With November being Native American Heritage Month it is important to examine not only what we know about this history but also what we know about the policies affecting Native Americans. Danielle mentioned the current disproportionality rates for Native children in the child welfare system in Part 1 of the blog. This disproportionality was evident [...]
At the end of October, National Public Radio aired a three-part series on Native American children in South Dakota's foster care system, which was the result of a year-long investigation. NPR's report highlighted the fact that in South Dakota:700 Native children are removed from their home every year.They represent over 50% of the foster care [...]
Yesterday the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare and the Center for Early Education and Development hosted a Round Table Discussion regarding how early childhood development and child welfare practice interact. The discussion, entitled "Mobilizing Hope: Using a Developmental Approach in Child Welfare," was intended to help child welfare professionals better understand how interventions [...]
On November 1, 2011, in conjunction with National Adoption Month, a press conference was held at the School of Social Work to kick-off the start of the first year of the Permanency and Adoption Competency Certificate. Guest speakers included Commissioner of the MN Department of Human Services Lucinda Jesson, CASCW Executive Director Traci LaLiberte, PACC [...]
Last Friday, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced plans to introduce the Every Child Deserves A Family Act, an anti-discrimination bill that would prohibit child welfare agencies receiving federal assistance from discriminating against prospective foster or adoptive parents based solely on sexual orientation, gender identity and/or marital status. In addition, this bill would prohibit agencies from [...]
According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation report on reducing juvenile incarceration, well over 60,000 young people are confined to correctional facilities or other residential programs for juvenile delinquency. Juvenile delinquency is broadly defined and encompasses a range of offenses from serious and violent to petty and minor. Conditions within such facilities and even within [...]
The bill HR 433, introduced by Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann on October 12, 2011, highlights the importance of supporting the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day (November 19, 2011) and National Adoption Month (November). In addition to supporting National Adoption Month and Day, the bill's purpose is also to recognize that every child in [...]
Minnesota Law defining marriage as a civil contract between a man and a woman was established in 1976. In 1996 the federal government signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The act defined 'marriage' as only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and 'spouse' as a person of [...]