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.