Monday, August 26, 2013

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Pittsburg High School implements JAG Program to curb dropout rate
KOAM, Pittsburg, PA – August 19, 2013
The Jobs for America's Graduates program or JAG helps ensure students who are at risk of dropping out or failing, successfully transition into the workplace or post-secondary education.  Pittsburg High School's JAG coordinator, Nidia Lopez meets with students and their parents or guardians to make sure they are on track to succeed in school and make that transition.

Dubuque's dropout re-engagement program marks one year and big successes
KWWL, Dubuque, IA – August 21, 2013
Recent high school dropouts in Dubuque, beware. There's a program that wants to get you back on the track to success, and two men have made it their personal mission to see that happen.

Davenport schools work to tackle Iowa's highest urban dropout rate
Omaha.com, Davenport, IA – August 20, 2013
It started in ninth grade when she began skipping classes here and there at Davenport Central High School. The skipping became more and more frequent to the point that Lobdell was barely in school.  Lobdell, now 20, spoke about her experiences recently during Graduation Destination-Take the Journey: Finish it, a collaborative effort between the Davenport Community Schools and the City of Davenport to reach out to students who are struggling in school or have already dropped out.

Juvenile Justice

Juvenile court gets grant for family therapy program
Times-Herald.com, Coweta County, GA – August 25, 2013
Coweta County Juvenile Court has been awarded $150,000 from the state of Georgia to go toward exploring new and innovative ways of dealing with juvenile offenders.  The $150,000 is part of $5 million Georgia is giving to help local juvenile systems. The funding is in light of the "juvenile justice reform" laws that take effect on Jan. 1.

Hillsborough considering special court for juveniles charged as adults
Tampa Bay Times, Tampa, FL – August 24, 2013
In a state known for its courts' tough treatment of children, Tampa holds what some view as a dubious distinction: more juvenile defendants are criminally charged here as adults than in any other jurisdiction in Florida.  With the support of the Hillsborough Public Defender's Office and a collection of local child advocates, Stoddard has floated a proposal he thinks could be a first step toward greater fairness in the criminal courts' handling of juveniles.

With $15M in grants, MacArthur establishes 4 juvenile justice reform centers
ABAJournal – August 21, 2013
A longtime supporter of juvenile justice reform, the MacArthur Foundation has committed an additional $15 million to the effort, including the development of four juvenile justice reform centers as part of its as part of its Models for Change Resource Center Partnership.

Foster Care

Movies and TV Shows Examine Issues in Foster Care
The New York Times, Los Angeles, CA – August 23, 2013
Early on in the new movie “Short Term 12,” teenagers living in a group home gather, as Nate, a neatly dressed young counselor with a nervous smile, introduces himself.

Teen Pregnancy

Grants issued to fight teen pregnancy
The Business Journal, Fresno, CA – August 20, 2013
Nearly $500,000 in grants issued by the Fresno Regional Foundation were given to 13 local organizations to address teen pregnancy prevention and capacity building needs.  The grants will be recognized on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the K Jewel Studios, located at 1415 Fulton St. in downtown Fresno.  Six organizations specifically addressing teen pregnancy prevention were given $400,000 of those grants.

Monday, August 19, 2013

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Campaign to get dropouts to return to school
KPTRTV.com, Kennewick, WA – August 16, 2013
Getting our most at-risk teens back in school. It was the goal of Kennewick School District this morning.  School officials knocked on the doors of dozens of high school dropouts.

$3.2 mil grant for program to encourage kids to stay in school
Beatrice Daily Sun, Lincoln, NE – August 19, 2013
Kids with emotional and behavioral disorders are more likely to miss school, fail classes and drop out than any other group of students with disabilities. With support from a $3.2 million grant, University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers are evaluating a unique new program that uses parent-to-parent support to encourage families to get the help they need to keep kids in school.

Texas high school graduation rate sets another all-time high
North Texas e-News, Austin, TX – August 14, 2013
Commissioner of Education Michael Williams announced today that the Texas high school on-time graduation rate has set an all-time high, reaching 87.7 percent for the Class of 2012. The graduation rate for the Class of 2012 is 1.8 percentage points higher than the previous record set by the Class of 2011 and marks the fifth consecutive year the rate has increased.

Juvenile Justice

Initiative aims to improve Hawaii's juvenile justice system
Hawaii News Now, Honolulu, HI – August 14, 2013
The goal of a new initiative launched today is to improve Hawaii's troubled juvenile justice system by reducing crime while cutting costs. Roughly 5,000 youth are currently incarcerated in Hawaii. According to experts, about 80% of them have a substance abuse problem.

