Citizen Review Panel urges standardized mandatory reporter training, eyes diversion for families screened out The Alaska Citizen Review Panel told the joint House and Senate Health and Social Services Committee that inconsistent mandatory reporter training and a lack of referral pathways leave some families without support; the panel recommended a single open-source curriculum and actions on diversion and out-of-home placement data.

The Alaska Citizen Review Panel is calling for standardized mandatory reporter training to ensure families in need aren't left unsupported in the child welfare system.

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#AK #CitizenPortal #MandatoryReporting #AlaskaChildWelfare #ChildWelfareReform #FamilySupport

Assembly committee advances bill to expand tribal diversion services aimed at keeping Native youth out of foster care The Assembly Human Services Committee voted unanimously to advance AB 1574, which would allow tribes greater access to state prevention and diversion funding so tribal programs can intervene before children enter foster care; tribal leaders and attorneys testified about ICWA and potential savings.

California's Assembly just took a historic step to empower tribes and keep Native youth out of foster care, potentially saving millions in taxpayer dollars!

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#CA #CitizenPortal #CulturalPreservation #ChildWelfareReform #TribalDiversionServices

MDHHS official outlines child‑welfare reforms and residential bed strategy amid service gaps MDHHS presented progress under its federal oversight settlement, reported improvements in permanency and placement stability, and said while the Michigan Youth Treatment Center can hold about 60 beds it currently houses 16 because staffing and specialized program availability — not bed counts — limit placements.

Michigan's Children’s Services Administration is on a transformative path, reducing federal oversight commitments and achieving remarkable improvements in child welfare outcomes.

Learn more here!

#MI #CommunitySafetyStandards #CitizenPortal #YouthServicesAccess #ChildWelfareReform

Benton County staff outline major hurdles to implementing Minnesota's Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act Human Services staff told the board that the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (effective Jan. 1, 2027) lacks key definitions and statewide systems, will require intensive "active efforts" that greatly increase worker time, and currently has minimal county-directed funding and uncertain technology support.

Minnesota's new Family Preservation Act faces significant challenges, from unclear definitions to increased workloads and limited funding—are counties ready for the impact?

Learn more here

#BentonCounty #MN #BentonCountyHumanServices #ChildWelfareReform #CitizenPortal #FundingChallenges

Healing while curating dreams and breaking generational trauma. Resilient Voices and Beyond Podcast, Season Three, Episode 54. Healing while curating dreams and breaking generational trauma. Guest, Julissa Grozozski Torres, YPA, NYCPS, CRPA, Founder and CEO of Triumph OVA Struggles Advocacy and Consulting LLC. This episode holds space for healing centered conversations and storytelling inside my Foster Healing Fellowship capstone work, and it honors the truth that survival skills keep people alive, and healing skills set people free. Julissa walks listeners through a life shaped by early loss, foster care, adoption, religious control, abuse, psychiatric institutionalization, chronic illness, and the long fight to reclaim identity with intention. She names what it costs to grow up inside systems that label behaviors but ignore pain, and she names what it takes to rebuild a self when other people spent years defining it for you. Julissa breaks down the moment she chose her own name at twelve, and she frames that decision as an act of self definition when life offered her few choices. She speaks with precision about how religious restriction narrowed her sense of self, and how adulthood demanded an intentional return to joy, interests, and personal agency. She also connects lived experience to leadership, and she draws a straight line from survival to service, including how peer work, advocacy, and consulting form a mission rather than a slogan. We confront the systems themselves, foster care, psychiatric institutions, and schools, and we talk plainly about what helped and what harmed. Julissa also speaks on diagnosis, misdiagnosis, neurodivergence, and the exhaustion of living inside an identity built around symptoms, then fighting for clarity that fits reality.  She names cycle breaking motherhood as active work, not a slogan, and she describes the daily labor of building a home where children experience emotional safety, support, structure, and freedom to simply exist as kids. This conversation also tells the truth about boundaries, grief, and letting go. Julissa speaks on the hard decision to release relationships that kept her trapped in old harm patterns, and she names the difference between forgiveness and access.  We close with a grounded charge for anyone who feels buried under labels, trauma, and fatigue, take ownership of your life in small steps, protect your healing, and refuse the lie that your past defines your ceiling.   Connect with Julissa Grozozski Torres. Instagram, triumph_ova_struggles. LinkedIn, Julissa Grozozski Torres. Website, triumphovastruggles.org.

