Child Welfare
Rob Manning of Oregon Public Broadcasting reports on OPB’s website about a conundrum in the state’s foster care system: That the workers who recruit and train foster families are often the same staff tapped to investigate reported wrongdoing by foster families.
Foster children are sometimes challenged to find consistent recreational opportunities. Reno Gazette Journal reporter Jackie Green writes today about one Nevada program leader who thinks he’s found a winning idea: zumba dance classes.
Education/Jobs
Following up on yesterday’s feature story about remedial education in community colleges, a New York Times blog entry encourages students to post comments on the roles of community colleges in their neighborhood.
News site TheGrio.com reports Lebron James has donated 1,000 computers to Boys and Girls Clubs across the country through a partnership with his charitable foundation and Hewlett Packard.
This piece by Karla Dawn Meier of Medill Reports – Chicago, criticizes Chicago Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel for proposing to revoke the driver’s license of anyone who drops out of high school .
A Salem News editorial blames the government for lack of teen jobs, but for a different reason than usual – not lack of funding, but for regulations making it difficult for the private sector to hire entry-level employees.
Juvenile Justice
A female guard at Minnesota’s Red Wing juvenile facility is being sued for sexually abusing a 17-year-old male inmate, reports Pat Pheifer of the Star Tribune. Suzanne Walstrom is accused of having sexual contact with the juvenile and making overtures to him in letters where she calls herself “Peaches.”
Former juvenile judge Mark Ciavarella, who was convicted of 12 counts related to corruption involving his court and for-profit juvenile detention centers he was involved with, will appeal his conviction on seven of the 12 counts, reports Michael Sisak of the Citizens’ Voice.
