Child Welfare
The Orlando Sentinel’s editorial board said that Florida Department of Children and Families needs to be clearer and transparent about decisions related to its private providers. The piece relates specifically to the agency’s decision to switch lead entitites in two large counties last week, which Sentinel reporter Kate Santich covered here.
Details on the 2011 National Court Appointed Special Advocates annual conference, which will be held March 19-22 in Chicago. Deadline for the early-bird registration price is Dec. 30.
Education/Jobs
Arizona Daily Star’s Becky Pallack reports that Tucson schools and the University of Arizona are preparing to use U.S. Department of Education-funded wraparound services to help Arizona special-education students transition to college.
A nice breakdown of the latest teen unemployment statistics for this October, coming from an investment research blog.
Juvenile Justice
Scott Sandlin of the Albuquerque Journal reports on the New Mexico Supreme Court’s 4-1 ruling that a judge has the right to issue an adult sentence to a juvenile who never faced a jury in adult court. This case could be one that the U.S. Supreme Court, which has clearly expressed an interest in juvenile justice, agrees to take on.
There are a number of youth-serving organizations in Pennsylvania who stand to lose a federal lifeline if federal earmarks are done away with, reports Patriot News writer Ivey DeJesus. Regardless of systemic reform, Pennsylvania will almost plummet on the earmark totals with anti-pork Sen. Pat Toomey (R) replacing Sen. Arlen Specter in January.