📣 New Podcast! "Healing while curating dreams and breaking generational trauma." on @Spreaker #adoptiontruth #breakinggenerationaltrauma #capstoneproject #childwelfarereform #cptsd #crpa #cyclebreaking #fostercarevoices #fosterhealingfellowship #healingcenteredconversations #healingwhileleading

Harrison County panel hears testimony that children in state custody were placed in hotel rooms; committee seeks code clarification At a Harrison County Blue Ribbon Committee meeting, residents and committee members described cases of children in state custody left for weeks or months in hotel rooms with unvetted sitters, criticized repeated 90-day FIP extensions and urged clarification of Mississippi Code 43-21-301.

Children in state custody are allegedly being left in hotel rooms for months with little supervision, raising urgent questions about their safety and the effectiveness of current oversight.

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#HarrisonCounty #MS #ChildWelfareReform #CPSAccountability #CitizenPortal

Bill would require publication of child near‑fatality reviews, advocates say it will improve accountability Senate Bill 59‑77 would require DCYF to publish near‑fatality review reports within 180 days, with redactions for confidential information; sponsors and advocates argued transparency aids prevention, while witnesses urged broader definitions to capture fentanyl overdoses.

A groundbreaking bill aims to enhance transparency in child welfare by mandating the publication of near-fatality reviews to help prevent future tragedies.

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#WA #CitizenPortal #AccountabilityInPolicy #ChildWelfareReform #TransparencyInGovernment

Kansas committee hears bill to include contracted child-placement agencies in Tort Claims Act Proponents told the House Committee on Judiciary that adding contracted child placement agencies to the Kansas Tort Claims Act would restore predictability and insurability for providers; opponents warned it could limit victims’ remedies and may be unconstitutional.

A contentious bill in Kansas aims to redefine liability for child placement agencies, sparking a heated debate over insurability versus victim rights.

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#KS #LegalAccountability #ChildWelfareReform #CitizenPortal #KansasChildPlacement #InsuranceStability

Legislative audit finds implementation gaps, staffing shortfalls at Alaska's Office of Children's Services OCS leaders told the House Health and Social Services Committee they have implemented many HB151 requirements but continue to face high turnover, data-system limits, vacancy discrepancies and unresolved audit recommendations; the legislative auditor explained how reallocated budget authority (including a $10 million cyber encumbrance) affected reporting.

Alaska's Office of Children's Services is struggling with staffing shortages and outdated systems, putting the implementation of vital child welfare reforms at risk.

Learn more here!

#AK #WorkforceChallenges #AlaskaChildrenServices #CitizenPortal #DataAccuracy #ChildWelfareReform

Cass County highlights early wins as North Dakota case management redesign rolls out Cass County’s human service zone told its advisory board the state’s case management redesign launched in January; local leaders said Cass was near 100% readiness on key work streams, outlined phase‑2 pilots and urged continued focus on ICWA compliance and reducing time children spend in foster care.

Cass County is making impressive strides in North Dakota's case management redesign, aiming to swiftly engage and strengthen families while reducing the time children spend in foster care.

Learn more here!

#CassCounty #ND #ChildWelfareReform #CitizenPortal #CassCountyHumanServices

Benton County child-protection staff warn ICWA-era changes will vastly increase caseloads and costs Child-protection leaders told commissioners Benton County logged 773 maltreatment reports and opened 182 investigations in 2025; staff cautioned that a 2027 change expanding active-effort requirements (related to ICWA/disproportionate-representation rules) could push nearly all cases to that standard and sharply raise staffing needs and costs.

