Brain injury to boy in foster care prompts lawsuit against county, state

Brain injury to boy in foster care prompts lawsuit against county, state | Las Vegas Review-Journal:

The mother and maternal grandparents of a boy who suffered severe brain injury in 2012 while in foster care are suing Nevada and Clark County.The federal civil rights lawsuit alleges Clark County’s child welfare system isn’t compliant with state and federal laws and claims the state fails to provide oversight.

Additional sex charges filed on foster parent

Additional sex charges filed on foster parent - Clovis News Journal:

A former Tucumcari foster parent already facing five felony charges related to sexual contact with a minor has been charged with nine more felony counts of sexual penetration and contact of a minor, state police and Quay County Magistrate Court records show.

Why are we criminalizing childhood independence?

Why are we criminalizing childhood independence? - The Washington Post:

Good thing I don’t live in Montgomery County. Because the cops, apparently, would be at my door.They showed up at the Silver Spring home of Danielle and Alexander Meitiv last month, followed by Child Protective Services workers. And CPS was back again this week. And at their kids’ school, too.

Union County man accused of sexually assaulting a child was a longtime foster parent

Union County man accused of sexually assaulting a child was a longtime foster parent : Anna:

The Union County man indicted by a grand jury this monthon seven felony counts of sexual assault and abuse of a child was for years a foster parent in Dongola who associates say cared for more than 40 children over 20 years.

Whistle-blowing social workers disillusioned as concerns about abusive or dangerous practice are ignored

Whistle-blowing social workers disillusioned as concerns about abusive or dangerous practice are ignored | Community Care:

Over half of social workers have witnessed dangerous systems in their workplace, yet less than 15% feel they would be supported if they raised concerns, according to Community Care’s whistle-blowing survey. An online survey of 327 social workers found high numbers  had witnessed abusive (40%), unethical (58%), illegal (24%) or dangerous (65%) practice. Almost all of the survey’s respondents said they had reported their concerns but the majority (57%) said their concerns were not investigated or taken seriously while 73% said no effective action had been taken.

In 60% of cases, the concerns they raised still continue today.

Bill would increase access to adoption records

Bill would increase access to adoption records:

INDIANAPOLIS – A bill that would give adopted Indiana residents easier access to their birth records is headed to the full Senate despite concerns about its potential impact on biological mothers.

Stop bashing the parents

Stop bashing the parents | Chicago:

There has been a child welfare system crisis every decade in Illinois since the 1970s. The current focus on what ails the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is, at last, about the kids, not their presumably awful parents. That’s fortunate, because the only way to change the child welfare system, including its understaffed, yet expensive, residential care component, is to stop blaming the parents and start working with them constructively to keep families together.