Philadelphia

After a long career leading family representation policy for the American Bar Association, Mimi Laver is returning to Philadelphia.

A number of child welfare professionals and advocates are predicting a surge of cases as states begin to see a reduction in stay at home restrictions. The thinking is that large numbers of children who are currently hidden from the eyes of those most likely to report signs of suspected abuse or neglect, will be seen again by teachers, day care and recreational professionals.

With most free residents across the United States keeping at least six feet apart, feverishly washing their hands and avoiding any social groups, 43,000 young people in juvenile lockups and prisons are living in coronavirus petri dishes that have become “brewing reservoirs” of infection, according to inmates and juvenile justice experts.

The Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center, a public interest law firm focused on youth and family issues, is taking applications for its annual juvenile justice and foster care advocacy training program for youths with experience in either or both systems.

As a youth in foster care, I am used to major decisions about me being made in my absence. Countless times, I was not made aware of my court dates, where my future would be decided.

For youth exiting the foster care system, finding a way to access supports and services can be hard. There are many organizations and agencies that offer service to transition-age youth, but knowing where to look for resources like crisis mental health services, computer access, mentoring opportunities and food banks can be a struggle.

In March of this year, the national Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities released its 150-page final report. The President and party leaders from both the House and Senate appointed this 12-member group in 2012 and tasked them with bringing forth recommendations for eliminating abuse- and neglect-related child deaths in America.

Last week, Youth Services Insider attempted to provide some context to the recent arrest of child welfare caseworkers assigned to Gabriel Fernandez, an eight-year-old Los Angeles boy who was known to the system and killed by his parents.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are well utilized in politics, city planning, environmental science, landscape architecture, business and public health. Increasingly, GIS is being utilized to better assess, understand and respond to various social challenges such as food deserts, housing instability and other social needs.