The parents of children in the child welfare system are often vilified and rarely heard from. Youth Communication is working to change that, with a new magazine called Rise, written by and for such parents. Its mission is to help parents advocate for themselves and their children. In her story from issue #3, Philneia Timmons tells a tough story from a perspective that's too often missing from our view of foster care.

Entering foster care is traumatic for any child—even more so when siblings are separated. High school senior Kala Clark of Maine, who entered care at age 12, knows that only too well. And she's done something about it—successfully pushing for state legislation that establishes the right of siblings to spend time together when families are divided by child welfare authorities. She spoke with Connect for Kids Editor Susan Phillips.

According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, over half a million children in the United States are in living in foster care—some in group homes, some with relatives, and many in placements with individual families. What kinds of roles can communities play in supporting children in care? As Foster Care Month gets underway, Michelle A. Ziner looks at how some people in Cabarrus County, N.C., have stepped forward to help.

Last month Connect for Kids reported on Teenangels, young volunteers who help their peers understand the importance of Internet safety. What other efforts are underway to help protect children and youth from being exploited through social networking online? Cecilia Garcia reports.

In every state, African American and Native American children are disproportionately represented in the child welfare population. This report from the Michigan Department of Human Services examines the data on racial disproportionality in the state’s foster care system, and outlines steps to correct this situation. Among the recommendations for the state: identify services and funding to help keep children safely with their birth families; pursue a waiver to allow more flexibility in the use of federal funds; ensure culturally proficient practices; and make sure resources are appropriate to address families’ needs. In addition, the report recommends increasing monitoring and accountability.

Carolyn Lehman presents the stories of survivors of sexual abuse. The accounts of abuse are unflinching, but the focus is on healing and eventual recovery.

Unlike the more familiar juvenile offender justice system, it's not always clear how the juvenile victim justice system works, and how the many agencies serving young victims of crime—from police and courts to child protective services and mental health agencies—interact. This bulletin looks at how cases move through the system and the typical processes in the juvenile victim justice system.

CFK reports from: Keeping Kids in the Child Welfare System After 18
Event: A Web conference
Organized by: Chapin Hall Center for Children
Where/When: On the Web, Wednesday, March 1, 2006, 1 pm ET

This one-hour discussion brought together six panelists to discuss the experiences of Illinois with allowing children in the foster care system to choose to remain as wards of the state past the age of 18, up to age 21.

Youth Crime Watch of America hosts its 17th annual National Youth Crime Prevention Conference and International Forum March 20-23 in Ogden, Utah.