MacArthur Pledges New $15 million to Juvenile Justice Reform
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, Atlanta, GA – August 14, 2013
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced it will increase its juvenile justice reform funding by some $15 million, a major part of which will be used to establish the new Models for Change Resource Center Partnership.

Foster Care

Adoption numbers rising for kids in foster care
USA Today – August 12, 2013
The percentage of kids adopted from foster care is swinging upward, a new report suggests.  Last year, 13.1% of children in foster care were adopted, an increase from 12.6% in 2011, according to statistics released today by the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families. The report highlights data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.

Mentor program helps teens aging out of foster care
Fox 19, Ohio – August 15, 2013
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) has teamed up Ohio Job and Family Services to help foster children who have aged out of the system make a more successful transition into adulthood.  Ilon, 18, is a test case. He's the first foster child to be matched with a mentor in a brand new Connecting the Dots program. Ilon says it's a program that will give him a better chance at success.

Teen Pregnancy

LPSS Teen Pregnancy Center Already Keeping Students On Right Path
KATC, Louisiana – August 15, 2013
Northside High School may have started classes today, but in January they will be offering a very unique class. The school will offer a teen pregnancy course for expecting and current teen mothers and fathers.

Monday, August 12, 2013

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Montgomery schools look for dropout indicators early on
The Washington Post, Montgomery County, MD – August 11, 2013
Students could show signs of becoming high school dropouts as early as first grade, according to a Montgomery County schools study that officials hope will provide a road map for shrinking dropout rates and improving academic achievement.

Dropout age raised by legislator who dropped out
StarTribune, Minnesota – August 10, 2013
If state Sen. Chuck Wiger needs fuel for his crusade to keep teen¬agers in school, he can summon distant memories of the glamour of the Big Top.  His experiences gave him a soft spot for the “nontraditional” student’s path. It is the unspoken back story behind his single-minded focus on raising the state’s compulsory attendance age to halt Minnesota’s drift toward graduation-rate mediocrity.

Local, state high school graduation rates on the rise
Port City Daily, North Carolina – August 9, 2013
High school graduation rates are on the rise across the Cape Fear region and the state, according to recent data from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

Juvenile Justice

Summit Rallies Young People to Become Juvenile Justice Advocates
Youth Today, Washington, D.C. – August 5, 2013
As a teen, Miguel Rodriguez used graffiti to express himself and “to prove to the world that he existed,” the now 20-year-old told Youth Today. But, at age 13 his interest in graffiti turned into a vandalism arrest, where he spent several weeks in detention and 18 months on probation.  Since then, Rodriguez has used graffiti to engage his peers on social justice issues, as program director for the Graffiti Zone, a Chicago-based after-school program and as a member of the youth advisory board of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission.

Department of Justice seeks reform of youth arrest practices
Palm Coast Observer, Florida – August 9, 2013
Florida’s rate of youth incarceration is among the highest in the country, something the state’s Department of Justice is trying to change.  “We have spent more time and resources on children that we didn't really need to do that with, and with the unintended consequences of driving them deeper into the system,” Walters said.

Foster Care

Volunteer program aims to point foster care alumni toward success
The Kansas City Star, Kansas – August 6, 2013
Once you know Darryl Hinojos’ background, it’s hard to imagine that today he is studying at North Carolina Central University and playing football for the NCAA Division I school.  It’s not that — at 6 feet 5 inches tall and 255 pounds — the Kansas man isn’t qualified to play tight end. It’s just that after he got into his teen years, he wasn’t on a path toward college, mainly because he was dealing with anger issues, home displacement and a few scuffles with the law.  But the former foster child, now 21, found a guardian angel in Raeann Rose, a social worker in the state foster care program who offered the support and advice that has helped carry him to North Carolina.

SD man turns business resort into training academy
San Francisco Chronicle, Sioux Falls, SD – August 11, 2013
A South Dakota wind power entrepreneur has transformed a resort for business retreats into a training academy for former foster children.

Facing a New Life After Aging Out of the Foster Care System
WESA 90.5, Pittsburgh, PA – August 6, 2013
Several years before he was a Youth Quality Improvement Specialist at the University of Pittsburgh, Christopher Nobles faced the same challenges experienced by roughly 1000 Pennsylvania youth each year: the prospect of aging out of the state’s foster care system and facing a new life.

