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Massachusetts pilots the most promising reform in child welfare. Guess who’s trying to undercut it.

NCCPR Child Welfare Blog

Cara, who asked to keep her last name private, said she had already been in touch with a domestic violence organization about her ex. Child Advocate" Maria Mossaides Who in the world could be against something like that? Unfortunately, much of child welfare operates with a pre- Gault mentality.

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Maine’s child welfare ombudsman is dangerously wrong

NCCPR Child Welfare Blog

Maine's first child welfare ombudsman, Dean Crocker, understood the lessons from the tragic death of Logan Marr, who was taken when her family poverty was confused with "neglect" and killed in foster care. For starters, Maine should join the many states in which child welfare court hearings are open.

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When the journalism of child welfare fails, part one: The Boston Globe’s flying donkey

NCCPR Child Welfare Blog

Mandatory reporting does particular harm to children of battered mothers – because when they are torn from mothers whose only crime is to, themselves, be victims of domestic violence, the harm to the children is especially great. Future posts will look at other recent examples of how the journalism of "child welfare" fails.

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“They’re not your children anymore.” Notes on news coverage of a landmark lawsuit

NCCPR Child Welfare Blog

You can listen to the full interview with Shalleck-Klein and one of the plaintiffs, Shalonda Curtis-Hackett here: They also were interviewed on Inside City Hall on NY1. So the story rightly points out that For decades, class-action lawsuits have been a major vehicle for reform in child welfare systems nationwide.

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In “child welfare” the horror stories go in all directions – all year long

NCCPR Child Welfare Blog

Part one of NCCPR’s news and commentary year in review for 2023 America’s massive child welfare surveillance state was built on horror stories. That’s why we’ve long extended an offer to the fearmongers in the child welfare establishment: a mutual moratorium on using horror stories to "prove” anything.

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NCCPR news and commentary round-up, week ending October 11, 2022

NCCPR Child Welfare Blog

And see also The 74’s interview with Darcey Merritt, associate professor of social work at New York University, discussing why CPS should stand for Child Poverty Surveillance. ? Interesting things can happen when what used to be a garden party for the “child welfare” establishment starts inviting in some skunks.

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NCCPR family preservation news and commentary round-up for the year 2023, Part Two

NCCPR Child Welfare Blog

The story begins this way: Growing up Latino in Massachusetts carries a greater risk of entering the foster system than anywhere else in the nation, and for those who end up in foster homes — as well as those who are the subject of child welfare investigations — the consequences can be devastating. Please, Mommy.