With reduced funding to manage the increased calls coming in from the community distress that results from the poverty and chaos from our declining economy, social service agencies are becoming unable to respond adequately to the calls they are receiving.
Caseloads were too high before the downturn, & funding from non profits and governmental agencies has been significantly reduced, leaving more dysfunctional families & their abused and neglected children without help.
The future holds more and bigger juvenile detention centers, jails, and prisons until this trend reverses & our communities grasp the wisdom of investing in youth.
The rest of this article is a compilation of recent updates on how states from around the nation are managing troubled families and their abused and neglected children;
Thank those of you who have sent me important articles. I appreciate the information.
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California
California
Florida
Florida
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Illinois
Iowa http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2010/03/04/news/latest/doc4b8f5630d99ec604150445.txt#vmix_media_id=11609441 , read below (does not link well)
Michigan
Minnesota
Minnesota
Nevada
New York
Ohio (Forced to Live In Cages Article Link)
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Texas
Texas
Texas
Texas
Washington
Wyoming
Thursday, March 4, 2010 12:49 AM CST
Child abuse cases climb across Iowa
By CHARLOTTE EBY, Globe Gazette Des Moines Bureau
DES MOINES — Iowa child abuse cases were up in 2009, reversing a two-year decline, according to figures released Wednesday by the Iowa Department of Human Services.
Iowa Thursday, March 4, 2010 12:49 AM CST
Child abuse cases climb across Iowa
By CHARLOTTE EBY, Globe Gazette Des Moines Bureau
DES MOINES — Iowa child abuse cases were up in 2009, reversing a two-year decline, according to figures released Wednesday by the Iowa Department of Human Services.
Officials reported an 11 percent increase in both the reports of abuse and the findings of abuse or neglect. They cited the down economy as a likely contributing factor to the rise in cass.
In North Iowa, however, the number of cases in 2009, though up slightly from 2008, are still significantly lower than the numbers from 2005 through 2007.
There were a total of 1,377 cases reported in North Iowa in 2009. Of those 374 were determined to be founded.
That's up from 1,226 cases reported and 369 founded in 2008, increases of 9 percent and 1.4 percent respectively.
But the number of cases reported in North Iowa counties in 2007 was 2,033, and the number of cased founded was 715.
Individual North Iowa county totals are in the chart on Page A1.
Heightened awareness of child abuse and high-profile cases may have contributed to the increases noted statewide, according to experts.
"There's definitely more stress on families because of the economy, and so we think that has some impact, and this probably is the only logical thing right now to point to," said DHS Director Charles Krogmeier.
Officials say domestic violence and substance abuse remain the main risk factors for children.
In 2009, investigators completed 25,814 assessments for child abuse or neglect, up 11 percent from 2008.
Those complaints or "intakes" typically come from a hotline, school officials, medical personnel or law enforcement.
"We're getting more reports and investigating more," Krogmeier said.
Roughly two-thirds of those investigations showed no abuse occurred. A total of 7,011 were founded abuse cases last year involving 10,148 children, compared to 6,141 founded cases in 2008. Founded abuse cases topped 7,900 in 2006.
The biggest share of abuse cases were the denial or critical care or neglect, which made up 81 percent. These types of cases commonly involve parents who are impaired by drug use or mental incapacity, officials said.
Physical abuse cases made up 9.3 percent of abuse cases. A majority of the children in abuse cases were 5 years old or younger.
Krogmeier said the number of workers who complete the assessments remains about the same number as last year despite budget cuts.
Some of those workers are expected to participate in an early retirement program offered to state workers this year, but Krogmeier said they expect to be able to fill those positions. He said they would continue to try to target resources to child protection efforts.
State Rep. Renee Schulte, R-Cedar Rapids, said the increasing numbers of abuse cases could not have come at a worse time. Lawmakers are still grappling with budget constraints as the state faces declining revenues.
Schulte is concerned an early retirement program for state workers would mean about one-third of frontline child abuse workers have the potential to retire.
"We're already short and already not having enough people to get it done," Schulte said.
— Bob Steenson of the Globe Gazette added to this report.
Texas;CHILD PROTECTION
The center is deeply committed to safeguarding Texas' six million children from abuse or neglect.
Recent Child Protection Publications
Implementing the Permanent Care Assistance Program (03/11/2010)
The new permanency care assistance program, which pays relatives who take permanent custody of a child in state care, is well intended. But due to federal and practical constraints, implementation may not go as planned. That is why the 2017 sunset provision is important. It allows sufficient time for the program to get up and running but provides an important "out" if the program does not achieve its intended goals.
CPPP senior policy analyst Jane Burstain delivered this testimony on the permanency care assistance program to the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.
The State of Texas Children: Breakfast Briefing (01/14/2010)
Join Dr. Harriett Romo, Director, UTSA CAPRI/Mexico Center, and Frances Deviney, Ph.D., Texas Kids Count Director, for a breakfast briefing on the well-being of children in San Antonio, Bexar County, and across Texas.
New Analysis Anticipates Child Poverty Increase (01/7/2010)
More than one of every five Texas children, or nearly 1.5 million kids, lived in poverty during 2008—and when data from 2009 are compiled, that number is likely to increase to one of every four kids, according to a new analysis released Wednesday by First Focus and Brookings researcher Julia Isaacs. The increase in poor children is placing an even heavier burden on an already strained network of private charities and state agencies already reeling from the triple punch of inadequate funding, staffing shortages, and a broken eligibility system that withholds critical assistance to needy families.
Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in Texas (12/16/2009)
Recently, a spotlight has been focused on deaths from child abuse and neglect in Texas. Texas does have a higher death rate per capita compared to other states. The exact reasons for the higher rate are difficult to determine but seem to be related to two factors. First, other states may be undercounting their child abuse and neglect deaths. Second, Texas probably has a larger number of child abuse and neglect deaths per capita related to the difficult circumstances families face in Texas, specifically high child poverty, a high teen birth rate, and low child abuse and neglect prevention.
Fostering Connections Creates a Conflict in Federal Law Regarding the Preferred Permanency Model (09/29/2009)
CPPP Senior Policy Analyst Jane Burstain recently offered testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means regarding the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act.
Child Protective Services and the 81st Legislature (07/16/2009)
The investments the 79th and 80th Legislatures made in the child protective services (CPS) system are paying off. More children are safely staying in their homes or with relatives and, when that is not possible, more are being adopted. As a result, fewer children are in foster care. The 81st Legislature built on these successes, making additional investments in CPS and passing legislation to further reduce the number of children entering the state's care and improve outcomes for those children who do. This policy page discusses the details of that legislation and what needs to be done next.
The Gates Case: What It Means for Child Protective Services (06/26/2009)
In July 2008, the United States Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit published a decision in the case of Gates v. the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The Fifth Circuit set guidelines under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution for state caseworkers to follow in making investigation and removal decisions in child protection cases. This policy page discusses what Gates means for caseworkers in the field, explores its impact on Child Protective Services (CPS), and makes recommendations about what the state and CPS need to do next.
The Texas School Disciplinary System and Foster Care Children (04/24/2009)