Each week, First Star features links to local, state and/or national
news coverage of child welfare-related issues — with a special
focus on improving system accountability, introducing best practices
and encouraging reform through public policy.
December 26, 2005
Minneapolis/St. Paul City Pages — Little Court of Horrors
The Delaware News-Journal — State: Don't Interfere with Family Court; Lawsuit Seeks Greater Public Access
Omaha World-Herald — Critic doubts foster care system's ability to grade itself
December 19, 2005
San Francisco Chronicle — Foster care: Hope emerges as reform efforts gain momentum
Tulsa World — Failed by the system: An investigative report
Louisville Courier-Journal — Closed courts hide crimes from public
Calls grow louder for lifting the curtain on proceedings; Advocates for young offenders are urging caution
Greensboro News-Record — At eleventh hour, judge saves boy in foreclosure
Los
Angeles Magazine — Little Girl's Voice Lost in Bureaucratic
Maze
December 12, 2005
Women's eNews — Child Pornography Dodges Detection on Web
Chicago Sun-Times — Former foster kids get a leg up on money matters, home buying
*May require registration/fee to search archive
December 5, 2005
San Francisco Chronicle — Inside the Courtroom: Decisions of a Lifetime
New York Times— Child Advocates Push Corzine as Overseer
*May require registration to search archive
November 28, 2005
Seattle Times — State's foster-care system gets lofty plan
November 21, 2005
Seattle Post-Intelligencer — Social workers can't keep up with child-welfare visits;
Meetings are key to healing, but DSHS doesn't have time
Miami Herald — Shepherding foster kids to a bright future; Group tries to direct teens soon to be on their own into higher education
November 14 , 2005
Washington Post — Report Cites Lack of Progress By D.C. Children's Agency
San Francisco Chronicle — No refuge;
For foster youth, it's a state of chance
November 7 , 2005
The Indianapolis Star — Police say abuse followed baby to Indy;
4-month-old Katrina evacuee dies after brain injury
Star-Tribune — Ad campaign targets would-be sex abusers;
The Twin Cities are a testing ground for a new strategy to halt child sex abuse: mass advertising offering possible offenders help
*May require registration to search archive
Sacramento Bee — Teaming up to help kids in foster care;
Parents and other adults in the child's life meet and talk when a big transition looms
*may require free registration
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — PIcking up the pieces; Young adults who've 'aged out' of foster care can get help learning to handle life on their own
*may require free registration
October 31, 2005
The Indianapolis Star — Child-welfare showdown slated;
State to go to court today to force city to pay for services
Atlantia Journal-Constitution — DFCS tracking to be revamped
New system to be rolled out in 2007
*may require free registration
October 24, 2005
Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Judge OKs foster care settlement
New York Times — Placements In Foster Care Are at Lowest Since Mid-80's
*may require free registration
October 17, 2005
Los Angeles Times — Suit Seeks to End Dispute Over Funding for Foster Children
*May require registration to search archive
Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Q&A / JEREMY GUNN: Rights of children: 'They are the most vulnerable'
*May require free registration
October 10, 2005
The Arizona Republic — Activists Want Foster Kids to Stop Changing Schools
*Free registration may be required
MSNBC — Kids in Crisis:
Weighing the protection of children against the rights of the parents
September 26, 2005
Washington Post — Brookings Ends Research on Welfare Reform;
Think Tank Opens Center On Broader Familial Issues
Lincoln Journal-Star — Lawsuit: State failing foster children
San Francisco Chronicle — Editorial: A legal hand for foster children
Boston Globe — Almost 18 - And Feeling Old
*May require registration/fee to search archive
September 19, 2005
Star Tribune — Process to find lasting homes for kids is under fire; Abused and neglected
children in foster care must become a priority for judges, a national courts
summit was told
*fee required to read full article
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — In Harm's Way: Children in custody often hurt, abused;
Pennsylvania pays more than $1 million a day to house and care for some 8,900 abused, neglected, unruly, delinquent and mentally ill children, but it lacks essential tools to protect these children from harm.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Database to store, track child abuse info
*May require free registration
Atlanta Journal-Constitution — New computer system will link Fulton child protection agencies
