Tulsa CASA, Inc.’s Post

Food for thought, this is something which seems to have little thought in my experience of Social Work practice. “It is wonderful to see the government investing £30 million in 'Lifelong Links', a programme designed to help children living in and leaving State Care build and develop support networks with those who matter most to them (https://lnkd.in/e9C49Bek). However, we must be clear that Romani and Traveller children are actively excluded from this opportunity. My research shows that the Child Welfare Systems often fail to involve Romani and Traveller families, leading to a lack of consideration for options like kinship care, Care Orders at home, or community foster placements (https://lnkd.in/eM4w768r). My research (https://lnkd.in/exZkKZPt) also indicates that Romani and Traveller children are more likely to be placed in State Care than children from other ethnic groups and more likely to be forcibly separated from their families, communities, culture, language, and heritage. Many Romani and Traveller children are living in 'transracial placements', with strict conditions designed to keep them away from their families and communities. For this reason, many children report feeling like the 'culturally and interpersonally isolated stranger' while living in 'care' (https://lnkd.in/eizE8X9v). Although the local authority must promote contact under Section 34 of the Children Act 1989, feelings of isolation are compounded by a Care Order that suspends contact or does little to support Romani and Traveller children to live and grow in the presence of the people, customs, and traditions that are significant to them. Unless the trained independent Lifelong Links coordinator can combat antigypsyism in Child Welfare Services, advance restorative practice and trauma-informed service responses, Romani and Traveller children will continue to live with the grief, separation, and loss that comes from having their family, culture, language, traditions and heritage taken from them. To be more effective, the State Care system must enable Romani and Traveller children to maintain lifelong links with their family, culture, language, traditions and heritage all of the time, not just at some arbitrary date or under some new scheme designed by the Department for Education’s Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme.” Dr Dan Allan

The US President Joe Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris is making child welfare a key political priority in the last 6 months of their administration. Their statement sets out actions their administration will take in order to keep children in their families. Lots to inspire the new UK Labour Government. Their focus: 1. Children should not be separated from their families due to financial hardship alone. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is Issuing new policy guidance that encourages states to update their maltreatment definitions under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to exclude the inability to provide adequate housing, child care and other material needs if the family has insufficient financial means to do so from the definition of child neglect. The state should first seek to help the family. 2. Prevention services - New Biden-Harris actions will expand how states and Tribes can use federal funding for prevention activities to provide greater assistance to children and families before a crisis point. 3. Prioritising Kinship care "Children who cannot be with their parents but live with relatives and other kin have better outcomes than those who are not, including in stability, behavioral health, and education. New Biden-Harris actions will incentivize jurisdictions to do more to ensure children can live with kin, and meet youth needs." #childwelfare #US #kinshipcare

Recent research from Chapin Hall highlights innovative approaches states are taking with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to support family stability and prevent child welfare involvement. Among the programs their research highlights: * California's Linkages 2.0 program, coordinating TANF and child welfare services to strengthen families * Kentucky's use of TANF for flexible funds to provide concrete supports to at-risk families * New York's direct cash transfer pilot for parents at risk of child welfare involvement * Wisconsin's Targeted Safety Support Funds, offering concrete supports to families with children at risk of removal These approaches demonstrate the potential of TANF to provide timely, flexible assistance to families in crisis, aligning with its first statutory goal: enabling children to be cared for in their own homes or with relatives. At Footbridge, we applaud these efforts to use public funds creatively and effectively to keep families together. By providing concrete support during temporary financial crises, we can prevent the need for more invasive interventions and promote long-term family stability. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eHn5QMBR

Upon perusing today's Nation news paper and delving into the effects of residential care on child development, I found myself deeply impressed by the strides made in altering the perspective of citizens towards residential care. Kilifi, one of the five counties subjected to the Situational Analysis on Residential Care (SITAN), hosts 43 Child Care Institutions (CCIs) housing a total of 1,706 children, with 33 children reported to have disabilities and 44% falling within the 11-14 age bracket. Of these children, 1,682 reside in charitable children's institutions, while 24 are in statutory children’s institutions. Notably, 64% of these children hail from the same sub-county as the institution they reside in. The primary reasons for placement in these institutions include orphanhood, exposure to violence, abuse, neglect, abandonment, and poverty. Services provided by these institutions typically encompass counseling or psychosocial support, life skills training, religious services, and early childhood development programs, with healthcare and education largely reliant on external services. Since the inception of the initiative ( Changing the way we care) , significant milestones have been achieved in facilitating the transition process towards ensuring that all CCIs prioritize child welfare programming aligned with the five pillars of child welfare program: survival rights, development rights, protection rights, and participation rights within community settings. Key achievements include the bolstering of national policies, heightened community awareness and action towards family-based care, increased involvement of faith-based leaders, and the strengthening of the Kenya Society of Care Leavers. It is imperative for the government to ensure that by 2032, all institutions undergo transformation to guarantee that children reside in safe and nurturing family environments. Noteworthy documents supporting this endeavor include the Children Act 2022, National Gatekeeping Guidelines 2022, Standard Operating Procedure for Alternative Family Care 2022, and the National Framework for Kafalah 2023 (pending approval). #Careformisreal #familybasedcare 😄

