JCCF NEWS SUMMARY
April 19, 2013

Reports, Resources & Data: 
The Indian Child Welfare Act

 

This week, the The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, a complex and wrenching adoption case that rose to the nation's highest court because of how it challenges the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). A transcript of the proceedings is available here and audio will be posted here.

 

Resources: 

NPR's Laura Sullivan and Amy Walters investigated South Dakota's failure to abide by the ICWA in "Native Foster Care: Lost Children, Shattered Families." The project won both a 2012 Casey Medal and America's Promise Award for Action. Sullivan spoke to JCCF about the challenges of reporting the story here

 

Laura Sullivan: Reporting Best Practices
 

 

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NewsNEWS OF NOTE

 

Education Week, Nirvi Shah | April 19
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is turning their attention to school vending-machine fare, a la carte lunch items and other foods sold at school aside from heavily regulated lunches and breakfasts.

Obamacare Rules Differ for Former Foster Kids

CNN, Deena Zaru | April 17

Beginning in January 2014, former foster kids will be covered by an expansion of the Affordable Care Act. But there's a catch: states will only be required to keep former foster children on Medicaid if they continue to reside in the state where they were in foster care originally.

 

Baby Veronica and Native American Family Values (Opinion)

Indian Country Today, Jacqueline Pata | April 16

The Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indian charges the mainstream media with misrepresenting the facts of Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl.

 

Adoption Case Brings Rare Family Law Dispute To High Court

NPR, Nina Totenberg | April 16

After a South Carolina couple adopted a baby girl, her biological father, a member of the Cherokee Nation, sought full custody. The Supreme Court does not typically hear such family law disputes, but the case is a test of the Indian Child Welfare Act.

 

Children Left Behind: Deported Parents, American Kids

Fronteras Desk, Erin Siegal McIntyre | April 16

For children who become wards of the state when their parents are detained or deported, reunification can be difficult, if not impossible.

 

Three Killed, More Than 100 Injured in Marathon Blast

The Boston Globe, Mark Arsenault | April 16

Two bomb blasts rocked the finish line of the Boston Marathon Monday, killing at least three people, including an 8-year-old boy.

 

Child Abuse and Neglect Survivor Looks to Future, Thanks Advocates Who Secured It

The Dallas Morning News, Christina Rosales | April 15

Nacirema McFarlane, 19, is a survivor of child abuse and neglect. She's focused on her future and hopes to one day help youth who age out of foster care.

 

A City Awash in Guns

Philadelphia Daily News, Barbara Laker and David Gambacorta | April 15

Philadelphia's streets are saturated with illegal guns, bought mostly by teens and young men.

 

The Hell of American Day Care

The New Republic, Jonathan Cohn | April 15

About 40 percent of children under five spend at least part of their week in the care of somebody other than a parent. The U.S. child care system is wildly uneven and barely monitored. At the lower end, it's Dickensian.

 

One Student's Path from Oyler to College

Marketplace, Amy Scott | April 15

Raven Gribbins will be the first in her family to finish high school. Just a few years ago her path to college would have seemed...unlikely.

 

With Police in Schools, More Children in Court

The New York Times, Erik Eckholm | April 12

In the wake of the Newtown, Conn., shootings, school districts across the country are considering placing more police officers in schools. Youth advocates warn that an increased police presence could result in a surge in misdemeanor charges against students for misbehavior best handled in the principal's office.

 

Farm-to-Table in Communities of Color

The Atlantic, Grace Bello | April 10

Food activists hope they can reclaim the lost history of marginalized farmers and encourage communities of color to claim ownership of their land and food.

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EventsEVENTS

 
April 22, 11 a.m. ET
Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma
NY
A symposium to reflect on the coverage of Sandy Hook and point the way toward responsible news coverage moving forward. Regional and national journalists will be joined by community leaders Sandy Hook families, mental health experts and policy advocates.  

April 23, 1 p.m. ET
Center for American Progress
Washington, D.C. or webcast
A discussion exploring work-family policies and progress on national family policy. 

April 25, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. ET
The Atlantic
Washington, D.C.
A look at the challenges and opportunities middle-class America faces today. 

April 26, 10 a.m. ET
American Academy of Political and Social Science, Annie E. Casey Foundation National Academies' Committee on National Statistics, Sage Publications and the Russell Sage Foundation
Washington, D.C.
People are no longer answering home phones and participating in surveys. This congressional briefing will explore new ways to collect data and understand the nation's needs.

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Opportunities
OPPORTUNITIES
 
 

 David Pike Excellence in Journalism Awards

Deadline: April 25
Street Sense
Honors reporting that changes perceptions about Washington, D.C.-area homelessness. The categories include breaking news, investigative/feature stories, opinion/columns and photography. For more information, email [email protected]  
 
Deadline: May 24
The Marguerite Casey Foundatoin
Fellows will write at least one in-depth story or series that illustrates how language, culture and race influence public attitudes and policy about poor people.  
 
Deadline: Ongoing
Poynter's News University and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center
A free, self-directed course covering the complex topic of sexual violence. 
 
Deadline: Ongoing
SparkAction and The Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council
SparkAction is building a story bank about the ways that young people's input helps improve policies. 
 
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ABOUT THE JCCF NEWS SUMMARY

Mina Dixon, Editor 


The Journalism Center on Children & Families, a program of the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism, is a national nonprofit organization committed to supporting media coverage of children, youth and families, particularly the disadvantaged. The JCCF News Summary helps journalists and others keep in touch with the latest news, policy analysis and research reports on critical social issues that impact families and communities. We encourage redistribution of this material with credit given to the Journalism Center on Children & Families.

Journalists are encouraged to submit their stories for consideration for publication in the JCCF News Summary and on our website. Please send story links to: [email protected]. Stories should be archived and free of access charges for at least seven days.
 
JCCF thanks The Annie E. Casey Foundation for its generous support of our work.
 
www.journalismcenter.org

 

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