New Report Finds Child Abuse Rate Down for 4th Consecutive Year
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released its annual report on child abuse and neglect. Child Maltreatment 2010 marks the 21st issuance of the report and shows a steady decline in the number of victims who suffered maltreatment for the fourth consecutive year. According to the report, an estimated 754,000 children were determined to be victims of maltreatment in 2010, down from 763,000 victims in 2009. As in past years, rates of abuse and neglect are highest among infants and young children.

Report on Immigration and Child Welfare Policies
First Focus and the Migration and Child Welfare Network have released a series of reports, Caught Between Systems: The Intersection of Immigration and Child Welfare Polices. These reports examine the challenges that arise in the areas of immigration enforcement, language services, as well as public benefits and child welfare financing. The reports also explore solutions to difuse situations when immigration policy and child welfare policy conflict.

Release of "and How Are the Children" by the Washington County Coalition for Children
The report examines eleven different economic, health, childcare, and housing indicators for children in Washington County over the past decade Although some efforts have been made in improving the lives of children, the recession has had a major impact and continues to affect the children in Washington County. The end of the report focuses on the changes that need to be made over the next decade.

Brief on Risk and Protective Factors
The Center for the Study of Social Policy's Strengthening Families released a brief on the dynamic relationship between different types of risk and protective factors for families. The brief indicates that understanding the relationship between risk and protective factors is crucial to the reduction of child maltreatment.

Study on Resilience in Childhood
Strengthening Families of the Center for the Study of Social Policy released a brief addressing the factors that influence resilience among young children that enable some to function successfully in difficult contexts. The brief discusses the characteristic of resilience in children as well as the factors of resilience development.

Release of Study on Infant Mental Health and Social-Emotional Competence
The Center for the Study of Social Policy's Strengthening Families released a brief on Infant Mental Health and Social-Emotional Competence.The brief discusses the development of normal social-emotional capacities and signs of abnormal development. The brief also addresses the importance of social-emotional competence as well as identifies family risk factors that prevent social-emotional development.

Study on Childhood Stress across the Lifespan
The Center for the Study of Social Policy's Strengthening Families released a report on Childhood Stress across the Lifespan, focused on the different degrees of stress that children experience and its impact throughout life. The study reports on both positive and negative stress and the immediate and prolonged effects stress can have on children.

Release of The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study
Strengthening Families of the Center for the Study of Social Policy released a study showing the direct correlation in negative experiences in childhood and poor outomes in adulthood. The study finds that adverse experiences during childhood leads to increase health risks during adulthood. The Strengthening Families Protective Factors may lead to decreased child maltreatment and improved health conditions in adulthood.

New Study on Children Living in Poverty
A new brief from the Urban Institute offers a first-time national look at the characteristics, access to services, and parenting approaches for infants living in poverty whose mothers are depressed. The authors reveal that 11% of infants living in poverty have a mother suffering from severe depression. At the same time, many of these families are connected to services, such as Women and Infant Children, health care services, food stamps, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, presenting opportunities for policymakers and service providers to help these families.

The Recession and Child Maltreatment
First Focus has released a series of reports that synthesize the evidence on the effects of the recent and prior recessions on child well-being. One of these reports focuses on the impact of the recession on child maltreatment rates. The report looks at trends in physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect during past recessions as well as the current recession and offers policy recommendations related to how to prevent child maltreatment during the recession and beyond.

Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems
Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute Center for Juvenile Justice Reform has released a new paper reviewing educational barriers encountered by youth involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems and describes recent legal and policy reforms. Promising practices and evidence-based interventions to improve educational barriers encountered by youth involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems and describes recent legal and policy reforms. Click here to access the PDF.

Educational Continuity and Student Mobility for Children in Out-of-Home Care
The latest child welfare quality improvement report Improving Educational Continuity and School Stability for Children in Out-of-Home Care,  from Casey Family Programs, discusses successful practice changes developed and carried out in nine jurisdictions from 2006-2008. With a focus on improving communication, coordination of resources, and information exchange between child welfare, education, and court systems, the report is a guide for advocates to learn about the common challenges and policy solutions to address educational stability for foster youth.

2010 Factbook Data Now Available!
The 2010 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook is now available! The Factbook tracks the progress of 67 indicators, across five areas of child well-being including Family and Community, Economic Well-Being, Health, Safety, and Education. Data are also available for Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns.

The Impact of Immigration Enforcement on Child Welfare
A new report released from First Focus examines the impact immigration enforcement has on the thousands of children of undocumented immigrants, 73% of whom are U.S. citizens. This includes risks to child safety and well-being, such as the needless separation of children from parents. The report reveals over 5 million children in the U.S. with at least one undocumented parent are at risk of uncessarily entering the child welare systtem when a parent is detained or deported. 

Available Services to RI Youth Ages 18 – 21 Aging Out of Foster Care
This fact sheet prepared by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT provides a comprehensive summary of services from case management and health care to education, employment and housing services, for those youth ages 18-21 who were in the foster care system on their 18th birthday.

Rhode Island Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative: Two Years of Progress
Rhode Island Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative is part of a national effort to help youth in foster care make successful transitions to adulthood. To participate in the Rhode Island Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative program youth must be between the ages of 14 and 23 and currently or formerly in foster care. Download the Fact Sheet.

Woonsocket Child Abuse and Neglect Mapping Project

These maps were prepared by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT as part of the work for the Woonsocket Child Abuse and Neglect Task Force to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect in Woonsocket. Included are maps related to indicated and unfounded investigations of child abuse and neglect in the city of Woonsocket.

Child Fatality Review Panel Findings Released
Office of the Child Advocate released the findings and recommendations of the Child Fatality Review Panel that was convened to investigate the death of T.J. Wright. Cathie Walsh, Deputy Director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, served on the panel. Download the report or the article printed in the Providence Journal.