● In Rochester, New York, WHAM-TV and WXXI Public Radio have stories about a new report from Hope585 and The Children's Agenda documenting still more harm caused by mandatory reporting laws and laws that allow anonymous reports. In addition to the cost in trauma inflicted on children and families, and the time stolen from finding the relatively few children in real danger, there’s also a huge financial cost to families, and to taxpayers.
As Hope585 Executive Director Dr. Ashley Cross explained:
"This county spent roughly $11.5 million responding to investigations that ultimately found no safety concerns. Families themselves lost an estimated $2.2 million in wages due to lost time at work, travel and appointments tied to the investigative process."
● There’s always money to pay foster parents and ultra-expensive ultra-useless “residential treatment” providers. But if a loss of SNAP benefits means the children are hungry – well, say systems in Pennsylvania and Georgia, we’ll just have to take away the kids. I have a blog post about it.
● It’s bad in Canada, too. CBC News reports on data from Manitoba, which suggest the family policing system in that province is devoted almost exclusively to taking First Nations children from their families.
In this week’s edition of The Horror Stories Go in All Directions:
● From the Salt Lake Tribune:
Discovery Ranch Academy health care workers physically neglected a 17-year-old boy who died by suicide a year ago at the Utah County teen treatment center, Utah child welfare workers have found.
