Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota Podcasts
By Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota PodcastsJun 24, 2021
An Interview with our New Executive Director Kisha Shanks
Join Rich Gehrman for this week's podcast featuring a special interview with Kisha Shanks, the new Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota.
Kisha Shanks is an accomplished maternal and child health consultant, speaker, and author. With over 14 years of experience in maternal and child health, she has been a dedicated advocate of child-centered programming and policy. For 13 years, she successfully owned and operated a home-visiting program for pregnant and birthing families in Milwaukee, focused on improving birth outcomes and increasing parental capacity by prioritizing maternal and infant mental health. Her successes led to her consulting numerous community-serving organizations and government agencies throughout Wisconsin and across the country, by way of public speaking, program evaluation and workshop facilitation. Kisha has worked tirelessly at the intersection of social work, public health, and mental health, to promote racial equity in all spaces affecting children, using both her lived experiences and academia to inform, inspire, and empower individuals into action that leads to change.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you.
Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and former Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential.
If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
A conversation with SUD expert Peter Hossler about the current state of recovery programs and the planned Minnesota state task force on prenatal substance use
Listen to our podcast for a conversation with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) expert Peter Hossler about the current state of recovery programs and the planned Minnesota state task force on prenatal substance use.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you.
Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them. Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
Critique of Minneapolis Police Response to Domestic Violence Has Implications for Children
This Global Rights for Women study of the Minneapolis Police Department found that officers seldom pursued perpetrators of domestic violence once they left the scene, and the Department makes far fewer reports and arrests than is typical nationally. Our study of child fatalities similarly showed that failed responses to domestic violence contributed to 28% of children’s deaths. Join Rich Gehrman for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you. Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
What the New Task Force on Prenatal Alcohol and Drug Use Will Mean for Women and Children
A new state task force on prenatal Substance Use Disorder (SUD) will likely consider whether to end mandated reporting of SUD to child protection, both prenatally and at birth. Medical associations’ policy positions uniformly state that mandated reporting of prenatal SUD inhibits women from seeking medical care. While the research isn’t as clear-cut as they say, creative outreach efforts to engage high-risk women in prenatal care is probably the best current option for protecting children. Join Rich Gehrman for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you. Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
Is There a Best Way to Reduce Prenatal Substance Abuse?
We have been reviewing research on prenatal Substance Abuse Disorder (SUD) because of this legislation proposing a task force on the issue. The American College of Gynecologists and similar organizations have issued statements opposing mandated reporting of SUD, which they believe deters women from getting prenatal care. This (open access) article on alcohol addiction supports that view. However the organizations’ statements don’t address some nuances of the issue, and none mention the potential health consequences of SUD for children, particularly from alcohol use. Join Rich Gehrman and Jeff Montpetit for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you. Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
Interview with Chris Serres about investigative journalism and his story of Derric Fulks
Listen to our interview with Pulitzer Prize nominee Chris Serres, who talks about investigative journalism and his story of Derric Fulks.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you. Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
$98.5 Million Wrongful Death Settlement in Washington State Raises Questions for Minnesota
The Washington Court of Appeals just confirmed a $98.5 million wrongful death settlement against the state human services agency regarding the gruesome murder of five and seven-year-old brothers. In Minnesota, the 2021 Supreme Court Jepsen v. Pope County decision made it easier for surviving relatives to sue counties for negligence in children’s deaths. Yet there have been only two settlements in Minnesota– Kendrea Johnson ($1.5 million) and Arianna Hunziker ($1.3 million). These comparatively smaller amounts still exceeded a Minnesota $500,000 tort cap (liability limit) because they were coupled with strong federal cases. This isn’t usually possible, which explains why these cases don’t involve larger settlements. Also, relatives may not know legal action is possible, and ethical lawyers don’t solicit these cases. We hope to motivate counties to pay more attention to child safety by making this legal option better known.
Jeff Montpetit is a partner at SiebenCarey law firm. Their website is know your rights.com. Jeff is one of the few lawyers in Minnesota who has successfully won cases against counties for negligence related to child fatalities. In this podcast Jeff explains the Minnesota and federal laws that govern such actions and the legal challenges that must be addressed to succeed. Join Rich Gehrman and Jeff Montpetit for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you. Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
What is the True Source of Racial Disparities in Child Welfare?