*May require free registration
September 12, 2005
San Francisco Chronicle — Editorial: First Steps on Foster Care
The Houston Chronicle — For Those Who Can’t Find Kids, Misery is Compounded
September 5, 2005
The Oregonian — Oregon set to adopt bill giving foster kids more school stability
*May require free registration
August 29 , 2005
Washington Post — For Foster Teenagers, a Litany of Challenges;
Report Outlines Ways To Teach Life Skills
New Jersey Star-Ledger — For foster kids, fine idea poorly executed
Critics say one reform has at times had 'heartbreaking' results
*May require registration to search archive
Indianapolis Star—9,000 youths in state lack an advocate; Law to combat abuse, neglect didn't include necessary money
Houston Chronicle — Youth Center Opens; Foster kids now have a place to prepare for their next steps
*May require registration/fee to search archive
August 22 , 2005
New York Times — Once Woeful, Alabama Is Model in Child Welfare
*May require free registration
Arizona Republic — State struggles to get kids out of shelters, into foster care
August 15 , 2005
Indianapolis Star — Help with a fresh start; New program aims to smooth transition of young
adults from foster care system
The Detroit News — Criminals slip through cracks, get foster kids; An audit finds state agency doesn't ensure backgrounds checked before placing children.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer — Left Holding Their Kids’ Babies
New York Times — Law Cutting Adoption Payments Is Faulted
*May require free registration
August 1 , 2005
The Detroit News — Michigan to Revamp Foster Care Mission
Indianapolis Star — Child welfare plan calls for prevention
Atlanta Journal-Constitution—Agencies tackle foster kids' dropout rate
*May require free registration to search archive
July 25 , 2005
Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Juvenile injustice system;
Courts that deal with children should be more open and responsive to advocates for abused youngsters
*May require free registration
Times of Trenton — Registry Lists Omit Incest Offenders
*May require registration/fee to search archive
July 11 , 2005
Boston Globe — Six years after first 'safe haven' laws, battles still raging;
Some say policies are encouraging abandonment
Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Talks continue in lawsuit over legal counsel for foster children
Chicago Tribune — Number of children in state care drops
Successes are seen but worries remain
*fee required to read full article
New York TImes — A Drug Scourge Creates Its Own Form of Orphan
*May require free registration
July 4 , 2005
Hartford Courant — Juvenile Court Upgrade Praised; A new computer system gives employees instant access to important information about troubled children
*fee required to read full article
London Guardian — All at sea: Sending looked-after juveniles to care homes by the seaside might sound like a good idea, but a new report from Kent warns that 'dumping' young people far from their own communities is creating an explosive mixture that could lead to tragedy
Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Child welfare crisis called over;
Advocates say DHR chief overly optimistic
*May require free registration
June 27, 2005
Kansas City Star — Juvenile hearings, records open up
*May require free registration
Hartford Courant — Added Help For Juveniles;
Cash Infusion Is To Provide Alternatives To State's Detention Cells
*fee required to read full article
Washington Post — Employers Not Liable for Abuse, Courts Say;
Va. Rulings Concern Lawsuits Filed Years Later by Adults Allegedly Victimized as Children
New York Times — Justices Rule Police Do Not Have a Constitutional Duty to Protect Someone
*May require free registration
Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel — A Conversation with Peter Balitsaris; The president and CEO of Child-Net discusses how well privatization has worked for foster care services in Broward County
*fee may be required to read full article through archive
June 20, 2005
New York Times — Law Backfires, Stranding Orphans in Romania
*May require free registration
The Portland Oregonian — 3 Senate bills target child abuse;
In the wake of several major cases, legislation would require more training, more disclosure and more awareness
*fee may be required to read full article through archive
June 13, 2005
Washington Post — Learning to Study Out of a Suitcase; Foster Care Moves Disrupt Schooling
New York Times — In New Jersey, Child Welfare Is Still Failing
*May require free registration
Arizona Daily Star — Jury trials in parental rights cases faulted; Child advocates against reauthorization of law
May 30, 2005
Christian Science Monitor — Is Outsourcing the Answer to States' Foster-Care Woes?
