HHS awards $39 million to states for increasing adoptions

Georgia to receive over $364,000 as incentive

The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services today awarded $39 million to 38 states and Puerto Rico for increasing the number of children adopted from foster care. States use the funds from this adoption incentive award to improve their child welfare programs.

"All children deserve loving, safe and permanent homes," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "It is gratifying that most states continue to excel in promoting the adoption of children from foster care. I sincerely thank every adoptive family that has welcomed a child into their home."

States receive $4,000 for every child adopted beyond their best year's total, plus a payment of $8,000 for every child age 9 and older and $4,000 for every special needs child adopted above the respective baselines. The year 2007 is the baseline.

This year's incentive award recipients completed more adoptions in 2009 than in the 2007 baseline year.

"America's communities benefit when children grow up in stable families," said David A. Hansell, HHS acting assistant secretary for children and families. "We're very pleased that the adoption incentives program is helping states improve their programs and place more children into homes that are theirs forever."

States and territories receiving today's funding are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.

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Child Nutrition Initiative Applauds Senate for Passage of Critical Legislation to Strengthen Nutrition Standards, Improve Children's Health

/PRNewswire/ -- The Child Nutrition Initiative commends Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee and ranking member Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) for their hard work and commitment to pass the bipartisan Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (S. 3307) - a vital step in the effort to improve children's health and increase their access to nutritious school meals. We applaud the Senate for their strong bipartisan support and encourage the U.S. House to act quickly to pass similar legislation so critical improvements can be signed into law this year.

This important legislation improves the nutrition standards for meals served in schools through the national school breakfast and lunch programs as well as food sold in vending machines and other outlets on school grounds. These improvements are central to the effort to combat skyrocketing obesity rates that have left almost one third of U.S. children and adolescents overweight or obese. The bill also improves access to meals for many children who rely on them as one of their most reliable sources of food. With more than 30 million children participating in school meal programs, it is critical that we provide schools with the resources they need to improve children's health and readiness to learn.

The Child Nutrition Initiative encourages members of the House to act quickly to ensure critical bipartisan improvements are enacted by passing the Improving Nutrition for America's Kids Act (H.R. 5504), which has already passed out of the House Education and Labor Committee under the leadership of Chairman George Miller (D-CA). We urge House leaders to work quickly to pass the bill before it expires on September 30th.

Strong nutrition programs are good for our kids and good for our nation. We congratulate the Senate on this bold step forward and encourage House Leadership to capitalize on this unique opportunity to invest in the future of our country by bringing this important legislation to the floor before September 30th.

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Georgia Child Welfare Reforms Endangered by New Litigation

/PRNewswire/ -- Legal action by a group that calls itself "Children's Rights" (CR) threatens child welfare reforms that have made Georgia's children safer, a national child advocacy group said Tuesday.

CR issued an inflammatory press release alleging that Georgia "may" be endangering thousands of children by keeping them out of foster care. "They rely largely on horror story cases from the state's Office of Child Advocate (OCA)," said Richard Wexler, executive director of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform. "But when you try to make policy based on horror stories the results for children are horrible.

"In fact, since Georgia instituted its 'diversion' program, child safety has significantly improved. That's clear from the reduction in re-abuse of children known to the child welfare agency - a reduction seen both in formally-opened cases and in cases where families are helped through a process known in Georgia as 'diversion.'

"In contrast, independent court-appointed monitors overseeing a consent decree negotiated by CR concerning foster care in Atlanta found that there is a huge problem of abuse in foster care itself. Just two months ago, CR's own Associate Director, Ira Lustbader declared that 'We are extremely concerned that children in the Atlanta foster care system are simply not safe. ...' Yet now, CR is back in court, initiating a process apparently designed to shovel more children into this unsafe system."

At the moment, Wexler said, CR is seeking only further information - information even the court monitors refuse to help them get. "As a matter of principle, we believe almost every record maintained by a child welfare agency should be public. So we believe that even though CR may misuse the information, they should get it."

In addition, Wexler said, though diversion has made Georgia's children safer, OCA found real problems in the process, including a lack of statewide standards.

"Georgia has contracted with an outside expert to design a statewide system based on best practice in other states. OCA should monitor the process and make sure it's implemented. That's a far better approach than the one taken by CR, which seems intent on scaring Georgians away from a safe, proven alternative to needless foster care," Wexler said.

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Grandparents Who Raise Children Can Seek Help

24-7 - Lola and Bill Bailey of Friendly, West Virginia, are grandparents' rights ambassadors who travel the country in a 2005 Gulfstream, advising grandparents raising grandchildren on setting up grandparents groups and spearheading legislative efforts to further the interests of their "grandfamilies." Founders of Grandchildren/Grandparents, Inc. of West Virginia, the Baileys travel and speak under the auspices of the National Committee of Grandparents for Children's Rights, an umbrella group that assists grandparents raising grandchildren with program referrals and advocates grandparent-headed family-friendly legislative action.

