Child Welfare
Forty applicants for welfare assistance have been drug tested in Orlando under the new Florida eligibility requirements, reports Kenric Ward of Sunshine State News, and 38 passed with one of the two fails under appeal.
Excellent story by Kelli Kennedy of the Associated Press on a Florida couple who adopted two sons out of foster care, and didn’t find out about some serious psychological problems until after they signed on the dotted line with the state. The situation reflects the need for disclosure and assistance to new families, sources tell Kennedy.
Education/Jobs
For-profit colleges are having a heck of a time recruiting new students this year, reports Melissa Korn of the Wall Street Journal, which is likely a byproduct of less aggressive recruiting practices and increased consumer wariness.
California’s community colleges are bracing for mid-year budget cuts, reports the Central Valley Business Times. The cuts will be triggered if the state does not recoup enough savings from recently passed budget cuts.
PENCIL President Michael Haberman opines on why urban youth need help getting a foot into the employment door. PENCIL is a New York nonprofit that helps the private sector get involved in school reform and improvement.
Juvenile Justice
Two years and still no permanent leader for OJJDP, reports Clay Duda of the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange. Advocates who want the administration to make a choice also oppose legislation that would make it easier to put someone in the job by removing the Senate confirmation requirement attached to the OJJDP position.
Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead has shelved his plans for a unified juvenile justice system, at least for this year, reports Ben Neary of the Associated Press.
A second member of the MS-13 gang in Northern Virginia has pleaded guilty to trafficking vulnerable juvenile females who had run away from home, reports Emily Babay of the Washington Examiner.
Pennsylvania did not comply with the Adam Walsh Act before the July deadline, reports Brian Bowling of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, but Gov. Tom Corbett intends to make it happen this year.
Philadelphia is extending its strict 9 p.m. curfew law into the fall, reports Patrick Walters of Forbes.
