Goliath comes in many forms~
It is time to stop the devastation to innocent families which is occurring daily across the country.
My Family Rights Affiliation

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Monday, May 22, 2017

Aging Out of Foster Care and Into Reality




Most people wake up each day with a mom, a dad or some form of a family structure. However, the youth in foster care who have this type of life are few and far between. I entered foster care as an infant, and my childhood would forever remain “chained” there. Growing up in care was very difficult for me. I had no sense of self worth or identity and most of the time I felt alone, even though I had a foster family. I barely remember important parts of my life, like a year that I excelled in track or my drama performances, because no one was there to support me or cheer me on.

I was never adopted, and I grew up feeling that no one ever really wanted or loved me. As result I spent my entire childhood and the majority of my adult life drifting in and out of relationships, and struggling to grasp the concepts of life, love, trust and, most of all, family. The scariest part about being in foster care for me was turning 18. The average kid cannot wait to turn eighteen, graduate from high school and get ready for their journey to college or to travel down that brave road to adulthood. However, by the time I turned 18, the road to college was a distant memory.

Instead I was constantly looking for a place to live, couch surfing, trying to figure out how to pay for my most basic needs–on some days I even had to figure out how I was going to eat (and believe you me, there were plenty of nights that I went to bed hungry). This is the one area where I feel the foster care system, as a whole, has dropped the ball.

“Aging out,” is what they call it, and it affects thousands of kids across our nation; unlike the “Harlem shake” or some gaudy fashion, this “trend” never gets a million hits on YouTube, and you can’t pick it up and read about it in the latest fashion magazine. What you can do is see homeless teens skateboarding till nightfall, or hanging out in a library or local mall to keep themselves busy, to avoid thinking about the hunger in their bellies or the agonizing reality that they have no place to sleep.

This is what the end of foster care meant for me, and thousands of foster kids across this country. Not The Blind Side fairy tale ending you thought it would be, huh? Sure, that movie was based on a true story, but for thousands of us there is no Sandra Bullock–or her real-life equivalent–to whisk us away in a fancy car to a better life. Look at it this way…children are being removed daily from unimaginable situations of abuse and neglect; anywhere from physical abuse to the lack of proper food, housing, and unsanitary conditions. Those kids are removed from their families and now placed in the foster care system–understandably so. But many of them are well cared for, only to age out into the same conditions that originally landed them in foster care. This, without a doubt, needs to change!

In all fairness, there are some amazing foster care endings, where youth have thrived and they have done very well after exiting foster care. However wouldn’t you want every child to leave foster care with a success story?

Originally published on May 3, 2013 as part of Children’s Rights’ “Fostering the Future” campaign. The opinions expressed herein are those of the blog author and do not necessarily represent the views of Children’s Rights or its employees. Children’s Rights has not verified the author’s account.

Learn "How To Win In Court" ... without a lawyer
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May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,
GranPa Chuck

Researcher, Editor, Publisher, Collector

 

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

TRUMP RESPONDS to Psycho-Psychs

(at least in Verde's new cartoon!)
Recently, several Psychs publicly attempted to label President Trump with a “mental
disorder”, despite the fact they’ve never met him, which is against their own ethics rules.
The American Psychiatric Association’s “Principles of Medical Ethics” says: “On occasion
psychiatrists are asked for an opinion about an individual who is in the light of public
attention or who has disclosed information about himself/herself through public media.
…it is unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion unless he or she has
conducted an examination and has been granted proper authorization for such a
statement.”

The APA created this rule in 1973, but apparently has a problem enforcing ethics rules.
Perhaps these Psychs are suffering from obsessive diagnosis disorder and are merely
clamoring for the unreachable limelight of powerful men.

Trump is not the first. Psychs have been labeling public figures for a long time.

Although not psychiatric, Trump is artful at slinging his own labels: Little Marco, Lying
Ted, No-Energy Jeb, Crooked Hillary, Fake News.