Benton County's child-protection system is bracing for a significant upheaval as new ICWA regulations could increase active-effort cases to nearly 99%, potentially skyrocketing staffing costs and workload.

Get the details!

#BentonCounty #MN #ChildWelfareReform #CitizenPortal #ICWAImplementation

Bill would restore reunification services for parents who previously lost rights; advocates urge favor HB48 (Right to Fight Act) would stop the Department of Social Services from denying reasonable reunification services for parents who previously had parental rights terminated; public defenders, clinicians and impacted parents said the current rule forces an unfair, lifelong penalty and deepens racial and economic disparities.

A proposed bill in Maryland aims to end the unfair lifelong penalty for parents who previously lost their rights, ensuring they receive necessary support for future children.

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#MD #CitizenPortal #MarylandParents #ChildWelfareReform #RacialDisparities #ParentalRights

Legislative analysts say human‑services caseloads rise overall but SGF shifts partly offset costs Legislative Research presented revised human‑services caseload estimates showing a $431 million increase in total FY26 spending but a $68.9 million decline in state general fund (SGF) use, with KanCare driving projected SGF growth in FY27.

Kansas is facing a $431 million surge in human-services spending for FY26, but the state general fund will see a surprising decline—what does this mean for the future?

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#KS #FiscalResponsibility #KansasHumanServices #HealthcareAccess #ChildWelfareReform #CitizenPortal

Committee advances bill to streamline psychotropic medication procedures, extend PESS age range CS for SB560, presented by Sen. Garcia and adopted with amendments, streamlines procedures for continuing psychotropic medication for children in Department of Children and Families custody, tightens evaluator licensing, removes certain evaluator categories from the bill, and extends qualifying ages for the PESS stipend program while retaining a five-year maximum benefit period.

A new bill aims to enhance care for vulnerable children by streamlining psychotropic medication procedures and extending educational support for foster youth.

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#FL #MentalHealthCare #ChildWelfareReform #EducationSupport #CitizenPortal

County reports progress on child‑welfare corrective actions, pilot social‑worker program, and studies of voluntary services DFCS told supervisors it has closed many items in its corrective action plan, launched a pilot placing hotline social workers in schools, and found higher engagement in voluntary services reduces subsequent court involvement; the board asked that DFCS bring evaluations to relevant commissions and the child‑welfare roundtable.

The Department of Family and Children Services is making significant strides in child welfare, launching innovative pilot programs that show promise in reducing court involvement through increased family engagement.

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#SantaClaraCounty #CA #ChildWelfareReform

Ottawa, First Nations prepare competing child welfare reform plans | CBC News The federal government is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children's advocates prepare...

Ottawa, First Nations prepare competing child welfare reform plans

Canadian Human Rights Tribunal set Dec. 22 as deadline for long-term proposals #childwelfarereform #indigenousrights #canpoli

www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

The Ministry Wrote Back. But They Still Didn’t Answer. After months of documentation, I received a letter that thanked me for “advocating” while ignoring the evidence of harm. This is what systemic failure looks like on official paper.

The Ministry wrote back. But they still didn’t answer. Their letter thanked me for “advocating” and said they “hear my frustration.” But it ignored the harm, the evidence, and my son’s suffering. #DisabilityJustice #ChildWelfareReform #BringBennettHome #bcpoli

House advances broad child welfare reforms after hours of debate and multiple amendments The House passed House Bill 46-44, a package of reforms to reporting, oversight and interagency coordination for child welfare, after adopting a series of amendments addressing funding language, the child fatality review team and a study commission on digital education records.

Massachusetts just took a bold step towards child welfare reform by passing a sweeping bill aimed at enhancing protection and stability for vulnerable children in the system.

