Blogs

Once again a child had died in appalling circumstances, and once again the government’s response is to put other children directly in harm’s way. The latest case comes out of Arizona, where an emaciated 6-year-old boy died after being admitted to the hospital with a brain bruise and other injuries. While the parents have pleaded not guilty in causing the death, the Arizona Child Protective Services agency (CPS) had five child abuse and neglect reports on file when the boy was hospitalized, two of which were still “under investigation.”

Prominent researchers, child advocates and other concerned individuals are voicing their opposition to SB 1214, a bill currently pending before the California State Senate. This bill would allow infants and toddlers to be placed in crisis nurseries, institutions that do not meet the minimum standards that protect all other children under the age of 6 in foster care. Researchers and child advocates are in agreement that these institutions are damaging to the development of young children. Here are some letters written in opposition to SB 1214.

Charles H. Zeanah, M.D.

Joan Kaufman

See the New York Times letter to the editor

To the Editor:

Re: ''Study Suggests Orphanages Are Not So Bad'' (news article, Dec. 18):

Blog response dialogue (as seen in email between authors an contributors to this counter to the Whettan article)

Joan Kaufman Ph. D.

Here’s the article in USA Today - http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-12-18-orphanages_N.htm

NC: Study finds orphanages can be a 'viable option'
Date: Friday, December 18, 2009
Source: USA TODAY
Author: Wendy Koch

On December 17, the New York Times ran an article about a study that purported to show that orphanages in some “low resource countries provided equal or better quality care to home or community care."