skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, February 21, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Senate adopts $340 billion budget blueprint for Trump's agenda after marathon vote; MI keeps EV charging plans on track despite federal cuts; Shore power bill would improve WA air quality, cut emissions; Report: Methane mitigation industry grows in LA, nationwide.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump wants to eliminate local governance in Washington, D.C., election denier Kash Patel is confirmed as FBI director, and federal cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program hurt ailing first responders.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Taos County Sheriff says he won't conduct raids or round ups of immigrants, New Hampshire worries a dearth of charging stations will force tourists driving EVs to pick another vacation destination, and Southern states improve education with workarounds.

Community Support Critical for Keeping Kids Out of Foster Care

play audio
Play

Wednesday, December 7, 2022   

Experts believe improving Ohio's overwhelmed foster-care system requires implementing solutions to set families up for success long before a crisis occurs.

Dr. Joe Luria, physician and vice president of mental health operations for Cincinnati Children's Hospital, said families who are either frustrated with the health care system or can no longer manage their child's behaviors end up in the emergency room as a last resort.

He wants to improve community education on mental health so caregivers can spot early warning signs of distress.

"Where they want to reach out as early as possible to their primary-care physicians, about understanding whether there is a potential mental-health issue and how that can be treated," Luria explained.

Health care providers nationwide are grappling with a surge in young patients with psychiatric and substance use disorders. One 2021 study found a majority of the nation's pediatric hospitals regularly keep kids overnight because there's no space in psychiatric facilities.

Luria noted outpatient treatment can be effective at stabilizing a child experiencing serious mental health issues, but said the state needs the workforce and local infrastructure.

"I think looking for a solution, at times, outpatient is the right answer, but access to those specific outpatient levels of care is lacking," Luria pointed out. "Families can wait long periods of time to access that level of care."

Janet Kelly, special adviser to the Virginia governor's Safe and Sound Task Force for children's issues, said many kids, including those with serious behavioral and mental-health issues, had been sleeping in offices, hotels or emergency rooms, but the number was reduced by nearly 90% within a year.

She added the state did a deep dive on every single displaced child, and worked every web and corner of the care system to secure long-term housing and treatment.

"And we, for the very first time, had everyone kind of rowing in the same direction toward the same goal," Kelly emphasized. "That's what worked here."

She added the problem is too big and complex for governments to tackle on their own, noting no state can solve the foster-care crisis without significant help from local communities and a strong workforce.

"And that is what we've seen work in order to keep these families together before children even enter the system," Kelly stressed.

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 27% of fos­ter chil­dren and youths in Ohio change living arrangements or placements at least twice a year.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
According to a 2024 report, 74% of Montana families who received one form of income-based public assistance between 2016 and 2022 were single, aging or disabled adults with kids. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Today is National Caregivers Day, recognizing those who help friends or family members who are living with an illness, injury or disability. A 2024 …


Health and Wellness

play sound

The Alabama Senate has passed a bill which would give gun owners struggling with mental health challenges the option to voluntarily surrender their fi…

Health and Wellness

play sound

As the temperatures drop, some Georgians are feeling more than just the winter chill. Nearly 40% of Americans experience the seasonal mood changes …


Researchers are developing inductive charging technology that could allow EVs to charge without plugging in, using embedded road or parking pad systems. (Kalyakan/Adobe Stock)

play sound

Earlier this month, the Federal Highway Administration stopped new funding for electric vehicle charging stations under the National Electric Vehicle …

Social Issues

play sound

Antihunger advocates and relief organizations are gathering at New Mexico's State Capitol today as part of "Hunger Action Day." Advocates will urge l…

Nationwide, about 146 million American citizens do not have passports. About 153 million Americans cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election, according to the Center for American Progress. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Legislation now in Congress could further complicate how Arizonans cast their ballots. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act would require a …

Environment

play sound

One researcher at the University of Nevada-Reno has developed what she called revolutionary sorghum varieties for dairy cow feed and gluten-free human…

Environment

play sound

If Minnesota wants a strong network of up-and-coming farmers, including those who want to farm on healthier land, the state can help them become …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021