New research indicates that, once poverty is controlled for, Black families enter child protection and foster care at lower rates than whites. This complements other studies showing that poverty, which disproportionately impacts BIPOC families, is the biggest driver of racial disparities in child welfare.
Part of the message is that an all-star team of thirteen noted child welfare researchers published this paper jointly. They’re trying to make it hard to ignore.
Join Rich Gehrman for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you. Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
Early Childhood Advocates Should Reach Out to Child Welfare Leaders
There is widespread agreement that the first 1,000 days of life are critical for brain development related to language skills, bonding with others, and regulating one’s own behavior. Also well-known is that trauma causes infants’ and toddlers’ brains to go into “fight-or-flight” mode, during which time they stop acquiring these building blocks for later stages of development. No one wants to remove children from their families unnecessarily. Yet, as 4 month-old Aaliyah Goodwin’s story illustrates, parents are currently getting many chances, sometimes for years, to address their neglectful behavior, whether it’s caused by drug abuse, mental health issues, or their own trauma. Join Rich Gehrman for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you. Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
Do Risk Assessment Tools Make Racial Disparities in Child Welfare Better or Worse?
Los Angeles County and a team of scholars are collaborating on a “Risk Stratification Model” – an example of ‘predictive analytics’, which uses complex algorithms to prioritize risk in child maltreatment reports. Algorithms are often viewed skeptically by Progressives and leaders of BIPOC communities as potential contributors to “heightened surveillance”, meaning practices that disproportionately screen families of color into child protection. The LA County project addresses this concern. Join Rich Gehrman for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you. Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
Governor Walz’ Budget Has Child Maltreatment Reduction Measures
A major takeaway from our recent report on child fatalities is that the single most effective way to reduce child maltreatment is to reduce the strains caused by poverty.
Governor Walz’ budget has more proposals to do this than at any time in decades.
Join Rich Gehrman for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you. Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
What is Neglect? Maybe Not What People Think
A common trope alleges that child protection caseworkers confuse poverty with neglect.
This has been repeated so often that many accept it as fact, but there’s actually no evidence to support it.
Join Rich Gehrman for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you. Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
Safe Passage for Children Releases Report on Minnesota Child Fatalities
Yesterday Safe Passage for Children released its year-long study of Minnesota child fatalities from maltreatment from 2014 to 2022.
The report reveals a number of concerning patterns related to child welfare and the courts including:
- Repeated inappropriate assignment to Family Assessment.
- Inaction on chronic maltreatment.
- Neglect cases with numerous chances for parents to address problems.
- Returning children home too soon.
- Missed red flags by medical providers.
- Children killed in kinship foster placements.
- Child torture cases.
- Children returned home to seriously mentally ill parents.
- Sentencing differences between parents and non-parents.
- Issues raised by plea deals.
- Inconsistent mandates and protocols among the courts.
- Ineffectiveness of no-contact orders in domestic violence cases.
With your help this report can spur positive improvements in Minnesota’s programs to protect children.
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you. Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
Should We Love All Children or Just our Own?
Our soon-to-be-released study of child fatalities documents numerous physical assaults on children that caseworkers, law enforcement, investigators and the courts knew about but ignored. Perhaps we have become desensitized to violence against children, or forgotten that it is illegal, or just feel powerless to stop it. Join Rich Gehrman for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
Comments or questions? Please reach out to us at contactus@safepassageforchildren.org
Read the transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Podcast-narrative-for-should-we-love-all-children-or-just-our-own.pdf
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Our work for vulnerable children is made possible through support from listeners like you. Thank you. Please help support our work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Visit us at safepassageforchildren.org
Mental Health - Child Protection – Courts: You Need to Talk!
Our study of Minnesota child fatalities documented seven children who were killed by a mother who had chronic mental health crises, including repeated psychiatric hospitalizations. Six-year old Eli Hart’s mother killed him with nine shotgun blasts shortly after he was returned home, and a few months after she was released from her second psychiatric inpatient stay. If the mental health facilities and child protection were in touch about the reunification it is not reflected in the court records. Additionally, role conflicts between Family and Juvenile Courts delayed hearings that would likely have given custody to Eli’s father.