The Baileys speak on behalf of the 2.6 million grandparents raising grandchildren in this country, a number that has increased 4 percent since 2007 according to census data. These grandparents, who step in to fill a family need for surrogate parents, fill a pressing social need as well: they raise 6 million children who would otherwise be in foster care. And the number of children raised by grandparents dwarfs those raised by foster parents. Only 500,000 children live in formal foster care arrangements in the United States, according to the National Committee of Grandparents for Children's Rights, one-twelfth the number who reside with grandparents.

Yet, the system that benefits so heavily from grandparents' willingness to step in and raise their grandchildren often discriminates against them, giving them less funding than is given to formal foster parents. The New York Times reported that in Florida, grandparents receive only half the amount of financial assistance received by foster parents. The disparity between funds available to grandparents raising grandchildren and foster parents is primarily the result of the 80 percent of grandparents who raise grandchildren without legal custody arrangements. Without legal custody, they don't qualify for benefits available to assist legal custodians with children's expenses. Yet obtaining formal legal custody typically requires legal assistance that can be cost-prohibitive and may create ruptures in already strained family relationships.

Grandparents who step in to stabilize the lives of their grandchildren often do so at the expense of their own financial stability. Many elderly people live on fixed incomes that don't easily accommodate the demand from additional family members. National Committee of Grandparents for Children's Rights says that 19 percent of grandparents raising grandchildren nationwide live in poverty.

And the numbers of grandparents risking impoverishment to rescue grandchildren from troubled situations seems likely to increase. Amy Goyer, an American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) expert, predicts that substance abuse, teen pregnancy and mental illness will continue to fuel the establishment of grandfamilies.

While the number of grandparents taking on responsibility for raising grandchildren has increased, funding for services to assist them, which has never been ample, has begun to dwindle as the economic recession forces social service program cuts. Even the National Committee of Grandparents for Children's Rights has suffered program cuts, with its New York office losing a state grant this year that constituted about 8 percent of its funding, according to The New York Times.

The outlook for grandparents raising grandchildren is not entirely bleak, however. While many social service program funds have been cut, some communities are developing innovative new solutions to problems faced by grandfamilies. In Boston, Hartford, the Bronx and Baton Rouge, apartment housing built specifically for grandfamilies has appeared. These units meet the need for modestly priced housing large enough to accommodate children and simultaneously create a support group for the grandparents coping with the issues of raising the next generation. Some of the apartment buildings house subsidiary services such as after-school programs and social workers to assist the grandfamilies.

Some government assistance programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (formerly AFDC) will provide funding for children living with grandparents despite the absence of a legal custodianship, and those with low incomes may qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps). In addition to financial help, grandparents may find solace in connecting with similarly situated grandparents and receiving advice from those who have walked the same road. Grandparents' rights organizations can provide such assistance and help by advising grandparents to obtain notarized statements from the children's parents authorizing them to sign for necessary medical care.

Lately, Lola and Bill Bailey have stationed themselves in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, allowing Lola to take the train to Washington once or twice a week to meet with members of Congress to and seek legislative solutions to some of the issues facing relative caregivers.

Article provided by Breeden Law

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When The Recession Hits Santa

/PRNewswire/ -- Parents hard hit by the recession may wonder how to explain to their children why there aren't as many presents under the tree this year.

Christy Buchanan, professor of psychology at Wake Forest University, reminds parents that "children, in their heart of hearts, don't want a lot of things from their parents as much as they want love from them and time with them. In the long run, it's love, shared time, and quality interactions that they'll remember."

"The problem is we often express love through gifts," says Buchanan, who studies parent-child relationships and teaches courses on effective parent-child relations. "We worry they won't feel loved if we don't provide material things."

She offers a few suggestions for families who are cutting back this holiday season:

-- Don't be overly apologetic for what children are not getting. Although
it's okay to acknowledge a child's desires or even disappointment,
parents are encouraged to focus on those things for which the child
and family can be grateful.
-- Parents should try to be upbeat and positive. If they are, children
are more likely to be positive. Focus on the gift of time. Think about
what the family can do together that is fun and memorable and treat it
like a gift.
-- Leading up to Christmas... Instead of going shopping, design time
around what your kids enjoy and make that special. Make plans to bake
cookies and drink hot chocolate, play a favorite board game, or shoot
hoops at the park.
-- Try to minimize exposure to commercials and marketing. The more
children see, the more they think they want and are more likely to be
disappointed.
-- For younger children who expect Santa to bring lots of presents,
small, inexpensive gifts like a ball or a game can be the basis for
fun, family time on Christmas Day. Shift the focus to a fun activity
and away from items that may be missing from under the tree.
-- For teenagers, things often become more important. But, teens are also
old enough to understand when parents explain that money for expensive
items just isn't in the family budget this year. For the items they
most want, parents can work with them on a longer term plan to save
for those things.
-- At all ages, parents should convey a confidence that things will be
okay.
-- Parents should not make promises they cannot keep. They should be
honest with children about what they can or cannot afford.
-- If a family is having to cut back, a parent can use the opportunity to
emphasize that their relationships are the most important thing.