Learn more here

#MA #CitizenPortal #ChildWelfareReform #CivicAccountability #EducationStability

A Pattern of Harm: Documenting MCFD’s Failures in My Son’s Case When my six-year-old son, Bennett, was taken by MCFD while I was hospitalized, every safeguard meant to protect him was ignored. Medical teams warned the Ministry not to separate him from me — his …

I just published a new post on my blog:
“A Pattern of Harm: Documenting MCFD’s Failures in My Son’s Case.”

My son deserves better. Every child does.

#BringBennettHome #UnSilenced #MCFD #SystemicFailure #ChildWelfareReform #JusticeForBennett #AdvocacyMatters #ProtectOurKids #bcpoli #bcpolitics

Page 1 of formal letter dated October 24, 2025, from Darian Thomas to MLA John Rustad, Leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia. The letter is titled Urgent Request for Assistance – Unlawful Removal of My Son Bennett and Breaches of Duty by MCFD. It outlines how the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) removed Bennett James Thomas without court authorization or evidence of neglect, despite professional confirmation that his care was safe and appropriate. Keywords: Bennett Thomas, MCFD, child protection failures, autism advocacy, parental rights, British Columbia politics.

Page 2 of the letter to MLA John Rustad from Darian Thomas describing worsening health and injuries suffered by six-year-old Bennett Thomas since MCFD’s removal. Details include untreated G-tube site, weight loss, bruises without incident reports, loss of therapy supports, and inappropriate increased access to an abusive parent. The letter cites violations of the Child, Family and Community Service Act and urges independent review and accountability. Keywords: MCFD breach of duty, child welfare reform, medical neglect, autism awareness, Bring Bennett Home.

Final page of Darian Thomas’s letter to MLA John Rustad, listing requested actions: ministerial intervention, immediate reunification with mother, accountability for policy failures, restoration of medical and therapeutic supports, and independent review of MCFD conduct. The letter ends with Darian Thomas’s signature and the statement ‘bring my son home.’ Keywords: Bennett James Thomas, MCFD accountability, child rights, disability advocacy, systemic reform, British Columbia government.

Today I sent a formal letter to MLA John Rustad, calling for urgent action against MCFD’s unlawful removal of my son, Bennett, and the ongoing breaches of duty that have endangered his health and safety.
#BringBennettHome #BCPolitics #MCFD #ChildWelfareReform #UnSilenced #AutismAwareness #bcpoli

A System That Failed My Son: My Letter to MLA John Rustad About MCFD’s Unlawful Removal of Bennett When MCFD took my son Bennett without cause, they shattered more than policy — they broke a young, and vulnerable child’s sense of safety. For two months I’ve fought to bring him home while the min…

Today I sent a formal letter to MLA John Rustad, calling for urgent action against MCFD’s unlawful removal of my son, Bennett, and the ongoing breaches of duty that have endangered his health and safety. #BringBennettHome #BCPolitics #MCFD #ChildWelfareReform #JusticeForBennett #bcpoli #johnrustad

Original post: They Took My Son While I Was in the Hospital — and I’m Not Staying Silent While recovering in the hospital, my vulnerable son was taken from my care by the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Families like mine shouldn’t be torn apart by the very system meant to…

But when a system built to “protect” children starts creating the harm, you don’t stay quiet — you document everything.
This is our story. #BringBennettHome #UnSilenced #MCFD #bcpoli #bcpolitics #ChildWelfareReform #HumanRights

un-silenced.blog/2025/09/02/f...

BC Mother Pleads with Premier and MLA After Disabled Six Year Old Son Apprehended from Hospital On September 2 2025, a Coquitlam mother sent an urgent letter to Premier David Eby, MLA Rick Glumac, and Minister Jodie Wickens. She pleaded for help after her six year old son with many complexiti…

A mother’s plea to the Premier after her six-year-old disabled son was apprehended directly from the hospital.