May 23, 2005
Indianapolis Star — Advocates for Children Aim Higher
New York Times — A Place for Grandparents Who Are Parents Again
*fee required to read full article
San Antonio Express-News — Study Looks at Making Foster Kids' Lives Better
*May require free registration
Sacramento Bee — Churches Try to Link With Foster Youth; The program aims to help teens who have aged out of the formal care system
*May require free registration
May 16, 2005
New York Times— Those Who Outgrow Foster Care Still Struggle, Study Finds
*fee required to read full article
New York Times — More Help Urged for Pregnant Foster Children
*fee required to read full article
Washington Post — D.C. Tackles Backlog in Foster Care
May 9, 2005
Washington Post — Grant Program Promotes Adoption of Foster Children
Boston Globe — DSS commissioner urges end to 'punitive culture' for social workers
*May require free registration
Scripps Howard News Service— Missing-children cases fumbled by police nationwide
May 2, 2005
Orange County Register — A Place to Call Home:
As fewer children are placed in group homes, one center sheds its institutional image
*may require free registration
April 25, 2005
Seattle Post-Intelligencer — Judgment Calls: When to remove a child?
The Sacramento Bee — Care facilities get less review: Licensing agency has cut inspections that protect children and the elderly.
*may require free registration
April 18, 2005
Baltimore Sun— Critics aim to reduce secrecy in foster care
Boston Globe — Extension of support for foster teens urged
Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel — Increased support helps DCF improve; the once-troubled agency draws praise
*fee required to read full article through archive
April 4, 2005
Baltimore Sun — Child-welfare advocates press for reform of Maryland Department of Human Resources
*fee required to read full article through archive
Washington Post — Maryland Foster Care Study Lists Problems
New Orleans Times-Picayune — Agency pushes for transparency;
Abused kids' shield has unwanted effect
*may require free registration
March 28, 2005
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — State welfare chief pushes one-stop help for families
Philadelphia Inquirer — U.S. judge calls for a fully funded child-welfare plan
*please use site's search engine to locate article in archives
March 21, 2005
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — More foster kids abused in 2004, analysis finds; County children faced greater number of moves
*may require free registration
March 14, 2005
Clarion-Ledger — Judge allows foster care suit
March 7, 2005
San Antonio Express-News—Tying state and local resources may help curb child abuse
February 28, 2005
ABC News — 'Three Strikes' for Abusive Parents Proposed
New York Times—Poor Coordination Among Care Providers Contributed to Child Deaths, Report Says
*fee required to read full article
February 21, 2005
Houston Chronicle — Deeper Issues Push CPS to the Limit;
Poor screening and paperwork blamed for strain
*fee required to access article through archive
Christian Science Monitor — Fostering Education: In the turbulent lives of many of the half million foster kids in the U.S., education isn't a priority
February 7, 2005
New York Times — Abused Children Are Found Entitled to Legal Aid
*fee required to read full article
Atlanta Journal-Constitution— Ruling: Children entitled to lawyer
*may require free registration
New York Times — Foster Care Plan
Faces a History of Failure
*fee required to read full article
San Antonio Express-News — Texas keeps tight lid on kids' deaths; Critics say privacy concerns shield system, not children
*may require free registration
January 31, 2005
New York Times — City Seeks to Add Services in Shift From Foster Care
*fee required to read full article
The Houston Chronicle—Child agency halts video of exams; Advocates alter the policy after potentially flawed sex-abuse reviews
*fee required to access article through archive
January 24, 2005
Orange County Register — Program aims to foster kids' success;
Counties explore a boarding-school concept to counter the instability of frequent moves
*may require (free) user registration
January 10, 2005
Houston Chronicle — Audit: Kids pay for CPS troubles;
Basic flaws in record-keeping put civil, criminal cases in jeopardy
*requires a fee to access article through archive
January 3, 2005
San Diego Union-Tribune — Reforming America's foster care system; Op-Ed by First Star President Peter Samuelson
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer— Reform U.S. child welfare system; Op-Ed by First Star President Peter Samuelson
