Legally Kidnapped

Judge lets state withhold more details about child abuse deaths

2012-01-27T11:10:00.000-08:00

Judge lets state withhold more details about child abuse deaths

An appeals court judge has granted an emergency request by a state agency to temporarily withhold more details from records it must release on children killed or hurt as a result of abuse or neglect.

Hearing examines charges of misconduct at DCFS

2012-01-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

Hearing examines charges of misconduct at DCFS

An attorney for Gov. Pat Quinn faced blistering questioning about why a former director of Illinois' child-welfare agency wasn't fired quickly after a report of fraud under his watch.

Halle Berry’s Ex Gabriel Aubry Fights Childs Abuse Claims

2012-01-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

Halle Berry’s Ex Gabriel Aubry Fights Childs Abuse Claims

Gabriel Aubry has been formally questioned by the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services in light of Halle Berry’s child abuse claims brought on by her nanny after she was allegedly pushed into a wall.

Child Protective Services Formally Interview Halle Berry's Baby Daddy

2012-01-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

Child Protective Services Formally Interview Halle Berry's Baby Daddy

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services has formally interviewed Halle Berry's baby daddy, Gabriel Aubry, in connection with allegations that he pushed a nanny while she was holding the former couple's three year old daughter, Nahla, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

Gov. proposes cuts for child abuse centers

2012-01-27T04:59:00.000-08:00

Gov. proposes cuts for child abuse centers

The governor said he wants to eliminate statewide funding of nearly one million dollars. Stop Child Abuse Now, a local organization, helps children from all around Virginia who are victims of abuse and neglect.

Editorial, 1/27: Foster kids on psych drugs

2012-01-27T04:32:00.000-08:00

Editorial, 1/27: Foster kids on psych drugs

Sen. Gwen Howard wants a task force to examine why more than one in five foster children in Nebraska is taking psychiatric medication.

Katz slowly moves DCF toward reform

2012-01-27T04:25:00.001-08:00

Katz slowly moves DCF toward reform

Soon after accepting the governor's offer to head the Department of Children and Families, Joette Katz paid a visit to our editorial board. The appointment was a shocker. To take one of the most challenging jobs in state government, arguably the most challenging, Ms. Katz had surrendered her prestigious position as a state Supreme Court justice.

Note: Gotta love the fluff, eh?

Nebraska Child Welfare Debate Rages in Hearing

2012-01-27T04:16:00.000-08:00

Nebraska Child Welfare Debate Rages in Hearing

The head of Nebraska's child welfare services told lawmakers Thursday that a proposal to reclaim case management duties from private contractors would destabilize the system that serves abused and neglected children.

Both sides of child welfare debate

Parent-Child Interactions Researched at Colorado State University for Clues about Abuse

2012-01-26T16:56:00.000-08:00

Parent-Child Interactions Researched at Colorado State University for Clues about Abuse

Can scientists predict if a child may eventually become the victim of abuse or neglect just by looking at patterns of how parents and children solve problems together? That’s the aim of a new study in Colorado State University’s Department of Human Development and Family Studies.

Note: Great. More power to take kids without evidence of parental wrong doing.

State appeals ruling that requires release of more child abuse details

2012-01-26T16:51:00.000-08:00

State appeals ruling that requires release of more child abuse details

Kentucky child-protection officials asked the Kentucky Court of Appeals on Thursday to block a lower-court's ruling that limits its ability to remove details from public documents about children who died or nearly died from abuse and neglect.

Lawsuit claims Illinois illegally withholds treatment for kids

2012-01-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

Lawsuit claims Illinois illegally withholds treatment for kids

A class action lawsuit against the state of Illinois alleges state welfare agencies illegally withhold treatment for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. The lawsuit could affect more than 18,000 youth with severe mental illnesses and emotional disturbances in Illinois.

Legal setback for Ontario aboriginals taken from their families during the “Sixties Scoop”

2012-01-26T07:39:00.000-08:00

Legal setback for Ontario aboriginals taken from their families during the “Sixties Scoop”

The federal government has won its appeal in Divisional Court against a class-action lawsuit on behalf of 16,000 aboriginal children taken from reserves in Ontario in what’s known as the “Sixties Scoop.”

Will cuts to foster care cost more in the long run?

