ARTICLE TAG

San Diego County

4/13/2020

California Foster Youth Prepares to Welcome First Baby Amid Pandemic

Nikki Almendarez was thrilled when her boyfriend’s mother gave the teenage couple the gift of a Lamaze class to prepare for the birth of their first child. But as the March date approached and her belly swelled, Almendarez, 18, had a creeping feeling she would not be discussing birthing balls, breathing techniques or breastfeeding with a cohort of other expectant parents in her San Diego community.

11/14/2018

Was California’s $140 Million Foster Parent Recruitment Fund a Boon, or Boondoggle?

California has spent about $140 million over the past three-plus years to find more foster homes for the state’s most vulnerable children, but some advocates are worried that these foster parent recruitment funds were not much more than a giveaway to county child welfare departments, with little oversight from the state and an uncertain impact.

1/31/2018

Voices for Children, Southern California CASA Provider, Names New CEO

Voices for Children, which provides court appointed special advocates (CASAs) to foster children in San Diego and Riverside Counties, has named John Valencia as its new president and CEO. Valencia, who previously served as the vice chancellor of workforce and organizational development at Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District in at El Cajon, California, will start at Voices for Children on Feb.

Lawsuit to Reform West Virginia’s Foster Care System is Back On

7/11/2017

San Diego Grand Jury: County Foster Care Programs Need Measurable Outcomes

A recent grand jury report from San Diego County found that San Diego’s Child Welfare Service (CWS) and Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) lack a way to measure the effectiveness of county child welfare programs.

2/21/2017

San Diego County’s Answer to School Stability for Students in Foster Care

It seems obvious that keeping kids in their home school with their peer group – a concept known as “school stability”– is a key ingredient in the recipe for academic success for students in foster care.

6/27/2016

California Bureau of Children’s Justice Launches Five Investigations

More than a year after creating the Bureau of Children’s Justice, California Attorney General Kamala Harris announced five investigations across the state, including examining how counties report child abuse, excessive force at juvenile detention centers, the actions of school police and school discipline practices for special education students.

    4/28/2015

    Calif. Supreme Court Ruling Reveals Unintended Consequences of Jessica’s Law

    By Lesley Warren Child welfare advocates sounded the alarm earlier this month when the California Supreme Court issued its opinion on In re: William Taylor, a case involving housing restrictions imposed on certain paroled sex offenders in San Diego County that has been weaving its way through the judicial system for years.