#BringBennettHome #ChildWelfareReform #SystemicAccountability #FamilyJustice #DisabilityRights #HumanRights #UnSilenced

I didn’t plan to become an advocate. I just wanted my child safe.
But once you see the gaps in the system, you can’t unsee them.
So here I am — documenting, pushing back, and refusing to go quiet. #bcpoli #ChildWelfareReform #DisabilityRights #BCChildWelfare #UnSilenced #BringBennettHome

Harrison County blue ribbon panel urges legal tweak after infant death, presses statewide system fixes A Harrison County blue ribbon committee described gaps in child-protection practice revealed by the death of an infant known as "Baby DJ," urged a narrow change to Mississippi law on newborn drug tests, and reported improvements in hospital–CPS coordination while pushing for broader statewide system reforms.

A tragic case known as "Baby DJ" has exposed alarming gaps in Mississippi's child-protection system, prompting urgent calls for legal changes and systemic reforms to ensure safety for vulnerable newborns.

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#HarrisonCounty #MS #CitizenPortal #ChildWelfareReform

Sharing for a friend of ours.

#JusticeForFamilies #AbinoojiAccountability #KenoraVoices #ChildWelfareReform #TruthAndHealing

" She believed she could, so she did ” 🎙️ Episode 52 — “She Believed She Could, So She Did” Guest: Faith M. Keen | DHHS Intern • FSM Contractor • LEx Policy Advocate • TLE Member • BSW  Candidate • Future MSW Podcast: Resilient Voices & Beyond Podcast — Season 3 Host: Michael D. Davis-Thomas Episode Description: In this powerful and soul-baring conversation, host Michael D. Davis-Thomas is joined by rising advocate, policy shaper, and lived experience leader Faith M. Keen, for an episode that feels more like a mirror than a mic. Titled “She Believed She Could, So She Did,” this dialogue is a tender, tenacious, and truth-filled journey through the harsh realities of childhood adversity—and the radical self-determination it takes to rise from it. Faith doesn't just speak her truth—she lives it. From a chaotic upbringing marked by instability, addiction, and displacement, to finding belonging through advocacy, higher education, and a fierce belief in the power of lived experience, Faith’s journey is a living testimony of what resilience looks like when nurtured in community and courage.  Together, Michael and Faith dive into: - The emotional toll of caring for others when no one cared for you - Reframing trauma as purpose without glamorizing the pain - The role of policy advocacy in restoring dignity to foster youth - The nuance of self-care in a space that demands our pain for progress - Navigating healing while still showing up as “the strong one” - The balance between being a voice for the voiceless and being heard yourself As she shares deeply personal stories—from driving her mother while under the influence to being adopted by extended family who didn’t always understand her worth—Faith unpacks the layers of survival and silence, of grief and grit, that so many foster youth carry but rarely have safe space to process. She and Michael explore how systems often force youth to perform wellness while still bleeding, and how real change must include not just policies—but peace. Faith’s work with Fostering Success Michigan, Michigan’s Team with Lived Expertise (TLE), and her continued advocacy through public speaking and youth engagement is helping reshape how the state and nation see system-impacted youth—not as broken, but as brilliant. Her upcoming pursuit of an MSW at the University of Michigan is yet another step in becoming the change she needed as a child.  This episode isn’t about triumphalism. It’s about truth. It’s about community. And it’s about choosing healing—even when no one taught you how.  📣 Because believing in yourself isn’t cliché when you’ve survived systems designed to make you forget how.  🔗 Connect with Faith M. Keen 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/keen.faith.210 📘 Facebook / 🔗 LinkedIn: Faith Keen 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube, and all major streaming platforms.  📢 Support the Podcast Venmo: @MDDTSpeaks | CashApp: $MDDTSpeaksInc | PayPal: MDDT1 Email: for sponsorships, collaborations, and donor inquiries.

