will involve all the states and will take place in late August.  

Nadia Sexton, Senior Fellow at the Office of the Commissioner, ACYF, and on detail to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, Division of Benefits and Coverage, focused her remarks on the role of Medicaid. In particular she described efforts to align federal resources, strengthen the partnership of shared knowledge, and efforts to work with states to ensure children receive the right treatments through Medicaid’s EDSDT benefits.  

David DeVoursney, Policy Analyst, Office of Policy Planning and Innovation, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration highlighted the major challenge of workforce shortages. He noted that 94 million Americans live in areas where there is a shortage of mental health professionals. He described the work of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and its initiative in this and related areas.

NH Redress Committee Votes 9-2 Subpoena sealed Documents Johnson Petition #5

Redress Committee Votes 9-2 Subpoena sealed Documents Johnson Petition #5 | Kevin Avard for State Rep:

Redress Committee Votes 9-2 Subpoena sealed Documents Johnson Petition #5

Published June 21, 2012 | By kevin

Rep Avard argues to release sealed Document in favor of Parental rights

Tuesday 6/12,  The Redress Committee voted 9-2 in favor to ask the Rules Committee to Subpoena sealed Documents the David Johnson  case. Seems some  parents like Mr Johnson have no way to know what they are accused of while being separated from their children . In Some cases up to three years or longer.

Last I knew , you still had a right to face your accusers in the State of NH.  Why shouldn’t  Mr Johnson be able to rebut the “evidence ” which comes from the GAL in his case? If he has committed a crime then He should be punished , but if not did the court commit Child  abuse in separating a child from a good Father?     Lets see what the rules Committee will do?

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NH Redress Grievance Committee Petition # 13 Founded! With recomendation! vote 7-3

Petition # 13 Founded! With recomendation! vote 7-3 | Kevin Avard for State Rep:

Totally Awesome!!!!

6/19/2012 by: Kevin Avard

Hope Nardone ,

Petitioner # 13 has proven her case before the Redress of Grievance Committeee. This case Involves

DCYF !   A)After hearing the petition of Hope Nardone and seeing the supporting documentation and the written testimony of witnesses and receiving  NO response from the Department of Children , Youth and families the House of Redress of Grievance Committee finds that the employees of DCYF did indeed make False Statements to the Social Security administration in order to receive Mental ill financial benefits for a Minor; B) Failed to disclose unsafe and aggressive behaviors including sexual assault by a child in their care to the court and parent including ones in which the Derry Police were pressing charges, and omitted them from the DCYF documentation when they might have been used in exculpatory evidence; c)Practiced medicine by allowing a  DCYF nurse to override the orders of a child’s physician;D)Violated the Health Insurance Patient protection Act and slandering a parent by revealing a (Non – Existent) mental health condition of the parent to the School Staff; E0 Failing to comply with court order family visits and persistently refusing to make visiting arrangements that matched a parent’s work schedule despite request of the same.

Recommendations:

the committee agrees with the petitioner in recommending the laws of the State of NH be so amended as to: a0 Define more precisely the guideline for all State agencies regarding ” The Best interest of the Child” and Good faith reporting” to protect the children and families from reporting bias and abuse and include time frames in which exculpatory evidence must be presented by the state agencies and departments, and support the reintroduction of HB415 providing greater difficulty for agencies to hide evidence: b) Remove state agencies worker immunity regarding criminal penalties for failing to act in the best interest of the child; c) Modify ex- parte hearings to protect a parent’s or family’s right to speak on behalf as well as to defend themselves against allegations of abuse or neglect and to prevent psychological or other injury to the child; e) create a standing governmental over site committee of the house similar to that of the U.S congress to be available when such instances such as these are uncovered; f) Make policies and procedures for adoption statutory guaranteeing the family members are given priority unless there is overwhelming evidence that such placement in not in the best interest of  the child; g) Make better use of the independent family advocacy organization and programs in child welfare issues.