CHILDREN’S VOICE
Empowering Older Youth
Featured Article: Advocacy groups help youth turn their experiences into expertise Published in September/October, 2010 by Erin Borg he facts are these: more than 25,000 children age out of the foster care system each year. Of these, 25%
Social Workers Who Adopt
Featured Article: How can adoption fit into a social worker's personal life without overlapping with his or her professional career? By Jennifer Michael and Madeleine Goldstein Last fall, Tara Moser bumped into another social worker
A Rural Miracle of Adoption
Featured Article: How one small community found families for 82 Texas foster children By Kathleen Belanger Diann Sparks was the first parent from the Bennett Chapel community to adopt from the foster care system. Her
Addressing Secondary Traumatic Stress
Featured Article: Emerging approaches in child welfare By Julie Collins I thought I was doing well as a child welfare supervisor of one of the highest-risk areas in Ottawa, Canada. But that changed when I
The Girl in the Window
Featured Article: By Lane DeGregory In this issue and the next, Children's Voice is reprinting this article by St. Petersburg Times writer Lane DeGregory, winner of CWLA's 2009 Anna Quindlen Award for Excellence in
Homeless in America
Featured Article: As the number of homeless families increases nationally, a mother struggles to find help among overburdened services By Emily Shenk Melissa Majors had been crying. A few quiet tears rolled down her
‘No One Makes It on Their Own’
Featured Article: Programs provide extra support for former foster youth in college By Simone Pringle For most people, the holidays are all about family. Going to Grandma's house, baking cookies with cousins and aunts, watching
What Makes a Family? A Closer Look at Gay Adoption
On October 14, the United States Supreme Court declined to review a challenge by the Liberty Counsel about the Florida Bar's amicus brief in support of Martin Gill, a gay man who sought to
Reviving the White House Conference on Children
CWLA calls for a White House Conference in 2010 to focus on child welfare, following a tradition that began 100 years ago and improved the lives of millions of children. By Jennifer Michael and
Making the Case for Infant Mental Health
By Jennifer Michael Amy Swanson is used to talking to legislators. One of her primary tasks as Executive Director of Voices for Ohio's Children is to lobby local and state legislators to advance her
From Foster Care to Fostering Care
Child welfare administrator and former foster child Darrell Armstrong says we not only need to give children a voice, we need to give families a voice. In honor of May as National Foster Care
Teens Taking Charge
Teens Taking Charge Programs encourage youth in foster care to drive their plans to find adoptive families. By Jennifer Michael At age 11, Roger* realized he wanted to be adopted. It was 2002 and the
Supporting the Nation’s Future
Where do the presidential candidates stand on the well-being of America's children? By Laura Weidner Next Congress: Opportunities to Deal with Child Welfare This November 4, Americans all over the country will head to their
Changing a Critical Practice
How can policy and practice improve visits between parents and their children in care? By Meghan Williams This is the first of two articles about changes to parent-child visits. "In the name of safety,
After Adoption
Post adoption services help families cope with issues that arise after the adoption papers are signed. By John Celock After Barbara Dewey adopted three foster children into her Lincoln, Nebraska, home, a local postadoption support
Defining Family
Piecing together how two moms or two dads fit into the picture. By Jennifer Michael Photos courtesy of the American Civil Liberties Union Resources for Gay Parenting Lisa Johnston has worked in the early childhood
Slavery Undercover
An estimated 14,500-17,500 people are trafficked into the United States every year. About half are believed to be children. By John Celock Photographs courtesy of Sandy Shepherd Growing up without running water and electricity, only
From Custody to Career
After leaving foster care or incarceration, young people often struggle to find footholds in the work world. Article and photos by Jennifer Michael If only getting a job were as easy as writing a resume,
Children Missing from Care
How should agencies respond? By Jennifer Michael When the news hit the airwaves in 2002, shock rippled through the country. How could a 5-year-old girl under the care of the social service system just simply