Child Welfare
Nevada officials pitched a novel idea to state appropriators, reports Geoff Dornan of the Tahoe Daily Tribune: use funds from medical marijuana to pay for drug treatment for parents involved in the child welfare system.
Karina Bland of the Arizona Republic profiles Steven and Roger Ham, a gay couple raising 12 adopted children in Arizona, which does not allow gays to adopt.
It might be time for Arizona to re-think that policy, considering what Patty Machelor reported in the Arizona Daily Star this week. The number of abused and neglected youth in state care has increased significantly while child welfare funding has dropped and available foster homes have dwindled, Machelor reports
A fantastic story from Associated Press here about identity protection and foster youth. Kids who pass through multiple placements and state agencies are at huge risk of having people steal their personal information for fraud.
Juveniles Justice
As Iowa politicians debate how long teen lifers must stay in prison before being eligible for parole, the mother of a slain teen pleaded with them to make it at least 25 years, reports William Petroski of the Des Moines Register.
Santa Clara County has emerged as a promising beacon of juvenile justice reform in California, but Karen de Sá of the Mercury News reports that tough budget choices might stress the system from the top down.