Join Rich Gehrman for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
Comments or questions? Please reach out to us at contactus@safepassageforchildren.org
Read the transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Mental-Health-Child-Protection-–-Courts-You-Need-to-Talk.pdf
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Please help support Safe Passage's work for vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Visit us online at safepassageforchildren.org
Star Tribune Helps Expose Counties Diverting Foster Children’s Money to their Coffers
This Star Tribune article reveals that Minnesota counties are diverting income belonging to approximately 700 foster children into local coffers without even informing them. This includes social security benefits based on a parent’s death or disability, or related to fosters’ own physical or mental disability. Reporter Chris Serres shares the stories of young people who faced desperate financial struggles because of this practice, which clearly contributes to chronically poor foster care outcomes. It also shows that counties are valuing revenues over the success of children in their care. Join Rich for a full analysis and discussion in this week's podcast.
Read the transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Podcast-for-blog-on-Social-Security-Benefits-being-taken-from-fosters.pdf
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Coming Soon: Statewide Foster Care Licensing Standards
In 2021 Safe Passage helped pass legislation that lowered legal barriers to becoming a foster parent. We successfully advocated to include statewide mandatory licensing standards in the bill. The process of developing these standards is underway and they will be implemented next July. The new process will assess candidates based on their ability to provide nurturing parenting today rather than focusing on past mistakes, living arrangements, and other factors less relevant to the child’s needs. Join Rich for a full analysis and discussion in this week's podcast.
Read the transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Podcast-on-foster-care-licensing-reform-bill.pdf
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them. Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Is Chronic Neglect the Future for Children?
Chronic neglect refers to cases that are reported to child protection repeatedly. Our recent webinar speaker Dee Wilson estimates that it accounts for 1/5 to 1/3 of child protection cases nationally. Chronic neglect includes a breakdown of parental norms, for example by leaving pre-school children alone for hours or days at a time. Frequently it is accompanied by deep poverty and spirals into physical and sexual abuse. In this article Wilson states that once chronic neglect takes hold, therapy and other interventions are ineffective. So the appropriate response is intervening early with financial supports and services to restore parental functioning. However today’s adult-focused policies encourage workers to treat each maltreatment report separately and ignore the overall pattern. This, combined with political pressures to limit the role of child protection, presages a future where children are purposefully consigned to chronic neglect. Join Rich for a full discussion in this week's podcast.
Read the transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Podcast-on-Dee-Wilsons-theories-about-chronic-maltreatment.pdf
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them. Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Who Will Challenge the Current Political Order to Protect Children?
This week’s webinar speaker, Dee Wilson, co-wrote an article for a 2013 edition of the journal Child Welfare dedicated entirely to research on child fatalities. The authors’ findings are still supported by subsequent studies. What’s changed is that their perspective has become unacceptable to those who influence child welfare policy today. For example the authors recommended that child protection take action before children are harmed based on precursors of child murders such as family violence, or caregivers who have weak emotional ties to their infants. Preventive child protection action today might be viewed by the political left as racist and as unwarranted intrusion into families by the right. Should we proactively protect children in high-risk situations? An objective analysis of that question would require child welfare leaders who are in the political mainstream, rather than activists promoting an ideological agenda.
This week’s podcast analyzes the 2013 article in more detail and explores the management challenges to implementing its recommendations.
Read the transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Narrative-for-podcast-on-Dee-Wilson-article.pdf
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them. Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children conference on Family Violence produced a wealth of information and insights
For this week’s podcast we present Rich Gehrman's summary and detailed recap of Minnesota's Inaugural Conference on Family Violence, which Safe Passage for Children organized and hosted, and which happened on 10/14/22.
Read the transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Narrative-for-podcast-on-Family-Violence-conference.pdf
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them. Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
An Interview with Mary Pat Lee, Executive Director of the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery
For this week’s podcast we present Rich's interview this week with Mary Pat Lee, Executive Director of the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery.
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them. Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
State of Child Welfare in Minnesota
For this week’s podcast we present our Executive Director’s address on the “State of Child Welfare in Minnesota."
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Reduction in Child Poverty Drives a Reduction in Child Maltreatment
A recent study by Child Trends showed that government programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit reduced child poverty from 27.9% to 11.4% between 1993 and 2019. Since poverty is correlated with child maltreatment, this should have prompted a corresponding reduction in abuse and neglect. In fact it did. Join Rich for a full discussion and analysis on this in this week's podcast.
