Child Welfare
Some lawmakers and advocates are disappointed that the Federal Trade Commission is not expanding the scope of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to include 13- to 17-year-olds, reports Jasmin Melvin of Reuters. The law currently mandates certain protections for children under 13.
Two fathers are suing the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency for placing their children in foster care when they had joint custody of their daughters, reports Teresa Tomassoni of the Washington Post.
One of the Catholic Charities affiliates in Illinois has agreed to transition its foster care and adoption services caseload to a nonprofit in February, reports Manya Brachear of the Chicago Tribune. Other Catholic Charities are fighting the state’s decision to cancel their contracts because the agencies did not want to license couples joined through civil unions, which became legal in the state this summer.
Education/Jobs
A bill requiring California workforce centers to spend 25 percent of their federal workforce funds on vocational training is not going over well with the centers, reports Marc Lifsher of the Los Angeles Times. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill on Thursday.
The number of students earning certificates and degrees from community colleges has increased dramatically, reports Paul Fain of Inside Higher Ed, citing a study by the American Association of Community Colleges.
Juvenile Justice
Colorado is closing two youth detention centers as a result of significant declines in the number of detained youth, reports Kirk Mitchell of the Denver Post. The total number of detained juveniles fell from 1,480 in 2006 to 1,000 last year.