2012-01-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

Will cuts to foster care cost more in the long run?

Mental health professionals will tell you there are children across the Tampa Bay area who have been through hell. Many have been ripped out of the care of their parents due to abuse, neglect, or even death. Some are forced to live in a stranger's home and, in some instances, children in state care will live in dozens of foster care homes while waiting to be adopted.

Delaware Re-Evaluates Secret Juvenile Justice System…

2012-01-26T07:10:00.000-08:00

Delaware Re-Evaluates Secret Juvenile Justice System…

I have long argued that a bit of sunshine would do a great deal of good in the world of juvenile justice, as secretive an institution as exists in American life. Delaware officials might just agree, at least in part. Good for them:

Note: Juvenile and Family Courts are supposed to be secret. It's how they cover their tracks.

Child welfare worker wins benefits for injuries in workplace restroom

2012-01-26T06:45:00.000-08:00

Child welfare worker wins benefits for injuries in workplace restroom

Ruling: The Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission awarded benefits to a worker who sustained injuries when she fell in the restroom at work because her employment was a contributing factor in the accident.

Note: It was her own fault for not paying attention to where she was going.

State’s Juvenile Justice System Needs Overhaul, Says Chief Justice of Georgia’s Supreme Court

2012-01-26T05:31:00.000-08:00

State’s Juvenile Justice System Needs Overhaul, Says Chief Justice of Georgia’s Supreme Court

At Wednesday’s annual State of the Judiciary Address, Georgia’s Supreme Court Chief Justice Carol Hunstein urged lawmakers to overhaul the state’s juvenile justice system, asking legislators to support more rehabilitative services for youth as opposed to incarceration of juvenile offenders.

Florida, Georgia sign pact on troubled children

2012-01-26T04:58:00.000-08:00

Florida, Georgia sign pact on troubled children

A dozen Florida and Georgia border counties have signed an agreement making it easier for children removed from parents or guardians to be placed with relatives in the other state.

CPS touts shorter process of inquiry

2012-01-26T04:55:00.000-08:00

CPS touts shorter process of inquiry

State child-welfare officials on Wednesday touted a review of nearly 10,000 "inactive" child-abuse and neglect cases, saying they have cleared three-fourths of the backlog.

Beach parents charged with neglect say situation is being blown out of proportion

2012-01-26T04:49:00.000-08:00

Beach parents charged with neglect say situation is being blown out of proportion

A Virginia Beach couple has been charged with felony child neglect. Police say they weren't feeding their five-month-old properly. But they're telling NewsChannel 3 that it’s being blown way out of proportion.

Note: The Child Protective Industry is great at making mountains out of mole hills.

WA to pay $2.35M in abuse case settlement

2012-01-26T04:45:00.000-08:00

WA to pay $2.35M in abuse case settlement

Washington state will pay $2.35 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a woman who alleged that two state agencies failed to protect her from a sex offender who abused her when she was a child.

Committee endorses kinship care law changes but puts two other child welfare measures on hold

2012-01-26T04:41:00.001-08:00

Committee endorses kinship care law changes but puts two other child welfare measures on hold

A legislative committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would require state child welfare caseworkers to apply a "clear and convincing" evidentiary standard before removing a child from a relative's care based on the relative's health or age.

Gov. Heineman expects to reach agreement on child welfare

2012-01-26T04:37:00.001-08:00

Gov. Heineman expects to reach agreement on child welfare

Gov. Dave Heineman expects to reach agreement with the legislature on some fixes to the child welfare system.

Philly parents told kids won't go to foster care for being overweight

2012-01-25T21:18:00.001-08:00

Philly parents told kids won't go to foster care for being overweight

Over the summer, an opinion piece in a medical journal suggested that severely obese children should be put in foster care to help them lose weight.

DCF impersonator strikes again

2012-01-25T21:14:00.000-08:00

DCF impersonator strikes again

A man who impersonated an investigator with the Department of Children and Families last week reportedly has struck again.

Halle Berry - Halle Berry Interviewed By Child Protective Services

2012-01-25T14:25:00.000-08:00

Halle Berry - Halle Berry Interviewed By Child Protective Services

Halle Berry has been interviewed by officials from Los Angeles' child protective services over allegations her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry endangered the welfare of their three-year-old daughter.