Child Welfare
More Illinois affiliates of Catholic Charities are pulling out of foster care and adoption services following the state’s recognition of civil unions, reports Chuck Sudo of Chicagoist.
This issue between Catholic Charities and Illinois isn’t as cut and dry as it seems, writes Jeff Ward of the Courier News.
After a Los Angeles case manager for homeless Los Angeles youths dies, it is discovered that he pocketed thousands of dollars that were supposed to help them transition into adulthood, reports Christina Villacorte of the Daily News.
Garett Therolf of the Los Angeles Times reports on the death of Vyctorya Sandoval, a young girl returned to her family after a stay in foster care. The foster family agency providing care for the young girl sent a letter to the court expressing concern about the competency of her biological parents, who are now being investigated in connection with her death.
Education/Jobs
An Associated Press piece by Samantha Gross chronicles the many cuts to youth summer activities in a slew of big cities, before hoisting up New Orleans as the alternative example. The city plans to serve thousands more youth this year.
DeNeen Brown of the Washington Post produced a wonderfully straightforward piece here on the effort to keep a nascent teen running program going as students enthusiasm wavers.
Juvenile Justice
Mark Woods of the Florida Times-Union reports on State Attorney Angela Corey’s decision to try a baby-faced 12-year-old as an adult for the murder of his 2-year-old brother. The decision came down to the fact that the juvenile system could only hold the young man until his 21st birthday, Woods reports.
Brian Freskos of StarNewsOnline.com reports that North Carolina is unlikely to comply with the Adam Walsh Act’s sex offender registry requirements because of the costs involved in implementing it. Freskos widens out later in the article to discuss what’s happening in other states.
The need for a new juvenile justice center in Tulsa comes at an inopportune time, opines Julie Delcour of the Tulsa World, but her description of sardine can-like circumstances for staff and juveniles in the current facility makes that case that it needs to happen.
