Prevention $ense, February 24, 2016

Monday, March 7, 2016 2pm – 5pm Hillman Hall, Clark-Fox Forum, Danforth Campus Washington University, St. Louis Keynote speaker James Garabino, author and founding director of the Center for the Human Rights of Children at Loyola University Chicago, will discuss childhood violence and the links to gun violence.  His talk will be followed by a panel discussion of St. Louis community leaders and experts, moderated by Melissa Jonson-Reid of the Brown School. Event is free but please register here.

for fiscal year 2015 is now available and highlights our prevention activities, grants, and public education campaigns from July 2014 through June 2015.

Project Thrive, Kirksville, is a successful collaborative, community-based initiative that works toward strengthening families in Adair County and select areas in Macon County.  The project, managed by Great Circle, is funded by a grant from the Children’s Trust Fund with funds from the Community Based Child Abuse Prevention federal program of the Administration for Children & Families, Department of Health & Human Services.  Learn more from Project Thrive Coordinator Kristin Rouner.

This bulletin for professionals provides an overview of the intersection between child welfare and parental incarceration and highlights practices to facilitate parent-child visits during incarceration, include parents in case planning, and work towards reunification; and points to resources to help caseworkers in their practice with these children and families. Working with incarcerated parents and their families has many barriers for child welfare caseworkers, but there are resources available that can help them overcome these challenges and improve outcomes for these children and families.  Also here is a quick (3:30) video providing an overview of the resources Child Welfare Information Gateway has to offer.

Written by Jill Lepore, appearing in February 1, 2016 edition of The New Yorker. Also read Letter to the Editor – Breaking the Cycle – appearing in The New Yorker.  Martha Gershun, Executive Director for Jackson County (MO) CASA, responds to Jill Lepore’s article explaining how CASA Volunteers provide much needed resources and information to overburdened child welfare systems around the country.