Teen Pregnancy

Miss. law requires cord blood from some teen moms
Pittsburgh Courier, Jackson, MS – August 5, 2013
If a girl younger than 16 gives birth and won't name the father, a new Mississippi law — likely the first of its kind in the country — says authorities must collect umbilical cord blood and run DNA tests to prove paternity as a step toward prosecuting statutory rape cases.

Monday, August 05, 2013

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Dropout Rates Decline for Berkeley County High Schools
Goose Creek Patch, Berkeley, SC – July 31, 2013
Fewer high schoolers dropped out in the 2011-2012 school year than the previous year in Berkeley County — following the statewide trend.  State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais said reducing dropoutrates are a critical step toward improved on-time high school graduation rates, which he views as a key measurement of success for the entire K-12 system.

One More Reason To Stay In School: Dropouts More Likely To Lead Lives Punctuated By Crime, Substance Abuse
Medical Daily – July 30, 2013
School  attendance at a young age is crucial for an individual's social and emotional development. It allows children to be around peers, form friendships and connections, and work toward their future.   In a new study of 1,300 teens in 7th through 11th grade, researchers found that those who disengaged from school were more likely to lead lives punctuated by substance abuse and crime.

New alternative program C3 aims to reduce drop-out rate
IndependentMail.com, Pickens County, SC – July 31, 2013
Beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, the School District of Pickens County will begin C3, a new drop-out prevention program for 8th-12th grade students.  The goal of C3 is to offer a safe, engaging learning environment to students who need an instructional approach that is different from traditional high school programs.

Juvenile Justice

Calls For Juvenile Justice Reform Grow In Florida
WJCT News, Florida – July 29, 2013
The calls for juvenile justice reform in Florida are  growing, as advocates turn to research to prove that more robust juvenile diversion programs for first-time offenders can prevent kids from dropping out of school.  The local interfaith coalition ICARE is one of the local advocates pushing diversion, not jail, for juvenile first-time offenders.

N.J. Distinguishing Itself as it Reforms Juvenile Justice System
NewsRoomJersey.com, Trenton, NJ – August 2, 2013
A fourteen-person delegation from the state of Washington including a Supreme Court Justice, Superior Court Judges, three State Legislators, Juvenile Court Administrators and leaders from Washington State’s Office of Juvenile Justice, Administrative Office of the Courts, Prosecutors Association and the Sheriffs and Police Chiefs Association are in New Jersey to attend a two-day working session focusing on statewide implementation of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI).

Foster Care

Ohio program prepares foster children to live independently after they age out of the system
Daily Journal, Akron, OH – August 3, 2013
To try to improve the oftentimes bumpy transition, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Big Brothers Big Sisters and eight counties, including Summit, have launched a pilot program called "Connecting the Dots from Foster Care to Employment and Independent Living."

Twenty-Something ... and Ready to be Adopted
City Limits, New York – July 31, 2013
When Denise Royal met her adoptive 23-year old son, Elijah, two years ago, he had recently aged out of the foster care system. His life was falling apart.  After his release Elijah had nowhere to go. Desperate, he reached out to a friend who had recently been placed with a representative for You Gotta Believe, the only adoption agency that finds permanent homes for young adults aging out of foster care.

Foster youth band together for change
Orland Press Register, California – July 30, 2013
No child chooses to be taken from their home, separated from their siblings or ask to become of victim of their unwanted circumstances.  But the once-silent and nameless youth who are in — or recently aged out of — foster care are finding their voices and the power they've never had before by uniting as a group to transform the California foster-care system through policy and legislative change.

Teen Pregnancy

ISU teen pregnancy prevention program wins award
Ames Tribune, Ames, IA – August 1, 2013
An Iowa State University sex education program with a unique approach to preventing teen pregnancy is getting some national recognition.  The Virginia-based National Child Support Enforcement Association is awarding the project, called Parenting: It’s a Life, the organization’s 2013 excellence award for program awareness. The group plans to acknowledge the program at its annual conference held Aug. 5 in Baltimore.

Teen Pregnancy Task Force Gets Results
NBC 6, Council Bluffs, IA – July 30, 2013
A Teen Pregnancy Task Force, created in 2009, is seeing great success in Council Bluffs.  "Well, it's no longer just about me," said Jordan DeSantiago. Her entire world changed her senior year of high school . She found out she was pregnant.