It is wonderful to see the government investing £30 million in 'Lifelong Links', a programme designed to help children living in and leaving State Care build and develop support networks with those who matter most to them (https://lnkd.in/e9C49Bek). However, we must be clear that Romani and Traveller children are actively excluded from this opportunity. My research shows that the Child Welfare Systems often fail to involve Romani and Traveller families, leading to a lack of consideration for options like kinship care, Care Orders at home, or community foster placements (https://lnkd.in/eM4w768r). My research (https://lnkd.in/exZkKZPt) also indicates that Romani and Traveller children are more likely to be placed in State Care than children from other ethnic groups and more likely to be forcibly separated from their families, communities, culture, language, and heritage. Many Romani and Traveller children are living in 'transracial placements', with strict conditions designed to keep them away from their families and communities. For this reason, many children report feeling like the 'culturally and interpersonally isolated stranger' while living in 'care' (https://lnkd.in/eizE8X9v). Although the local authority must promote contact under Section 34 of the Children Act 1989, feelings of isolation are compounded by a Care Order that suspends contact or does little to support Romani and Traveller children to live and grow in the presence of the people, customs, and traditions that are significant to them. Unless the trained independent Lifelong Links coordinator can combat antigypsyism in Child Welfare Services, advance restorative practice and trauma-informed service responses, Romani and Traveller children will continue to live with the grief, separation, and loss that comes from having their family, culture, language, traditions and heritage taken from them. To be more effective, the State Care system must enable Romani and Traveller children to maintain lifelong links with their family, culture, language, traditions and heritage all of the time, not just at some arbitrary date or under some new scheme designed by the Department for Education’s Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme.

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has expressed concern over the surge in cases of violations of the rights of children across the country. In a statement to commemorate the 2024 Children’s Day, the Commission’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, said the disturbing trend requires an urgent need for a renewed commitment from all facets of the society to protect and guarantee the fundamental rights of children. The statement was signed by Obinna Nwakonye, Director Corporate Affairs and External at the NHRC. Ojukwu said children represent the most vulnerable population and the consistent increase in reported violations of their rights is a stark reminder of the challenges they face daily. “These violations not only threaten their immediate well-being but also compromise their future potentials and the overall health and security of our society. It is therefore imperative that we act decisively and with urgency to address this menace,” he said. According to him, though the Child Right Act has been passed by several states in Nigeria, there is a need for the various state governments to strengthen its implementation in order to protect children from all forms of abuse, exploitation and neglect. He, therefore, called on the government to develop a comprehensive support system for children in distress, and create accessible and well-resourced child protection services, helplines, and shelters that will alleviate the suffering of the victims. The NHRC boss noted that it is imperative to train professionals in children centered education, social welfare, healthcare, and law enforcement to enable them to identify and respond to child right violations and other social problems effectively. He noted that education is key to raising awareness about children’s rights among parents, caregivers, educators, and children themselves. “This will empower children to understand and assert their rights,” he said. Ojukwu harped on the need to establish a robust mechanism for monitoring, reporting, and addressing violations of children’s rights. He said, “This will ensure that there is accountability at all levels, and that perpetrators of violations are brought to justice.” Ojukwu further noted that the protection of children’s rights is not merely a legal obligation but a moral imperative which will secure the future of the country. “As we celebrate Children’s Day 2024, let us reaffirm our commitment to creating a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment for every child,” he added.

We are pleased to share that Doris Duke Foundation participated in yesterday's Convening on Child Welfare Transformation hosted by the #WhiteHouse Domestic Policy Council. The summit highlighted many innovations central to our vision for a new prevention paradigm in child welfare, including disconnecting poverty from neglect, providing concrete and economic support to families, and fostering true partnerships with those directly impacted by current systems. During the summit, the White House and the Administration for Children and Families announced new policies to better engage and support families seeking prevention services. The four key areas of focus are Separating Poverty & Neglect; Prevention Services; Prioritizing Kin and Youth Needs; and Innovations and Research. For more details, please see the #WhiteHouse fact sheet: #philanthropy #childwellbeing #childwelfare #publicpolicy #poverty

Over the last year, We've partnered with the Redlich Horwitz Foundation to develop narrative strategies to transform how communities and the public understand family policing systems. This past weekend, Piper facilitated training on advocacy storytelling with lived experience experts from across New York State working to build a movement to end family criminalization and separation led by parents, guardians, and foster care alumni. These lived-experienced experts are challenging popular narratives about the child welfare systems and families who are targeted by family policing authorities, like the fact that the majority of children are removed from their homes because of conditions that stem from poverty NOT abuse. More than half of Black children will have to endure the trauma of an investigation by a child welfare agency during their childhood. Even Pres. Biden in 2021 acknowledged that too often children are removed from loving, supportive homes because "poverty is too often conflated with neglect." That is why we need more determined, passionate advocates who know firsthand the damaging impact of family policing. We've facilitated our "Advocacy Storytelling" training with advocates, non-profit communications teams, community organizers, social service agencies, school administrators, and a national coalition fighting for affordable childcare. Contact us to bring our training to your organization or network. #storytelling #advocacy #socialchange #narrativechange #childwelfare #familypolicing #familyjustice #CreateForward

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