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Join us for our annual fall breakfast on 10/13/22! In-person in St. Paul, MN or livestreamed to anywhere-- RSVP today! https://bit.ly/spbreakfast2022
Sign up for Minnesota's Inaugural Conference on Family Violence. It's free and virtual, here: https://safepassageforchildren.salsalabs.org/mnsinauguralconferenceonfamilyviolence/index.html
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Reduction-in-Child-Poverty-Yields-Reduction-in-Child-Maltreatment-with-podcast-narrative.pdf
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
The Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy: Wow!
Last week the Child Welfare Training Academy hosted the Grand Opening of its Roseville center.
Child welfare facilities are often utilitarian at best, communicating that the work is barely worth paying for.
But this building practically shouts “Our staff are valued!” It has state-of-the-art equipment, business-world-like huddle spaces where staff can do impromptu problem-solving, and simulated client living rooms where workers can hone their skills through videotaped interviews with professional actors.
This joint effort by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the University of Minnesota’s Center for the Advanced Study of Child Welfare (CASCW) delivers foundational training to 500 new workers annually plus advanced skills to 150 staff monthly at Roseville and four regional locations.
Since 2015 DHS and CASCW have worked tenaciously to get the Academy funded, design the facility, and blend their technologies. The result is “Wow!”
This week's podcast captures Rich Gehrman's recent interview with Jennifer Sommerfeld, who is the Director of Legislation and Internal Affairs for the Department of Human Service's Child and Family Services Administration. Jennifer provided an inside look at the annual cycle of how the Department of Human Services determines its legislative priorities.
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Join us for our annual fall breakfast on 10/13/22! In-person in St. Paul, MN or livestreamed to anywhere-- RSVP today! https://bit.ly/spbreakfast2022
Sign up for Minnesota's Inaugural Conference on Family Violence. It's free and virtual, here: https://safepassageforchildren.salsalabs.org/mnsinauguralconferenceonfamilyviolence/index.html
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Census Shows Dramatic Drop in Child Poverty – the #1 Driver of Child Abuse
Catching most experts by surprise, a census-based study by Child Trends shows that child poverty decreased by 59% between 1993 and 2019, from one child in four to one in 10. The authors attribute this largely to increased minimum wages, fewer teen births, low unemployment, single mothers entering the workforce, children living with grandparents on social security, and federal programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit and housing subsidies. BIPOC children benefitted similarly to White children. As caveats, most experts don’t think the federal poverty level covers basic needs. Also, children in deep poverty, defined as less than 50% of the federal level, made fewer gains. Nevertheless, this appears to represent major progress. Since poverty is the biggest driver of child maltreatment, rates of abuse and neglect should also have declined. In fact they have. Join Rich for a full discussion and analysis on this in this week's podcast.
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Join us for our annual fall breakfast on 10/13/22! In-person in St. Paul, MN or livestreamed to anywhere-- RSVP today! https://bit.ly/spbreakfast2022
Sign up for Minnesota's Inaugural Conference on Family Violence. It's free and virtual, here: https://safepassageforchildren.salsalabs.org/mnsinauguralconferenceonfamilyviolence/index.html
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Podcast-script-analyzing-Child-Trends-report-on-the-dramatic-reduction-in-child-poverty-9-23-22.pdf
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Are Child Welfare Professionals Finally Pushing Back Against Criticisms?
Last month a Senior Fellow from the Child Welfare League of America, Paul DiLorenzo, wrote this response to a Farrah Mina article in The Imprint about interviewing children in front of their alleged abusers. For the first time that we know of, a child welfare opinion piece has challenged the decades-old Progressive oversimplification that child protection workers are typically racist and that child removals from their families are often unnecessary. Why respond after all this time? Join Rich for a full discussion and analysis on this in this week's podcast.
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Are-Child-Welfare-Professionals-Finally-Pushing-Back-Against-Criticisms-with-narrative-for-podcast.pdf
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
October Events to Address Family Violence
At our October 13th fundraiser and October 14th follow-up conference, Andrew Campbell, a pioneer in the emerging field of family violence, will explore the interrelationships among animal abuse, domestic violence and child maltreatment. Join Rich for a full discussion and analysis on this in this week's podcast.
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Fall-Events-Will-Address-Family-Violence-with-narrative-for-podcast.pdf
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Removing Children from Home - The Legislative Auditor Weighs In
The Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) just issued a report on removing children from their families. Read their study or the Star Tribune editorial and summary of the report. OLA discovered that practices vary widely among counties, including the rate of removals, social services/law enforcement cooperation, and the availability of preventive services. This finding echoes other studies showing variability in related service areas. The result is that children and families are being treated differently depending on where they live. Join Rich for a full discussion and analysis on this in this week's podcast.
