Chronicle investigation spurs calls to close foster care shelters (sfgate.com)

I echo Margaret's points and dream of a system that from top to bottom is ACEs science driven,  and not only avoids causing further trauma to our foster children but also prevents trauma from occurring in the first place. The good news is that there are many examples (on this site and ACEsTooHigh.com) of law enforcement organizations, child welfare agencies and other entities that are using ACEs to do just that. 

"Fostering Failure: How shelters criminalize hundreds of children" (May 18) exposes a heartbreaking reality in California's foster care system today. It highlights the lack of understanding and appreciation of the trauma and adversity these children have suffered and the critical need for "trauma informed” responses to their behaviors.

No doubt the children in the story are trying to cope with years of unrecognized and untreated trauma. Research clearly shows that when behavioral indicators of stress and trauma are recognized and treated early on, the interventions and opportunities for healing are the most successful. This is why we must be relentless in clearly identifying the signs and seeking interventions.

Appropriate, trauma-informed responses are critical for helping foster children heal and preventing life long emotional and physical illness. Children only have one chance at childhood so trauma informed systems, including the juvenile court system are critical. Advokids works every day to improve the lives of children in foster care by improving access to the juvenile courts and keeping the courts focused on trauma prevention and mitigation.

I thank Karen De Sa for her in depth reporting and dedication to shining a light on the injustice too many children in foster care face, and I can only hope the investigation serves as a much-needed spark for reform.

Dana:

It makes so much sense why families sometimes have so much fear of the systems presumably set up to support and help during times of crisis. Thanks for sharing this story. Cissy

Foster children have faced criminal charges for shelter incidents as minor as flooding a carpet and poking a staff member with a candy cane.

“We have a responsibility, particularly with kids in the child welfare system, to figure out why is this baby doing this? Why is she acting out? Not just calling the police,” state Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, who has authored juvenile justice reform bills, said after reading The Chronicle’s report. “At what point did we decide that this was criminal, as opposed to a cry for help?”