Child Welfare
Catholic Charities of Springfield, Ill., one of the agencies that had its child welfare contract cancelled by the state over the summer, stands to lose half of its projected 2012 revenue if a judge doesn’t reconsider his affirmation of the state’s position, reports Doug Finke of the State Journal-Register. The agencies would not consider unmarried couples for adoption or as foster care providers, which the state was fine with until a law allowing for civil unions was enacted in May.
Florida’s child welfare boss plans to ask the state legislature for $60 million to correct some of the problems exposed by the case of Victor and Nubia Barahona, two children who were abused by their adoptive parents, reports Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald.
Education/Jobs
Erica Pearson of the New York Daily News reports on two young men – both of whom entered the country illegally and support the DREAM Act – and how their divergent paths depict the need for the legislation.
The population at the heart of the DREAM Act – young, undocumented youth who graduate high school – “are a reality everywhere in the U.S. and we need to start paying attention,” writes Iowa State Daily columnist Elliott DeVore.
Corinthian Colleges, one of the nation’s major for-profit college operators, is cutting 2 percent of its workforce in the wake of declining enrollment, reports Reuters. The Santa Ana-based company’s shares fell 17 cents on Monday.
Juvenile Justice
New York’s chief judge is proposing a policy shift that would move most 16- and 17-year-old offenders into the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system, reports Mosi Secret of the New York Times. Under the plan, only the cases of teens accused of the most violent offenses would remain in adult court.
The number of Arkansas juveniles arrested for felonies is down and so is the number of youths locked up in the state’s juvenile facilities, reports Wayne Cross on the website of KTHV.
