The first time, a friend in Utah called and said she was afraid her 18 year old would run away and was anorexic, could she stay with us for a while. We had known "L" since she was 5 years old and said certainly. With us, … [Read more...]
The URL for the most extraordinary diary I have ever read on any blog
Here it is: http://www.dailykos.com/storyo... Read to the end. What do you think? Do you have questions as a result? What questions? … [Read more...]
Legal orphans in free fall; we can and must do better than this!
I just represented a great aunt. Her sister brought two kids here from another state, because she was caring for three grandchildren and wanted her sister to take care of two of them. The Massachusetts Great Aunt filed for a … [Read more...]
National Governor’s Center funds Grants to reduce the number of children in foster care
For the whole story, go to: http://readme.readmedia.com/ne... For the whole program, go to: www.nga.org/center. … [Read more...]
A “small program” that could keep Massachusetts from losing its twenty-something residents
I call our economy "harsh" because while 90,000 jobs requiring college degrees go unfilled, minimum wage jobs are not sufficient to secure housing and food without working more than one job for most young adults, as well as having multiple … [Read more...]
DSS overhaul legislation, H4333, passes in the House, will the Senate follow suit?
H4333 is stronger than H4191, and if passed, means in my view that Isaac and Jeremy [two cases reported out and published by the Supreme Judicial Court in 1995) arguably no longer control as precedents, as they were based on the old statute … [Read more...]
Who is fighting for foster children and THEIR right to life?
I say this because the bill would open hearings where DSS seeks to end a child's life to the public, and place clear requirements as to what steps to take into our laws for the first time.The health insurance industry has a constituency and … [Read more...]
URGENT hearing on overhaul of DSS 9/26/07
The hearing will be on 9/26/07 at 10:30 AM in Room 222 at the State House.For the text of the legislation, go to: http://www.mass.gov/...For the statutes being amended, which are G.L.c. 119 and G.L.c.210 and 110 CMR, go … [Read more...]
Time to monitor the pending overhaul of DSS
Besides a zillion places for the proposed change of name to the Department of Children and Families (DCF), any hearing which could lead to a "do not revive" or "pull the plug" order with regard to a child in the custody of the state would … [Read more...]
Kids do better at home then in foster care – MIT research using empirical data
Doyles study demonstrates that foster care experience interferes with graduating from high school, holding a job, and statistically seems to be linked to teenage pregnancy.Doyle found children who stayed with their families were less likely … [Read more...]