Child Welfare
Janaki Mahadewan of Children & Young People Now reports that the United Kingdom has produced a charter aimed at reducing the amount of bureaucracy involved for foster children who want to participate in normal childhood activities. It is an issue that causes many American foster families to stop volunteering their services, some child welfare advocates say.
After a contentious debate, reports Margie Menzel of The News Service of Florida, a House committee approved a measure that would cap the damages that could be won by children in Florida’s child welfare system and lower the amount of liability insurance that the state’s private providers would be required to carry.
Education/Jobs
The Des Moines Register editorial board is taking the stance that federal legislators need to ease off their crusade against for-profit colleges.
ABC 7 News in Denver has a report on an after-school program that incorporates bullying prevention.
Juvenile Justice
The number of juveniles transferred to adult prison by the state of New York more than doubled last year, reports the Associated Press. The state can hold someone in a juvenile facility until the age of 21, the article said, but can choose to transfer them for offenses in the facility starting at age 16. It’s unclear whether the increase is connected to violent incidents within facilities that were recently publicized by an investigation.
At a summit on Louisiana’s juvenile justice system, Karina Vailes of the News Star reports, leaders lamented the lack of overall progress in the state despite some bright spots fostered in part by a foundation’s reform efforts.
A 12-year-old was sentenced to a year in a juvenile facility this week for making threats to kill his family and classmates, reports the Associated Press. Police found two shotguns and a pistol in a camper near the family’s home, where the boy was apparently living.
Missouri will offer taxpayers the chance to directly apply their refunds to support recruitment of foster parents and adoptive parents, reports NECN.