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Legislative-Auditor-Report-on-Removing-Children-from-Home-with-narrative-for-podcast.pdf
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Why Are Mainstream Academics Writing for a Conservative Think Tank?
Seventeen child welfare experts from places such as Harvard Law School and the Hudson Institute published “What Child Welfare is For”, a thoughtful response to the abolish child welfare movement. It was written for the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). The AEI has a political agenda, so we are somewhat uneasy about this arrangement. Join Rich for a full discussion and analysis on this in this week's podcast.
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Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Why-Are-Mainstream-Academics-Writing-for-a-Conservative-Think-Tank-with-narrative-for-podcast.pdf
What Do Standards Have to Do with Equity?
Child protection standards in Minnesota only exist for the initial maltreatment report. All other decision points, for example when to investigate, when to take a case to court, and when to remove children or return them home, are informed by non-mandatory and often insufficiently detailed Department of Human Services Guidelines. As a result every county, unit, and caseworker are making decisions based on their own experience and local values. This means that families are being treated differently depending on where they live, which additionally opens the door to unequal treatment based on race. Join Rich for a full discussion and analysis on this in this week's podcast.
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Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/What-Do-Standards-Have-to-Do-with-Equity-transcript.pdf
What Do School Shootings and Child Maltreatment Have in Common?
What do school shootings and child maltreatment have in common? Join Rich Gehrman for his insight and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/What-Do-School-Shootings-and-Child-Maltreatment-Have-in-Common-with-narrative-for-podcast.pdf
Maya’s Law – Limited but Meaningful Progress on Child Safety
Maya’s Law passed last week on the final day of the 2022 Minnesota legislative session. Introduced by Foster Advocates, the bill requires workers to interview foster children separately from foster parents, keep a record of what was discovered during Family Assessments, and interview alleged maltreatment victims separately from adults if Substantial Child Endangerment or sexual abuse is alleged. (See Omnibus Bill lines 269.10-269.21 and 286.23-287.10). Learn more about the bill, its provisions, and the controversy around it. Join Rich Gehrman for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Narrative-for-podcast-on-Mayas-Law.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
You are invited to our Spring Open House! More info and RSVP for free at https://bit.ly/safepassageopenhouse
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit us at www.safepassageforchildren.org
A special interview with Daniel Hatcher on the practice of counties and states seizing foster children’s income to pay for their placements
On Wednesday May 25th 2022 we interviewed Daniel Hatcher on the practice of counties and states seizing foster children’s income to pay for their placements. Daniel helped pass a bill in Maryland to end this practice, and is currently providing technical assistance on a bill to do the same in Minnesota as well. He is a professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law. About 8% - 10% of Minnesota foster children have income from Social Security and other benefit programs, amounting to approximately $8 million statewide – funds which could help foster children with their transition out of foster care to adulthood.
Daniel L. Hatcher is Professor of Law at the University of Baltimore, teaching the Civil Advocacy Clinic. Hatcher previously worked at the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau as assistant director of advocacy, and as staff attorney representing foster children and impoverished adults. He was also a senior staff attorney with the Children's Defense Fund. His book, “The Poverty Industry: The Exploitation of America’s Most Vulnerable Citizens” (NYU Press 2016) exposes how state agencies and companies are using vulnerable populations to maximize revenue rather than serving their best interests. The book builds on his past scholarship addressing a core conflict in human service agencies and other government institutions – agencies that exist to serve, also seek to exist.
Join Rich Gehrman as he interviews Daniel on the practice of counties and states seizing foster children’s income to pay for their placements in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Narrative-for-blog-on-Amish-sexual-abuse-of-children.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
You are invited to our Spring Open House! More info and RSVP for free at https://bit.ly/safepassageopenhouse
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit us at www.safepassageforchildren.org
Q: Why are High Risk Teens Living in an Ambulance Bay? A: Annie E. Casey Foundation
This Star Tribune story documents that 145 teens who are dangerous to themselves or others lived at some point since last September in the M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital ambulance garage. The root cause of this problem is Baltimore’s Annie E. Casey Foundation. Their lobbying got the 2018 Family First Act passed, which eliminates federal funding for residential treatment centers. Why? The ensuing disaster is national in scope. What do Casey’s lobbying campaign and closing juvenile detention centers have in common? Join Rich Gehrman for a full discussion and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Narrative-for-blog-on-Amish-sexual-abuse-of-children.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
You are invited to our Spring Open House! More info and RSVP for free at https://bit.ly/safepassageopenhouse
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit us at www.safepassageforchildren.org
Amish Sexual Abuse: What Happens When Community is More Important than Children?
