by Christina Zschomler West Virginia West Virginia officials are turning to the federal government to grant Medicaid access to mental health support for families. Services the officials are requesting to be covered by Medicaid include providing social mentors for youth, extra support for parents, and additional access to therapy. Beginning in 2015 with a letter
Published in Children’s Voice, Volume 28, Number 1 by Emily Shenk Flory When Jason and Nikki Bays became foster parents in 2014, they knew the experience would be challenging. What they didn’t expect was the mass of notes, emails, and paperwork they would accumulate while trying to document the experiences of four children over several years.
by Jo Dee Gottlieb, Todd Davies, and Shanen Wright America’s opioid epidemic has permeated into almost every corner of the country. As with epidemics of the past, children are the most vulnerable to the detrimental health effects brought about by widespread drug use. This is most severe in West Virginia, which has the highest incidence
Published in Children’s Voice, Volume 28, Number 1 by Sarah Vogelsong Sara Owen knows what it’s like to be on the front lines of child welfare work—and that until both sides step out of the trenches and meet on common ground, healing rarely is possible. Although today, Owen works as a parent partner with
by Christina Zschomler Oregon Oregon is facing heavy consequences and negative publicity in light of a recent lawsuit against the state’s child welfare system. Child welfare advocates filed the class-action lawsuit against the state, stating that the neglect and poor treatment of children within the Oregon foster care system is unacceptable. Governor Kate Brown claims
by Christina Zschomler Virginia Last week, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam ceremonially signed eight bills to prompt Virginians to prioritize foster care and child welfare. The signing of these bills additionally celebrated the start of Virginia Fosters, a new statewide campaign aiming to bring awareness of the needs of children in foster care to Virginians. These bills
by Christina Zschomler Nebraska Nebraska has officially begun upholding a new policy in which child welfare case workers cannot drug-test parents under investigation for child abuse. Some, like Elizabeth Crnkovich, a Nebraskan Douglas County Juvenile Court Judge, argue that the updated policy was implemented too hastily and without proper consultation. Lawrence Gendler, who is also
by Christina Zschomler Child welfare reform was significantly emphasized this week across the nation. Multiple states saw new bill proposals that would reconfigure and monitor child welfare and foster care statewide. Kansas While the need for child welfare reform within Kansas seems agreed upon by officials, what is the best way to go about making
These two special issues of Child Welfare revisit the topic of the intersection of immigration and child welfare 13 years after the journal’s first issue on this subject. Much progress has been made in the past decade in generating and disseminating knowledge and best practices surrounding the complex challenges of children and families who are
Weaving a Bright Future: Baltimore’s Thread Uses Community Resources to Reduce Isolation This article will appear in the upcoming spring 2019 issue of Children’s Voice. by Elizabeth Gibbons Student success depends not only on a supportive academic environment; a holistic, family-, peer-, and community-centered approach can also assist young people who are struggling. The Baltimore-based nonprofit