And now Trump has a new one (at least in Verde’s new cartoon!):

Also, see here for a couple of videos: http://www.psychsearch.net/psycho-psychs/
+++

Best Regards,

Ken Kramer

Much appreciated if you put these two links on your websites:
http://www.psychsearch.net/psychiatrist-records/

Learn "How To Win In Court" ... without a lawyer
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,
GranPa Chuck

Researcher, Editor, Publisher, Collector

 

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

How Do We Unite Congress: Thoughts from Parental Rights Organization

 

 

How Do We Unite Congress?


"Parental Rights" is perhaps one of the most BiPartisan issues there is.
However, "How Do We Unite Congress?"

Read on the thoughts from the Parental Rights Organization
Thanks,
Granpa Chuck
National Coordinator, NFPCAR

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How a Law Becomes a Bill?
[Sent 4/4/17]
Between health care bills, Neil Gorsuch, and the Russian election investigation, one thing is painfully clear: Congress is as divided now as it has ever been. Democrats and Republicans, seemingly never quick to collaborate, are having even more trouble than usual finding common ground.

So how can we bring them together?

To pass an amendment to the Constitution (such as the proposed Parental Rights Amendment, or PRA) requires a two-thirds vote in each chamber of Congress. That means 290 members of the House, plus 67 Senators, all agreeing on the same thing. It almost defies imagination.

But then, most issues are not as staunchly supported across the political spectrum as are parental rights.

According to a 2010 Zogby poll, more than 90% of Americans, regardless of party, support the traditional view that, absent a showing of abuse or neglect, parents have the right to make decisions for their children without government interference. More than 92% of Democrats and 97% of Republicans agreed with this view. Independents surpassed 90%, even with a significant 4.5% answering "not sure."

We have seen no evidence of public sentiment changing in the last few years, either. In a society divided by almost everything, we stand together on this.

And that gives us a real chance to make headway in Congress in the coming months.

We've spoken with an East Coast Republican ready to take the lead on parental rights in the House. We sat down with a Southwest Democrat's staff who wondered, "Why aren't there any Democrats on this?" We've spoken with a Midwest Democrat who told us, "This is real; I've seen this in my district," and with another Republican who tells us, "I've worked with that Democrat; maybe I can help bring them on board."

In a similar vein, we are working with organizations across the political spectrum to draft amendments to federal CAPTA law--the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act--to halt the use of federal funds in sponsoring programs that separate families and damage children. In this area, too, we believe we can find common cause for both parties.

Yes, parental rights need Congress; it is they who can send the PRA to the States for ratification. But just maybe Congress needs parental rights, as well--a common cause both parties can get behind.

But it won't happen without your help.

First, there will be times when we will need you (and your family and friends!) to contact lawmakers and urge them to support the PRA or other parental rights legislation. This is how we can turn those outstanding polling numbers into solid majorities in Congress as well. So please urge your friends to sign up now so they'll get those alerts and can make their voices heard!

But we also need your financial support. We are the only national organization exclusively focused on parental rights, the only group founded to realize the Parental Rights Amendment, and we are 100% donor-supported. That means our resources and our reach are defined by your generosity.

So would you please take a moment to make your most generous donation today? We will put those dollars toward passing new state laws, amending federal regulations, and ultimately winning key bipartisan support to permanently protect the rights of all parents in the text of the Constitution.

Thank you for standing with us, today and always, whether with your donations, your phone calls, or simply spreading the word. We would have no chance of success apart from you.

Sincerely,

Michael Ramey
Director of Communications & Research


Original Link: http://www.parentalrights.org/unite_congress

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Learn "How To Win In Court" ... without a lawyer
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May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,
GranPa Chuck

Researcher, Editor, Publisher, Collector

Monday, February 20, 2017

Child Welfare Information Gateway E-lert!: February 2017

Each  Month the Child Welfare Information Gateway publishes the many articles relating to our children and our Families.
You'd think with all this information, there would be few problems with our families?
However, I do like the Gateway's motto..ie
Protecting Children
Strengthening Families
Granpa Chuck
National Team Coordination
National Family Advocacy Team
ENJOY & READ ON>>>
 
Child Welfare Information GatewayChild Welfare Information GatewayEncourage your colleagues to subcribe to E-lert!
To ensure you receive E-lert! each month, please add us to your safe senders list.
Here's what's new from Child Welfare Information Gateway. Use the links below or contact us to request print copies. If print copies are available, we will ship them to you for free.
Stay updated on our publications via email, Facebook, and Twitter!

