CHILD PROTECTION

NATION: “Samuels Tapped to Head Administration on Children, Youth and Families”
By: Jamaal Abdul-Alim, John Kelly
The Obama administration announced the nomination of a veteran Chicago youth services leader, Bryan H. Samuels, to run the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), a federal agency anticipated to play a major role in advancing child welfare reform and holding state foster care systems accountable. Samuels is the former director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and a former top aide in the Chicago Public School system. Credited as one of the first public child welfare administrators in the country to make “child well-being a major focus of the child welfare system,” Samuels draws upon his own experience living in a residential school for disadvantaged children from the time he was seven until he graduated.
Youth Today, June 25, 2009
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CHILD PROTECTION/International

NATION: “Bill Introduced to Address Global Lack of Parents for Epidemic Numbers of Children.”
By: Staff Writer
The Families for Orphans Act (FFOA), a bill introduced by Representatives Diane Watson (D-CA) and John Boozman (R-AR), proposes to place a new emphasis on the need to improve the United States’ policy regarding supporting the healthy development of children globally. FFOA proposes to establish an Office of Orphan Policy, Diplomacy and Development within the Department of State and provide diplomatic authority to help the 30 million children orphaned worldwide and the 100 million plus vulnerable children who have lost one parent or are at risk of losing parental care. The proposed new office would be responsible for developing a strategy to support diplomacy and policy focusing on the preservation and creation of permanent families.
PR Web, June 29, 2009
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ADOPTION/International

NATION: “U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe Bill May Ease Rules for Adoption”
By: Chris Casteel
Sen. Jim Inhofe introduced legislation this week to alleviate the red tape Americans face when adopting children internationally. The bill, which is co-authored with Sen. Mary Landrieu, would automatically grant the child American citizenship and remove the need to obtain an immigrant visa for the child. The legislation proposes to require adoptive parents to follow the procedures similar to those that biological parents follow when a child is born internationally. In addition, Sen. Inhofe is co-sponsoring another bill that would permit U.S. parents to bring the child into the country upon certification that the child would receive required immunizations within thirty days. That legislation would also allow Americans to adopt multiple children who are siblings.
The Oklahoman, June 27, 2009
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CHILD PROTECTION/Foster Care

NEW YORK: “Survey Finds Kin Caregivers Face Significant Barriers to Support.”
By: Angie Chen
Kin caregivers in New York City receive little government support according to a survey conducted by the NYC Kincare Task Force. The survey indicated that kin caregivers are often unemployed, over the age of 60, receive inadequate benefits and have trouble navigating the system. Further, although 250,000 children in New York City are being raised by kin caregivers, only 5,400 are in the foster care system; those families that are not in the system may not have access to the wide range of services that families in the foster care system are offered. In addition to releasing the survey, the task force gave recommendations that agencies can follow to better assist kin caregivers.
Fordham University, June 2009
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CHILD PROTECTION

TEXAS: “New offices set up to advocate for families in CPS cases.”
By: Staff Writer
The Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission on Children, Youth and Families has recently established the Travis County Office of Child Representation and the Office of Parental Representation. The two new offices will provide legal representation to parents and children through attorneys and will also employ social workers to address the issues which are troubling the families. The new offices were established to give a voice to parents and children involved with child protection services and ultimately provide “…family unity built upon a safe environment that is socially and economically stable.”
The Daily Texan, June 25, 2009
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The preceding are summaries of adoption/child welfare law news articles prepared by The National Center for Adoption Law & Policy. These summaries are provided for your information only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center. We strive to print news that reflects the diversity of our readership and a variety of viewpoints and approaches to child welfare issues. While we may not agree with a position taken, we believe in the critical importance to our constituents of impartial reporting.