Legally Kidnapped

Niagara teen charged with attempted murder after foster mom beaten

2012-05-24T20:09:00.004-07:00

Niagara teen charged with attempted murder after foster mom beaten

A 16-year-old Niagara Falls youth is facing an attempted murder charge after allegedly assaulting his foster mother with a garden shovel and a frying pan.

Homeless DC Parents Fear Loss of Children … And They’re Right

2012-05-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

Homeless DC Parents Fear Loss of Children … And They’re Right

I met a father at the Virginia Williams Family Resources Center, the District of Columbia’s central intake for homeless families. He was there with his wife and their baby and toddler because they were running out of money to pay for the motel room they’d been staying in.

At least 24 youths died in care of HSE

2012-05-24T18:47:00.002-07:00

At least 24 youths died in care of HSE

AT LEAST 24 children and young adults who were involved with social services have died in the past year and a half, according to health authorities.

Report: MN kids less likely to be raised in "kinship" homes ...

2012-05-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

Report: MN kids less likely to be raised in "kinship" homes ...

Minnesota underutilizes the “kinship care” of grandparents and other relatives when foster children are removed from their parents’ homes, according to a new national report from the Anne E. Casey Foundation.

Why toddlers can't remember trauma

2012-05-24T08:34:00.002-07:00

Why toddlers can't remember trauma

One question that I was asked though, seemed like an intelligent one and it was more asked of me because I am a psychologist rather than a mother to a child who joined my family via foster care. She wondered if I thought that CD would one day wake up and remember the trauma of her first year and a half of life.

Foster Kids on Too Many Meds: Is the Government Taking Action?

2012-05-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

Foster Kids on Too Many Meds: Is the Government Taking Action?

The senator who spurred the Government Accountability Office to investigate the startling numbers of foster children being put on powerful, mind-altering drugs is calling on the Obama administration to follow through on its vow to find solutions to the issue.

10 year old's school calling child protective services if I don't drug her

2012-05-24T07:49:00.002-07:00

10 year old's school calling child protective services if I don't drug her

I had an argument with my 10 year old's teacher. My child is in the 5th grade. Her teacher says she can't focus and I need to put her on drugs (i.e. ritalin, adderall) and I said she won't take them and the teacher said to put the drugs in her soup but she is a picky eater and won't eat most foods.

Pa. 'kids for cash' judge appeals conviction

2012-05-23T23:17:00.000-07:00

Pa. 'kids for cash' judge appeals conviction

A northeastern Pennsylvania judge has appealed his conviction and sentence in the juvenile justice scandal known as "kids for cash," claiming the federal judge who presided over his trial allowed himself to be influenced by public opinion and should have removed himself from the case.

Children’s Services Investigating Alleged Abuses At Group Home For LGBT Teens

2012-05-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

City Limits has a worrisome piece on the Gramercy Residence at Ungar House, a group home in Manhattan for queer runaways, now under investigation by the city’s Administration for Children’s Services.

Children’s Services Investigating Alleged Abuses At Group Home For LGBT Teens

Death of Russian-born boy in US reignites adoption debate

2012-05-23T21:54:00.002-07:00

Death of Russian-born boy in US reignites adoption debate

A 9-year-old Russian boy adopted by US parents died in a house fire last week, reminding Russians of several incidents of poor treatment of Russian orphans adopted by Americans.

Auditors find continuing problems at county social service agencies

2012-05-23T21:02:00.004-07:00

Auditors find continuing problems at county social service agencies

County social service agencies don’t do a good job of tracking foster children, leave federal funding on the table, have missing files on welfare checks and grant food stamps to too many ineligible people, a new state audit found.

Houston Child Protective Services made her a zombie

2012-05-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

Houston Child Protective Services made her a zombie

Here’s 4-year-old Rachel Harrison before Child Protective Services took her away from her parents.
Once CPS takes over, you can see the drastic changes for yourself.

Maryanne Godboldo Case Prompts Congressman to Request Feds Investigate Child Protective Services

2012-05-23T20:07:00.001-07:00

Maryanne Godboldo Case Prompts Congressman to Request Feds Investigate Child Protective Services

The 7 Action News Investigators were the first to expose how a local court wasn’t following the law when it came to removing children from their homes.

I was right to flee to save baby from social services, says mother

2012-05-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

I was right to flee to save baby from social services, says mother

A mother who fled to Spain to give birth after social services threatened to take her baby has been allowed to keep the youngster.

Foster carers in call for fairer, open system

2012-05-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

Foster carers in call for fairer, open system

WHEN it comes to providing love, care and education in bringing up the state's 18,000 foster children, volunteer foster parents are the front line.

Realities of Child Protection Agency's US Start to Unravel

2012-05-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

Realities of Child Protection Agency's US Start to Unravel

American people are not evil. Given information, they will do the right thing. But they're not given the information. Tim Robbins

Supervisors admit lingering problems at foster care office

2012-05-23T04:24:00.002-07:00

Supervisors admit lingering problems at foster care office

The L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services facility, cited by a whistle-blower nearly a year ago, remains a 'dumping ground' for troubled children, Gloria Molina says.

Relatives caring for children need more support, charity says

2012-05-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

Relatives caring for children need more support, charity says

Across the nation, 2.7 million children are being raised by relatives, yet those families often struggle with limited resources to meet basic needs.

Accidental drink purchase changing Michigan law on emergency child protective services

2012-05-22T13:14:00.003-07:00

Accidental drink purchase changing Michigan law on emergency child protective services

The fallout from the accidental purchase of an alcoholic “hard lemonade” at a Detroit Tigers game in 2008 apparently is going to change state law related to parental custody.

Vindicated: Mother, 24, who fled to Spain when social services ruled she was 'unfit' to bring up child is allowed to keep her daughter

2012-05-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

Vindicated: Mother, 24, who fled to Spain when social services ruled she was 'unfit' to bring up child is allowed to keep her daughter

A mother who fled to Spain to stop social workers taking her baby has won the right to keep the child, it emerged today.

Social worker pleads guilty to tampering with public records

2012-05-22T12:01:00.001-07:00

Social worker pleads guilty to tampering with public records

A former social worker with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services pleaded guilty to nine felony counts of tampering with public records.

Former Social Worker Pleads Guilty To Falsifying Child Abuse And Neglect Reports

2012-05-22T09:24:00.003-07:00

Former Social Worker Pleads Guilty To Falsifying Child Abuse And Neglect Reports

Attorney General Jack Conway announced the a guilty plea Tuesday of a former social worker with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to nine felony counts of tampering with public records.

CWC slammed for giving away rape victim's child for adoption

2012-05-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

CWC slammed for giving away rape victim's child for adoption

The Child Welfare Committee's act of giving away for adoption a girl child, born to a rape victim and given to it for safekeeping, without biological parents' consent was gross violation of human rights, a Delhi court has held, observing that the rich and poor hold equal rights.

Edward Gavin, Former City Jails Official, Says Child Welfare Authorities Should Investigate Teen Facility

2012-05-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

Edward Gavin, Former City Jails Official, Says Child Welfare Authorities Should Investigate Teen Facility

In the wake of a Village Voice report on violence at a troubled city jail, city and state child welfare authorities should investigate whether adolescents are being abused there, a former high ranking Correction Department official says.

Parents exiting city in droves, leaving older relatives on their own

2012-05-22T05:56:00.001-07:00

Parents exiting city in droves, leaving older relatives on their own

The City’s inability to keep families from fleeing San Francisco also is impacting its growing population of seniors.