- State making improvements, but too many children still abused, says group, By Megha Satyanarayana and Ann Zaniewski, March 20, 2013, Detroit Free Press: “While the state continues to make improvements in child welfare, too many children in foster homes are still being subject to abuse, a child advocacy group said in federal court today. The New York-based Children’s Rights and the Michigan Department of Human Services met in court for a periodic check of reforms mandated by a lawsuit filed in 2006 on behalf of the thousands of children in the state’s foster care system. A 2008 consent decree that called for a complete overhaul of the system was amended in 2011, and Wednesday’s hearing was a reflection of the first complete reporting period under the new agreement, January through June 2012…”
- Abuse in Milwaukee child welfare system at historic low; stability problems persist, By Crocker Stephenson, March 22, 2013, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “While the percentage of children who suffered maltreatment while they were in the care of the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare continued to hover at historic lows during 2012, too many children bounced from caregiver to caregiver and too many of the front-line workers responsible for their safety and stability left their jobs, according to a report released Friday…”
Tag: Milwaukee
Teen Birthrate – Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee’s teen birthrate drops for fifth year in row, By Karen Herzog, October 19, 2012, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Milwaukee’s teen birthrate – the second highest in the nation less than a decade ago – last year dropped for a fifth year in a row to a new historic low. The drop wasn’t as dramatic as those seen in 2009 and 2010, but the city remains on pace to reach a goal of reducing the teen birthrate to 30 per 1,000 teens ages 15 to 17 by 2015 – a goal set in 2007 by United Way of Greater Milwaukee, the Center for Urban Population Health and the Milwaukee Health Department. The latest data from the Health Department put the 2011 teen birthrate at 33.4 per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 17. That’s down from 35.8 in 2010 and follows a succession of decreases – 41.3 per 1,000 teens in 2009; 46.7 in 2008; 47.1 in 2007; and 52 in 2006. The teen birthrate is declining nationally, but Milwaukee has seen a slightly more rapid drop in its rate…”
Infant Mortality Rates – Milwaukee, WI
Disparity in infant mortality rates in Milwaukee widens, By Crocker Stephenson and Karen Herzog, April 24, 2012, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Milwaukee’s infant mortality rate dropped to a historic low in 2011. But the rate at which black babies died during their first year of life ticked upward, to nearly three times the rate of white babies. ‘We’re pleased with the overall numbers,’ Mayor Tom Barrett said Tuesday. ‘But we have to put more emphasis on the African-American rate.’ In November, Barrett and Commissioner of Health Bevan Baker set a goal to reduce Milwaukee’s black infant mortality rate by 15% and the city’s overall rate by 10% by 2017. ‘We are on track to meet those goals,’ said Geoff Swain, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and chief medical officer for the Milwaukee Health Department…”