Garments of 13 sexually abused children were exhibited last month at a convention of “Plain” churches, which include Amish, Mennonite and Brethren communities. As reported by the Associated Press, the display included dresses and head coverings for four- and five-year-olds, and even a onesie. Who is committing these abusive acts against children, and who is condoning it? Why? Who is speaking up for the children? Listen to our podcast which also includes how Indian Boarding Schools and homeschooling follow similar patterns.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Narrative-for-blog-on-Amish-sexual-abuse-of-children.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
You are invited to our Spring Open House! More info and RSVP for free at https://bit.ly/safepassageopenhouse
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit us at www.safepassageforchildren.org
In Praise of State Government Silo Busters
It has become commonplace to disparage public servants who “can’t break out of their silos”. But current efforts by Minnesota child welfare managers tell a more positive story. Details are still unfolding, but we wanted to share now that we have recently experienced above-and-beyond efforts where staffers pushed through bureaucratic constraints, brought constituents together, and got the job done despite, well, their jobs. Here’s to the silo-busters. Why is breaking down government silos so incredibly hard? Join Rich for a full discussion on this plus in-depth commentary and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Narrative-for-podcast-on-In-Praise-of-State-Government-Silo-Busters.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Join us at our upcoming inaugural Spring Open House! More info and registration at https://bit.ly/safepassageopenhouse
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit us at www.safepassageforchildren.org
How Society Became Wholly Indifferent to the Suffering of Children
Early findings from our current research on Minnesota child murders show high risk cases being assigned to Family Assessment, the minimal-accountability version of child protection. To date this study documents parents who got this virtual free pass despite refusing medical treatment for children injured in a car crash, enabling sexual abuse of an infant, and a criminal conviction for malicious punishment of a child. Our previous research corroborates that these are common occurrences, not occasional lapses. Who is fostering and supporting these practices? Why? How will children be protected? Join Rich for a full discussion on this plus in-depth commentary and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the blog's transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/How-We-Became-Wholly-Indifferent-to-the-Suffering-of-Children-2-blog-transcript.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Join us at our upcoming inaugural Spring Open House! More info and registration at https://bit.ly/safepassageopenhouse
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit us at www.safepassageforchildren.org
Did Child Abuse Actually Go Down During Covid?
Many observers expected child abuse to increase during covid because it would be hidden from mandated reporters, giving abusers free rein. However this JAMA Pediatrics article asserts that child maltreatment decreased during covid, as measured by child-abuse related Emergency Department (ED) visits. Conversely, this AAP News article demonstrates that while visits were indeed fewer, they were more serious, with 50% more requiring hospitalization. Which interpretation is true? What information is still needed? How can we keep children safe in these challenging public health situations? Join Rich for a full discussion on this plus in-depth commentary and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the full blog and podcast transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Did-Child-Abuse-Actually-Go-Down-During-Covid-narrative-for-podcast.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Join us at our upcoming inaugural Spring Open House! More info and registration at https://bit.ly/safepassageopenhouse
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit us at www.safepassageforchildren.org
Common Ground for Victims’ Advocates in Domestic and Child Abuse
Professionals in domestic abuse programs, also called Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) prefer that victims decide for themselves when to leave a dangerous relationship. Children’s Protective Services (CPS) however responds to child abuse allegations immediately. What happens when both forms of violence co-occur? What other difficulties arise between victims' advocates? Is there common ground? How can we keep children and parents safe? Join Rich for a full discussion on this plus in-depth commentary and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the full blog and podcast transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Common-Ground-for-Domestic-Abuse-and-Child-Maltreatment-Advocates-with-narrative-for-podcast.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit them at www.safepassageforchildren.org
Do Social Workers Confuse Poverty with Neglect?
