The views expressed herein have not been approved by the House of Delegates or the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association, and accordingly, should not be construed as representing the policy of the American Bar Association.
National CASA Blog
http://blog.casaforchildren.org/blog/
Step into the world of the CASA volunteer. There are many success stories in this blog, but some of the more interesting posts explore challenges. For example, a young Illinois CASA shares how she proved her commitment to becoming a CASA despite the program director’s doubts. In another post, an Indianapolis child advocacy program director reveals how the perception of her program as “all white” spurred her to transform it into a model of diversity and inclusion. National CASA Executive Director Michael Piraino is a frequent contributor, often commenting on timely child welfare issues such as psychotropic medication use among foster children.
Save the Children’s Voices from the Field Blog
http://savethechildren.typepad.com/
Save the Children’ international relief efforts to meet the needs of children in crisis are well known. Their blog offers firsthand field accounts of emergency response efforts by staff around the world. Areas of focus: child protection, education and child development, health and nutrition, HIV/AIDS, and poverty.
ChildLaw Blog
Children’s rights attorney James R. Marsh takes a critical look at current child welfare and adoption news and guides you through articles and academic research findings. The blog also offers well-cited analysis of new legislation and rulings that affect children, including a recent post titled “DOJ Interpretation Guts VAWA Protections” that critiques the way restitution is made available to child victims. Areas of focus: victims of child pornography and sexual abuse, adoption and sexual offenders, and sentencing.
Child Welfare Blog
http://interestsofchildren.wordpress.com/
Connie Hayek has worn many hats in child welfare. She began as a caseworker in a state child welfare agency and has since worked in national advocacy organizations, training foster and adoptive parents and caseworkers, as a CASA volunteer, and more. Hayek shares views on current events and larger issues affecting child welfare in opinionated but well written, pointed articles. In her post “Tell Your Story or Someone Else Will,” Hayek focuses on the state of current media coverage of child welfare and the problem that most coverage ignores the success stories in the field. Other recent articles include “Wall Street, Meet Child Welfare Bonds,” and “A Lesson in Child Welfare Data.”
The Future of Children
http://blogs.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/
Are you looking for a way to skim through the latest research and public policy papers and get to the heart of what is most relevant in the field? The Future of Children brings together two world-class organizations to tie research and policy recommendations in child welfare to current affairs. The result is insightful and well-crafted articles covering the latest issues and findings. Areas of focus: education, juvenile justice and sentencing, employment and families. The Future of Children joins the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the Brookings Institution.
Children’s Rights Institute Blog
http://www.childrensrightsinstitute.org/blog/
Venture to this blog for hard-hitting international stories involving children’s rights. Topics include child labor, child soldiers, child suicide bombers, and efforts to eliminate such tragedies. Children’s Rights Institute follows cases in the International Criminal Court against leaders charged for using child soldiers, highlights the status of children imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay, and gives general news updates covering big international children’s rights stories of the month.
Reclaiming Futures
http://www.reclaimingfutures.org/blog/
Portland-based Reclaiming Futures’ blog posts cover such issues as the Supreme Court’s cases on youth life without parole and what the Affordable Care Act means for children. The blog also explores community-based youth offender programs throughout the country. A recently featured program uses graffiti art classes and workspaces to bring youth together, engage them in something meaningful, and to make them aware of available opportunities. The blog blends in-depth articles, brief summaries of national and state court cases, and weekly roundups of child welfare and juvenile justice news.
Children and the Law Blog
http://childrenandthelawblog.com/
The Children and the Law blog, run by the Center for Children, Law, and Policy at the University of Houston Law Center, shares current child welfare news, events, and state case law developments. It also adds its voice the debate over proposed legislation. For example, a recent post supported passage of a federal law that seeks fair treatment of special education students in schools. You’ll also find links to resources. Areas of focus: state legislation on juveniles, Supreme Court cases, Texas court cases, and juvenile justice developments.
—Alanna Pawlowski, program assistant at the Center on Children and the Law, compiled this list.