Child Welfare Initiative
Executive Director of the Child Welfare Initiative, a local nonprofit that advocates for children and families in child welfare systems; product of the Los Angeles foster care system and author of the memoir Hope’s Boy
PROFILE
Andrew Bridge
Guest
FROM Andrew Bridge
Which Way, L.A.?
LA County's Foster Care Crisis Is Worse than Ever Today's Los Angeles Times reports on what it calls a " crisis level " shortage of foster homes in Los Angeles County. There are fewer children needing placement, but they're among the hardest to place -- and the number of available homes is on the decline. The state is threatening to impose fines on Wednesday. We talk in a moment with the head of the Department of Children and Family Services and the Child Welfare Initiative , a nonprofit that works to improve the foster care system.
Which Way, L.A.?
LA County Blue Ribbon Commission to Reform Child Welfare Angency LA County is trying to fire four social workers after the recent death of an 8-year-old boy—allegedly tortured by his mother and her boyfriend. Earlier this year, a scathing report on the lack of protection for thousands of abused children led to reforms now underway at the Department of Child and Family Services. But the record of failure is so aggravated and so long that the Board of Supervisors has appointed a blue-ribbon task force to see if more can be done. It’s first meeting will be tomorrow.
Which Way, L.A.?
The LA County Department That's Allowed Children to Die Four years ago, Los Angeles County reported a backlog in child abuse investigations, which it called a "crisis." Now, the LA Times has uncovered a report filed in April of last year depicting a foster-care horror-show, including a case of torture and the deaths of 15 children as young as two from neglect and brutality. Caseworkers at the Department of Children and Family Services overlooked documented histories of abusive behavior on the part of foster parents and ignored hot-line complaints.
Which Way, L.A.?
Memoir of L.A. Foster Care Andrew Bridge was taken from his mentally ill mother at the age of 7. After that, it was LA County’s MacLaren Children’s Center and foster homes. He’s now a graduate of Harvard Law School who’s been dramatically successful in advocating for children’s rights in court and elsewhere—including establishment of the New Village Charter School , which prepares pregnant girls for college.
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