📣 New Podcast! "" She believed she could, so she did ”" on @Spreaker #childwelfarereform #faithkeen #ferrisstateuniversity #fostercareawareness #fosteringsuccessmichigan #fosteryouthvoices #frompaintopurpose #healingiswork #livedexperienceleadership #mswbound #policychangeagent #tlemichigan

New training alert 🚨

🎥 Eliminating Racial Bias in Child Welfare: Tools & Strategies for Equity

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📩 Book this for your agency
📺 Subscribe for more CEU and training content

#SocialWorkCEU #ChildWelfareReform #EquityInPractice #AntiRacistSocialWork #ImplicitBias

Garth Pazant criticizes deputy sheriff training amid child custody concerns in San Bernardino Public speakers express frustrations over deputy sheriff conduct and family welfare cases.

Community members are raising urgent alarms about law enforcement practices and the child welfare system in San Bernardino, calling for accountability and reform.

Learn more here

#SanBernardinoCounty #CA #CitizenPortal #CommunityEngagement #SanBernardinoCounty #ChildWelfareReform

"Still waters run deep" 🎙️ Episode 51 — “Still Waters Run Deep” Guest: Sylvia Monica Parrott | National Foster Care Advocate, Public Speaker, Lived Experience Leader Podcast: Resilient Voices & Beyond Podcast — Season 3 Episode Description: Still waters don’t mean still souls. In this soul-stirring episode of Resilient Voices & Beyond, host Michael D. Davis-Thomas sits down with the quiet force that is Sylvia Monica Parrott—a woman whose strength is not in how loudly she speaks, but in how deeply she feels, how faithfully she leads, and how consistently she shows up for a system she survived. "Still Waters Run Deep" isn’t just the title of this conversation—it’s a prophetic description of the life Sylvia has lived and the legacy she’s building. From entering Rhode Island’s foster care system at the age of five to navigating abusive placements, isolation, and reentry at 17, Sylvia’s story is anything but surface-level. She shares with unwavering clarity the silent storms of trauma, abandonment, sexual violence, and mental health struggles—alongside the quiet rebellions of mentorship, faith, advocacy, and healing that helped her rise. This episode is not a tale of pity or performative triumph; it is a sacred reckoning with the reality that not every survivor roars—but every survivor matters. Together, Michael and Sylvia explore: - The emotional toll of being system-impacted from early childhood - The invisibility of introverted advocates in noisy advocacy spaces - The crisis of mental health in group homes and transitional housing - The trauma of institutionalization and the weight of being “too strong for too long” - The spiritual grounding and self-forgiveness it takes to lead from a wounded place - How Sylvia is quietly, persistently, disrupting the status quo without needing to shout From testifying before legislators to co-authoring op-eds, from guiding youth at Foster Forward’s Drop-In Center to speaking on national stages, Sylvia is redefining what leadership looks like for foster alumni. Her work is not driven by ego—but by empathy. Not polished performance—but prophetic presence. Michael, moved by Sylvia’s radical vulnerability, speaks candidly about the podcast’s journey, the cost of advocacy, and the urgent need for community-funded sustainability. As they close the episode, Sylvia offers words of truth to anyone feeling broken, burned out, or silenced in their struggle: “Don’t doubt yourself. You have so much to offer the world.” This episode is a mirror for those who’ve learned to lead while still healing—and a mandate to make space for the still waters among us. 🕊️ Listen deeply. Share widely. Honor the stillness that runs deep. 🔗 Connect with Sylvia Monica Parrott Instagram: https://instagram.com/sylviamonica_ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sylvia-parrott 🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube, and all major platforms. 📣 Support the Podcast Your donations help keep the mic on for truth-tellers like Sylvia. Venmo: @MDDTSpeaks | CashApp: $MDDTSpeaksInc | PayPal: MDDT1 Email: for sponsorship and partnership inquiries.

📣 New Podcast! ""Still waters run deep"" on @Spreaker #authenticleadership #childwelfarereform #fosteralumnivoices #fostercareawareness #fosterjustice #fosteryouthvoices #frompaintopurpose #healingispolitical #introvertedadvocate #livedexperienceleadership #mentalhealthmatters #quietstrength