Research cited in this Child Welfare Monitor article indicates that most poor parents do not neglect their children. So when poor families are screened into child protection it raises the concern that this is happening because mandated reporters and child protection workers have trouble distinguishing poverty from neglect. What do the national and state statistics show? How is neglect defined? How can we better make these distinctions? Join Rich for a full discussion on this plus in-depth commentary and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the full blog and podcast transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Narrative-of-Podcast-for-difference-between-poverty-and-neglect.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit them at www.safepassageforchildren.org
Progressives and Conservatives Converge on Anti-Child Welfare Agenda
This week's blog is:
On the political left, the UpEND movement wants to abolish child welfare. This includes letting communities decide the fate of children who can’t stay with their parents. Such a process, with no regulation or enforceable guidelines, could not be relied on to keep children safe or produce decisions in their best interests. It could easily open the door to anyone who desires access to children.
On the right, groups like the Homeschool Legal Defense Association resist any government involvement with families, overwhelming more moderate voices like the Coalition for Responsible Home Schooling. One consequence is demonstrated by this Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate study, which found that 36% of children removed from school were subjects of one or multiple credible child maltreatment reports.
While child protection and foster care need reforms, the solution is to improve, not abolish them.
What is really going on? Who or what is motivating these movements? Who wins and who loses? What about the children? Join Rich for a full discussion on this plus in-depth commentary and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the full blog and podcast transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Narrative-for-efforts-by-conservatives-and-progressives-to-abolish-child-welfare-with-comments-on-1.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit them at www.safepassageforchildren.org
Government and Advocates Negotiate to Preserve Foster Children’s Income
Approximately 10%-12% of foster children are entitled to Social Security benefits either because of a disability, or as survivors of parents who paid into the system. Most Minnesota counties use these revenues to pay for foster care. This fact sheet has details. However House File 3211, authored by Rep. Dave Pinto, preserves these funds for youth when they reach adulthood. The Department of Human Services and counties are working with Safe Passage and Foster Advocates to craft a bill all can support. What do the benefits look like? Is there opposition? From who? Are there other cities or states already taking this step? Join Rich for a full discussion on this plus his in-depth commentary and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the full blog and podcast transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Narrative-for-Podcast-on-Revenues-to-Children-in-Foster-Care.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit them at www.safepassageforchildren.org
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Are you a resident of Minnesota? Join us to advocate for abused and neglected Minnesota children at the state capitol later in March! Just go to https://bit.ly/spchildadvocacyweeks2022
An Interview with Author Marie Cohen of Child Welfare Monitor
This week we interviewed Child Welfare Monitor blogger Marie Cohen for a combined webinar/podcast. The Monitor makes child welfare research accessible to those not in the business. In the process it has challenged many child welfare myths that, despite having no empirical basis, are widely accepted as fact simply because they have been repeated so often.
Join Rich for a full discussion on this plus his in-depth commentary and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit them at www.safepassageforchildren.org
Why Can’t We Get Timely Child Welfare Information?
The federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) just released 2020 child maltreatment reports, more than a year after the reporting periods. They showed wide variations among states and counties. Why is that? What is happening? What needs to change?
Join Rich for a full discussion on this plus his in-depth commentary and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the full blog and podcast transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Narrative-for-podcast-on-federal-and-state-child-maltreatment-reports.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit them at www.safepassageforchildren.org
Volunteer Guardian ad Litem Program at Risk of Closing
Guardians ad litem (GALs) represent the best interests of the child in Juvenile Court maltreatment proceedings. They may be paid staff or volunteers. Volunteer GALs are recruited and trained by the nonprofit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). CASA volunteers have become passionate advocates for children. And they often can spend more time with children than paid GALs, who handle large caseloads. But as the Neal St. Anthony article describes, the state agency that manages GALs isn’t allowing CASA to recruit new volunteers. Unless this changes CASA will soon die through attrition.
Join Rich for a full discussion on this plus his in-depth commentary and analysis in this week's podcast.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the full blog and podcast transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Volunteer-Guardian-ad-Litem-Program-at-Risk-of-Closing-Ebrief-and-Narrative-for-podcast.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit them at www.safepassageforchildren.org
The Voice of Early Childhood Advocates is Crucial to Child Safety
Child welfare and early childhood development advocates are both concerned about the lifelong impact of trauma, neglect, and abuse on brain development, especially in infants and toddlers. But often our advocacy in child development arenas for child safety has been deflected with pointed reminders about the trauma caused by removing children from their families, and the importance of respecting families and communities. Obviously, these things are both true. But the trauma of separation does not outweigh that of being maimed or killed.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the full blog and podcast transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/The-Voice-of-Early-Childhood-Advocates-is-Crucial-to-Child-Safety-with-narrative-for-podcast.pdf
Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit them at www.safepassageforchildren.org
Support Group for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse Offers Healing
Volunteers and friends of Safe Passage are starting a support group for adult survivors of child abuse.
