child welfare

An NPR education reporter shows how the last true social safety net; the public school system; was decimated by the pandemic, and how years of short-sighted political decisions have failed to put our children first. School has long meant much more than an education in America. 30 million children depend on free school meals. Schools are, statistically, the safest physical places for children to be. They are the best chance many children have at finding basics like eye exams, safe housing, mental health counseling, or simply a caring adult. Flawed, inequitable, underfunded, and segregated, they remain the most important engine of social mobility and the crucible of our democracy.

"A brilliant, funny, generation-defining memoir about the double bind of crafting perfect adversity narratives for highly selective institutions, while fumbling through the far murkier reality of actual life in foster care and inpatient mental health treatment. As a child, Emi Nietfeld was caught between a hoarder mother who got her put on antipsychotic medication, but was also the only person to believe she was exceptional, and a state system exemplified by a foster mom who tried to ban her art history flash cards because they had naked pictures (of Michelangelo's David). Even after wresting free of grim inpatient mental health institutions and getting into a prestigious boarding school, Emi scrambled for places to sleep during breaks. Realizing that her path to true independence lay in reinventing herself as a talented overcomer deserving of a full ride, she became obsessed with college admissions. While taking on the sad challenge of presenting herself as resilient to gain authorities' approval, Emi lived the untidy version of actual adversity at the same time--literally drafting her Common App statement while living out of her '92 Corolla. She found herself 'trading my past for my future' in college admissions essays and scholarship applications, in an extreme example of the immense pressure on teenagers from all backgrounds to build the foundations of their entire lives. Emi's story is a harsh illumination of the near-impossible challenge set by societal expectations of coming from nothing, the brokenness of our child welfare system, and the reality that congratulatory letters from top schools couldn't keep her safe--as she found when she was raped while on a trip following her Harvard admission. Though Emi learns that entering the Ivy League, working in Big Tech, and living in a fancy apartment doesn't mean her life turns into gold, her reflections on her unlikely history, and her journey in confronting trauma and injustice, hold powerful lessons. Candid and frequently harrowing, with a ribbon of dark humor, Acceptance is a stunning human story and an invaluable view of the actual cost of upward mobility"--Provided by the publisher.

In North Carolina, an organization called TABLE feeds hundreds of hungry children every week. In war-torn countries, War Child helps children cope with trauma. Boys & Girls Clubs of America are guiding kids toward becoming successful adults. This book features 12 stories about making a difference for children around the world. Each chapter includes attention-grabbing photos and fascinating facts. Sidebars go beyond the basics, and prompts invite readers to think for themselves. A Ways You Can Help page offers suggestions anyone can try.

Discusses the history of child poverty in the United States, examining the roots of the problem, the social welfare system, and the lasting effects of growing up poor.

Readers will come to a more comprehensive understanding of the types of foster care, the benefits and potential pitfalls of such care, and how to navigate within a system designed to safeguard the individuals it serves.

A psychologist reconstructs her 2 1/2 year association with Kevin Richter, a disturbed teenager, as he remembers the physical and mental abuse of his parents and the murder of his sister.

Do you get a warm, fuzzy feeling when you help a child? Do you get a kick out of the antics of little ones? If you have a passion for working with kids, there are many career options available to you. No matter what age of children you enjoy working with, there are a variety of career paths that you can follow. From helping children through trauma as a play therapist to educating young adults as a high school teacher, helping children is an amazing way to make an impact on the future. This book will walk you through different career options and the necessary education. It also describes how to get a head start by volunteering, as well as potential salaries and the job outlook for those who are in careers working with children. The Careers Making A Difference series provides information on nine important and interesting careers that make a difference in and improve the whole of society. Each book in the series describes the careers available in the field, plus valuable information on education, training, salaries, job outlook, and job satisfaction.

The murder was meant as a punishment - but what sin could justify the method? The only person who might have answers is the victim's seven-year-old daughter, who was found hiding in the room where her mother died. And she's not talking. Newly promoted, out of his depth, Detective Huldar turns to Freyja and the Children's House for their expertise with traumatized young people. Freyja, who distrusts the police in general and Huldar in particular, isn't best pleased. But she's determined to keep little Margret safe. It may prove tricky. The killer is leaving them strange clues: warnings in text messages, sums scribbled on bits of paper, numbers broadcast on the radio. He's telling a dark and secret story - but how can they crack the code? And if they do, will they be next?.

"Dee and her younger brother, Eddie, make a run for the Canadian border when their father disappears and social workers start snooping around their Arizona home."--Provided by publisher.

Presents a collection of fourteen essays that look at the abuse of children today, focusing on commercial and sexual exploitation, and how to fight back.