Racial Disproportionality and Disparity in Child Welfare

Human Trafficking Research has consistently shown that certain racial and ethnic groups, including African-Americans and Native Americans, are overrepresented in the U.S. child welfare system. The child welfare field has moved from acknowledging the issue to formulating and implementing solutions. Child Welfare Information Gateway recently updated the issue brief Racial Disproportionality and Disparity in Child Welfare, which delves into the prevalence of racial and ethnic disproportionality and disparity in child welfare, reviews the latest literature on the topic, and highlights current State and local initiatives to address disproportionality.
Our brief provides strategies that can help child welfare administrators, program managers, and policymakers address these issues in general and at certain points in the child welfare process, including focusing on prevention and early intervention, ensuring unbiased reporting, and ensuring that families of color have access to culturally competent services.

Child Maltreatment Report 2015 Now Live

NFCM Image Based on State-level data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), Child Maltreatment 2015 presents an aggregate view of child abuse and neglect in the United States. This resource includes information on the reports made to child protective services (CPS), the children involved in CPS cases, child fatalities, perpetrators of child abuse and neglect, and available services.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released this report as the 26th in a series designed to collect and analyze State child abuse and neglect statistics. The Child Maltreatment series is used to assess the efficacy of Federal programs and inform researches, practitioners, and advocates around the world.

The full Child Maltreatment 2015 report is available to view and download on the Children's Bureau website, along with access to archived Child Maltreatment reports from 1995 to 2014.

NEW Podcast: Engaging Fathers Part 3

NFCM Image Child Welfare Information Gateway created a three-part podcast series on engaging fathers and working with fatherhood organizations. Part 1 and Part 2 of this series feature a conversation with leaders of local fatherhood organizations.
The discussion provides perspective, insights, and recommendations to help child welfare agencies partner with fatherhood organizations to enhance the engagement and involvement of fathers and paternal family members in establishing permanency and safety for children in the child welfare system. Part 3, completing the series, provides listeners with insights gained from a partnership occurring in Spartanburg, SC.
For more information or the complete list of current podcasts available, visit the Children’s Bureau website.

Upcoming Conferences

Child Welfare Information Gateway will be at these upcoming conference(s). Please stop by and see the team, and be sure to visit Information Gateway's conference calendar to access and/or submit upcoming events!
March 1–4: BPD Conference (The Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors), New Orleans, LA
March 4–7: Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) Annual Conference, Kansas City, MO
March 5–8: 30th Annual Research & Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Behavioral Health (CMH), Tampa, FL
March 8–9: Learning & Leadership Summit (Sponsor: Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina), Durham, NC
March 8–11: Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA
March 11–14: National CASA/GAL Conference, Seattle, WA

Did You Know?

The Children's Bureau has added the following Information Memorandums (IMs) and Program Instructions (PIs) to their website:
IM-17-01: This Information Memorandum (IM) informs State and Tribal title IV-E agencies about the publication of the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) final rule.
IM-17-02:  This Information Memorandum (IM) encourages all child welfare agencies, courts, administrative offices of the courts, and court improvement programs to work together to ensure parents, children and youth, and child welfare agencies receive high-quality legal representation at all stages of child welfare proceedings.
PI-17-02: This Program Instruction (PI) provides guidance to States on implementing provisions in the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), as amended by CARA, relating to infants affected by substance abuse.

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Contact Information

Child Welfare Information Gateway
Phone: 800.394.3366
Email: info@childwelfare.gov
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Chat live with an Information Specialist between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. EDT.
E-lert! is a free service of the Children's Bureau/ACF/HHS and Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Learn "How To Win In Court" ... without a lawyer
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,
GranPa Chuck

Researcher, Editor, Publisher, Collector