Neglect Is the Most Common—and Most Preventable—Form of Child Maltreatment
Neglect accounts for roughly 84% of all child welfare cases—making it the most common form of child maltreatment in the system. While neglect can be
The Right to Be Known
In Minnesota, the Office of the Ombuds for Foster Youth released a troubling report this month: siblings in foster care are being separated and often
When “Protection” Becomes Prejudice
Orphaned not by tragedy, but by red tape and mistrust.
Billing The Broken
Foster care billing can trap parents in debt, prolong family separation, and undermine reunification efforts. It is structural violence.
When the Watchers Become the Threat
I read this Maryland audit with grief and anger that feels all too familiar. The very people assigned to guard the vulnerable became their threat.
What’s Worse Than Foster Care?
The former head of Washington state’s juvenile rehabilitation—Felice Upton—filed a $4.75 million whistleblower claim after being abruptly fired for warning of dangerous overcrowding at youth
File Under “Government Cannot Substitute as Parent”
Australia (Queensland): An audit revealed that 772 children are missing from state care—living outside foster, kinship, or residential placements. Two minors remain unaccounted for. Many
New York’s Hidden Foster Care Bill
When Oversight Becomes Overreach–Summary Last week, The Imprint reported that New York’s legislature unanimously passed a bill requiring child welfare agencies to track and report
When Fathers Multiply but Don’t Father
A recent report out of Tennessee highlighted men who fathered dozens of children with multiple women—paying pennies in child support, leaving mothers to carry the
That’s a Big Fat Zero – except where it counts
In 2024, Nelson County, Virginia’s Department of Social Services received 161 child welfare referrals.
Are Christians Engaged in Foster Care?
Who is most likely to become foster or adoptive parents — or support kids and families in other ways — and what are the primary
5-year old beat to death
Dad tied 5-year-old to training toilet, beat her to death, WA officials say Hahn would beat his daughter with a metal cup as a means
The Government Is Not a Parent
I was struck — maybe even dumbfounded — by the opening lines of a recent article from The Imprint, titled “Child Welfare Cannot Shoulder Long-Term
I Love the Idea, But No Thanks
A recent headline from the Institute for Family Studies says what many have assumed but couldn’t prove—until now. In 2022, there were only about 25,000
Damned if You Do. Damned it You Don’t.
In January, a sobering federal report uncovered a hidden crisis unfolding in our nation’s child welfare system: nearly 5% of all entries into foster care
Recycling Trauma
In We’re Not Protecting Children. We’re Recycling Their Trauma, Mathangi Swaminathan critiques the U.S. child welfare system for perpetuating harm under the guise of protection.
Who’d a’ Thought?
Nonprofit that supports foster care fires its director for not supporting foster care. Who’d a’ thought? “The Los Angeles court-appointed special advocates organization (CASA) parted
Lions, Tigers, and Bears—Oh My!
The UpEnd Movement isn’t just uneasy about Disney’s forthcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch remake; it also takes aim at The Sound of Hope: The Story
This Isn’t a Horse Race
Increased Funding Does Not Necessarily Equate to Better Outcomes Kentucky lawmakers react to the latest Kids Count Data rankings, which place the Commonwealth at 36th
Holy Shifts, Batman
The Imprint’s recent article, “A Deep Dive on New Federal Foster Care Data,” analyzes the latest figures from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and
Shameful and Stupid
Having survived sexual exploitation at the hands of my doctor, I am especially grieved for the children in this story: A longtime California pediatrician has
Raped or Shot?
Are children more likely to be raped by a teacher than shot at school?
Trauma is the Enemy
A new study finds that mothers’ adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)—including abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction—may affect children diagnosed with ADHD or autism. Mothers who faced
Failure to Protect
A whistleblower has come forward to confirm allegations brought by over 40 attorneys general that the nonprofit Polaris Project, contracted by the federal government to
Oklahoma is Doing OK!
Oklahoma’s Preventive Approach: Oklahoma has reported a steady decline in children entering its child welfare system over the past decade, attributed to increased collaboration with
Orphan News May 5, 2025
They Always Want More Notice the countless recommendations, starting on page 3, of the CWLA, 2024 Legislative Agenda, titled, Congress must: increase, strengthen, expand, create,
Orphan News April 28, 2025
Social Welfare EcoSystem See the image for a good example of the social-welfare ecosystem. The poor need social workers. Social Workers need a university education.
Orphan News April 21, 2025
Pot Might Be the New Tobacco According to JAMA, children who live with cannabis smokers also test positive for the drug.” While the long-term health
Family is the Answer
Why? This article from Children’s Rights tells a sobering truth: “regardless of which political party is in power, children in the United States have been
Undesirable Outcomes
Evidence that the Child Welfare abolitionist movement is dangerous, as reported by Child Welfare Monitor: “Treating the decline in foster care as a desirable outcome
The Chief Executive Orphan
His foster family called him Robbie, his relatives knew him as Bobby, and legally, he was Robert. He endured a childhood marked by deep generational poverty, abuse, and neglect. As an adult, he dedicated his career to understanding and transforming these experiences for other children. His journey has given him a compassionate and comprehensive, 360-degree perspective on orphan work—what the system refers to as child welfare.