Similar groups, such as SNAP for survivors of sexual abuse by priests, have found that sharing one’s story with people who have had similar experiences can generate healing that therapy doesn’t always accomplish.
Their ground rules open with this statement:
“We who have survived childhood abuse understand as few others can. We carried that experience with us through adolescence and into adulthood as we were developing our lives. We urge you to share our meetings, our experiences, strength, and hope.”
The group meets the second Sunday of each month at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. Upcoming topics include self-care, letting go of behaviors that no longer work, and speaking up for oneself.
Anyone interested in participating can contact Karen Nestingen at knestingen@earthlink.net.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the full blog and podcast transcript here: https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Support-Group-for-Adult-Survivors-of-Child-Abuse-Offers-Healing-with-narrative-for-podcast.pdf
Safe Passage for Children’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential.
If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Please support our work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit our website at www.safepassageforchildren.org
Canada and its First Nations Reach $31.5B Child Welfare Settlement
This week Canadian First Nations (Indigenous tribes) and the federal government reached a $31.5B ($40B US) settlement to both fund child welfare reforms and compensate children and their families for harms inflicted by the system.
Half of this Agreement will fund reparations to the 115,000 children removed from their homes since 1991, and half to repair Indigenous child welfare programs.
The Agreement emphasizes equally funding First Nation child welfare on a par with White programs and preventing removal of Indigenous children from their families.
The U.S. is unlikely to emulate this Canadian leadership. The fact that we remain the only country not to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Childsymbolizes our relative callousness towards children. But, we may learn something from our neighbors about how to better balance child safety with improved family preservation practices.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the full blog and podcast transcript here: https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Canada-and-its-First-Nations-Reach-31B-Settlement-with-narrative-for-podcast.pdf
Safe Passage for Children’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential.
If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Please support our work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate and visit our website at www.safepassageforchildren.org
What’s Worse than Going into Foster Care?
This “just-when-you-thought-it-couldn’t-get-worse” New York Times article documents a “shadow foster care” system that tells parents to find their own foster care or else the state will take their children.
The quality of Minnesota’s foster care system is uneven. But a non-system would be worse.
This testimony to a District of Columbia Oversight Committee details the consequences. They include no path to either reunification or permanency for the child, no funding for services to the child or to pay the foster parents, and most importantly that the child has no voice – no social worker, Guardian ad litem or lawyer to represent their interests, however imperfectly.
Experts are quoted stating that the number of children in these shadow placements equals those in legal foster homes. Thankfully this practice isn’t happening in Minnesota, as far as we know. Let’s keep it that way.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
Read the podcast transcript here: https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/What-is-worse-than-going-into-foster-care-with-narrative-for-podcast.pdf
Safe Passage for Children’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Support our work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Visit our website at www.safepassageforchildren.org
Do We Need Journalists to Reform Child Welfare?
Good journalists deliver objective reports that we can rely on. They quickly grasp topics that others have worked on for years to assemble fact-based, informative stories.
This week for example Star Tribune editorial page writer D.J. Tice reminded us that many of the reforms recommended by the 2015 Governor’s Child Protection Task Force have been rejected by Minnesota child welfare managers, but pointed hopefully to the recent state Supreme Court ruling on the Eric Dean case, which finally placed some limits on risky practices by caseworkers and counties.
Previously, KSTP reporter Eric Rasmussen and former Trib/current KARE 11 reporter Brandon Stahl helped maintain public awareness that children are being killed by overly parent-centered child protection practices.
Without these journalists child welfare reform would have disappeared as a public policy issue. We appreciate their work, and they deserve our support.
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Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Safe Passage for Children.
He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award.
Read the podcast transcript here: https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Do-We-Need-Journalists-to-Reform-Child-Welfare-with-narrative-for-podcast3.pdf
Safe Passage for Children’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential.
If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them.
Support our work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Visit our website at www.safepassageforchildren.org