"It comes down to communication," Buchanan says. Parents can look for ways beyond presents to convey their love for their children.

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Study Finds Racial Segregation a Strong Factor in Learning Disparities

Racial segregation in the schools is fueling the learning disparity between young black and white children, while out-of-school factors are more important to the growth of social class gaps, according to a study by Emory University sociologist Dennis Condron.

His findings were published in the October issue of the American Sociological Review.

Condron was perplexed by prior research showing that schools narrow the achievement gap among students of varying social classes while widening the gap between black and white students. To tease out possible reasons for this difference, he analyzed data from the Kindergarten Cohort of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study.

He found that between the fall and spring of first grade, black students' reading and math skills fall almost two months behind those of white students. After controlling for other factors, the data suggested that segregation of schools was a primary driver of this early black-white learning disparity. In contrast, out-of-school factors explained the growth of social class gaps.

"This research adds an important piece to the puzzle of when and why social class and black-white inequalities in academic achievement emerge," says Condron, assistant professor of sociology. "And I hope it raises awareness that social class and black-white achievement gaps come from different sources to some extent. We tend to speak of ‘the' achievement gap, but in reality different gaps probably have different sources and require different solutions."

His research also indicated that regardless of social class, black students are less often taught by certified teachers than are white students, and black students are far more likely than white students to attend predominantly minority schools, high-poverty schools and schools located in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The findings are "a reminder of a persistent problem," Condron says, decades after the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka struck down state laws establishing separate schools for black and white students.

"De facto segregation remains high these days, with important implications for education," he says. "When it comes to both housing and schools, race trumps class as the central axis upon which blacks and whites are segregated. Real solutions to the black-white achievement gap lie far beyond schools and require changes to society more broadly."


Condron's study is the lead article in the October issue of the American Sociological Review, which also features two other studies of educational inequality.

A specialist in educational disparities, Condron is currently analyzing data on more than 80 countries to research the impact of economic inequality on countries' average achievement levels.


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Georgia Department of Community Health Reminds Georgia Parents, Never Leave a Child Unsupervised in a Car

As temperatures increase and family schedules change, parents and caregivers should avoid leaving children unsupervised in or near vehicles.

“Even with the windows partly open temperatures in a vehicle can spike to 160 degrees Fahrenheit within a matter of minutes on a hot and humid day, and a young child can suffer from heat stroke,” said Dr. Patrick O’Neal, director of the Division of Emergency Preparedness and Response with the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH). “Most of these cases are preventable.”

Children in vehicles under extreme heat conditions are vulnerable. Heat stroke, a life-threatening emergency, can occur in temperatures as low as 80 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on humidity levels. Body temperatures higher than 105 degrees Fahrenheit can cause permanent brain damage or even death, especially among children.

Other serious injuries occur when children get entrapped in trunks or when they set a vehicle in motion leading to crashes. DCH is working alongside Safe Kids coalitions across the state to increase awareness about child safety.

“Injuries and deaths can be prevented through awareness, supervision and adult intervention such as locking doors and teaching children that vehicles are not playgrounds,” said Lisa Dawson, director of the Injury Prevention program.

Parents and caregivers can assess and revisit these recommendations:

- Make your car safer. Always keep car doors and trunks locked, even in the garage or driveway, to keep kids out. Treat it as the multi-ton, fast-moving enclosure and piece of machinery that it is. Keep the rear fold-down seats closed to prevent kids from getting into the trunk from inside the car

- Supervision is key. Even if the windows are down, never leave your child unattended in a car. Never leave your car keys where children can get them. Teach children not to play in or around cars. If a child is missing at home, check the car first, including the trunk

- Adopt safety-focused behaviors. Consider placing your purse or briefcase in the back seat as a reminder that you have your child in the car. Be sure everyone leaves the vehicle when you reach your destination

- Notification plan. Consider having your child’s teacher or childcare provider call you if your child does not arrive when expected

- Get involved if you see a child alone in a vehicle. If they are hot or seem sick, get them out as quickly as possible and call 911 or your local emergency number immediately

For more information visit:
http://www.safekidsgeorgia.org/
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