Category Archives: Child welfare

Day care workers deserve credit for calling 911

Nov. 3, 20098:22 a.m.

walker,margaretSome parents understandably aren’t comforted or satisfied by the efforts of day care employees to keep Margaret E. Walker (in photo) from driving, because their children still ended up riding in a van driven by someone who was legally drunk, according to a police report. But the employees of Creative Connections Learning Center deserve credit for calling 911, particularly when they knew that doing so meant they would lose their jobs. “I knew once I call, we’re done,” teacher Lindsey White told The Eagle. The employees also called police and confronted their boss before she left, told her not to drive and attempted to take away the van keys, according to White.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Child welfare | Comments (7)

Help center help abused kids

Aug. 9, 20096:01 a.m.

The Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County’s pitch to the Sedgwick County Commission for $120,000 proved unsuccessful last week. But this long-sought, year-old collaborative center deserves help from elected officials at all levels, to ensure it has what it needs to help abused and endangered children and investigate their cases. Because the basement of the Finney State Office Building can no longer handle the center’s 34 employees and its work on behalf of 2,500 children a year, the community needs to be a partner in finding other space. As Diana Schunn, the center’s executive director, updates the commission monthly on the center’s progress toward finding another site, others in the community with ideas and resources should step up as they can and help this vital center do its work.

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Child welfare, Sedgwick County | Comments (7)

Good news on foster care

May 31, 20096:01 a.m.

It’s encouraging that Youthville, which oversees foster care in this region of Kansas, has significantly fewer children in its system. From July 2008 through last month, Youthville had 294 children enter its system, compared with 539 kids from July 2007 through June 2008. That means more families are staying intact and Youthville has more time to try to help the kids who are in the system reunify with their families. One key reason for the drop is a 2007 initiative that started stationing social workers at the Wichita Children’s Home. This has allowed for more timely interventions that have helped keep kids out of foster care. Good job to all involved in this important work.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Child welfare | Comments (7)