Child Care Made
Trenton Times
The 5-year-old autistic son of Alicia Day, a single mother of four in New Jersey, was fatally scalded at home while Day was working her overnight shift. Day’s difficult living situation was known to the state’s Division of Youth and Family Services, but she was never offered child-care support. Children’s Rights Inc., a child advocacy group, is urging DYFS to adopt proposed reforms that would increase funding and hiring of workers who will have closer and more frequent contact with children. March 4. www.nj.com/times, go to “long-term archives” and search for headline; registration required.
Nation’s Youth Hit Hard by STDs
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show nearly half of all new cases of STDs in 2000 were found in 15- to 24-year-olds. A panel of nine young people from around the country thinks frank discussions about sex with parents, information about condom use, and increased STD screening can help. Feb. 24. www.seattlepi.com, search for “STD”.
Heroin in America
National Public Radio
A five-part series on NPR’s Morning Edition examines the growing problem of heroin abuse among teens. Today’s heroin is inexpensive and pure enough to snort, making it an attractive drug for youth and more addictive than in the past. While methadone clinics are rare, new treatment is available to make kicking the habit more convenient and less painful. Feb. 23-Feb. 27. www.npr.org, go to audio archives and search for headline.
For a Promising but Poor Girl, a Struggle Over Sex and Goals
The New York Times
After dealing early in life with domestic abuse and homelessness, saying no to sex became unimportant to Tabitha, a 17-year-old girl from the Bronx determined to go to college. But like so many other girls living in poverty, her poor self-esteem poses a threat to her potential success. March 8. www.nytimes.com, go to archives and search for headline; registration required.
