Listen30 NOVEMBER
Better Care for Ontario's Children with Electronic Lab Results
For the first time in the province, children will benefit from their pediatric care providers having access to the online lab results contained in the Ontario laboratories information system (OLIS). This means that care providers will now have a more complete and immediate picture of their patients' health.
OLIS is an online information system that connects hospitals, community laboratories, public health laboratories and practitioners to enable the secure electronic exchange of laboratory test orders and results. Accessing lab results online helps health care providers make faster and more informed patient care decisions.
The electronic Child Health Network (eCHN), created by SickKids in 1999, is a crucial innovation that revolutionized the sharing of patient health information among medical professionals. There are now more than 1,500 pediatric care providers actively using the network to provide better care to more than two million children in Ontario.
Electronic access to patient lab results means:
More informed and safer care, especially when patients are critically ill, in pain or unable to remember their previous test histories
More coordinated care between family practitioners and hospital providers; reduced patient travel; more time dedicated to patient care
Less time spent on administrative paper-chasing
Previously, health care providers had to wait for community lab reports to be faxed, mailed or had to make phone calls to patients or family physicians in order to track down critical information. Now, electronic patient information will be available for clinicians to make treatment decisions within minutes compared to the previous hours or days by removing the need to search for paper records of test results.
Today's announcement is eHealth Ontario's next step in putting valuable patient lab data into the hands of clinicians throughout Ontario. Approximately 35,000 clinicians now have online access to OLIS.
Press release: Canada NewsWire
28 November 20123
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/949856
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28 NOVEMBER
CANADA
SickKids, CAMH and U of T collaborate to appoint new Child and Youth Mental Health leader
With more than 1.2 million children and youth in Canada affected by mental illness each year—and a youth suicide rate amongst the highest in the industrialized world— bold and collaborative leadership is required. This evening The Hospital for Sick Children, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and University of Toronto will announce that Dr. Peter Szatmari has been appointed to a newly-created, combined position responsible for developing and leading an integrated Child and Youth Mental Health program. The announcement will be made at a special presentation being given by Dr. Szatmari as part of the Innovations in Mental Health Series at MaRS at 6:15 pm.
"Sick Kids, CAMH and U of T form a remarkable health science powerhouse with a shared commitment to improving child and youth mental health—a field that is struggling to meet the growing needs of our young people and their families," Dr. Szatmari said today. "I am honoured to have been selected to fill this exciting new position."
The onset of symptoms of mental illlnesses occur most often before the age of 18. "If mental illness is recognized and treated in childhood or adolescence, the vast majority of kids who receive care will return to their regular activities. Yet fewer than one in four young people currently get the help they need," said Dr. Catherine Zahn, President and CEO of CAMH. "We are committed to changing that."
The SickKids/CAMH/U of T collaborative program will focus on three key areas: integrating clinical care so that young people receive enhanced evidence-based treatments; training future psychiatrists and mental health practitioners to help fill the gaps in service; and developing a specialized research program to discover answers to child and youth mental illness and addictions. Dr. Szatmari will fill the combined position of Chief, Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at the two hospitals, as well as Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, starting March 1st 2013.
"We conducted an international search to find an academic child and youth psychiatrist with the exceptional leadership skills, research and clinical expertise, plus the proven ability to successfully foster collaboration in order to realize our high-impact vision," said Mary Jo Haddad, President and CEO of SickKids Hospital.
An award-winning expert in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), Dr. Szatmari is currently Head of the Division of Child Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University, where he holds the Chedoke Health Chair in Child Psychiatry. A researcher, clinician, author and founding member of a national network of parents, clinicians, policy makers and scientists dedicated to research in early intervention in autism-- Dr. Szatmari is part of an international collaboration investigating the genetics of autism and a Canadian multi-site study of pre-schoolers with ASD to identify factors that contribute to positive outcomes.
"Today, children's mental health is being recognized as the issue of our time. With this collaboration under the leadership of Dr. Szatmari, we are poised to make significant advancements," said Dr. Trevor Young, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. "This means hope for our children, and a better future for us all."
Press release: Canada NewsWire
26 November 2012
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/944595
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26 NOVEMBER
CANADA
CUPE highlights provincial cutbacks to child welfare on National Day of the Child
On November 20, National Day of the Child, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) members across the province will shed light on the latest round of Ontario Liberal government cutbacks to child welfare, placing vulnerable children and youth further at risk and less likely to get the services and supports they need.
Front-line children's aid workers in Ontario will wear a blue ribbon to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In ratifying that decision, Canada promised children the right to be free of harm and to live and grow to their full potential.
"The decision to cut services to children and youth in an already under-resourced sector, with kids and families struggling with huge and growing challenges, is a recipe for tragedy. What will it take for this government to invest in the safety and wellbeing of children and youth?" says CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn.
The provincial government has cut over $42 million dollars in funding to the child welfare sector for 2012-2013, resulting in group home closures, reduced staffing levels and cuts to services and supports that help protect and care for at-risk children and youth in Ontario.
Inequality in Ontario has deepened and families are suffering. Chronic provincial underfunding by the government has meant Children's Aid Societies (CAS) do not have the resources they need to meet their legislative mandate to protect children. Under the Child and Family Services Act, child welfare agencies are mandated under law to protect children. Agencies providing services to First Nations and Aboriginal communities have even greater challenges as provincial funding falls far below what is needed to provide services and supports to high-risk and remote communities.
"When it comes to protecting kids, prevention is crucial, adds Hahn. And yet, supports and programs that help to prevent abuse and neglect are often the first to be lost when agencies are forced to make cuts. The lack of early intervention due to insufficient resources causes problems to escalate within the family, costing more in the long run, both to families and the system."
Further government funding cutbacks mean that child welfare agencies across the province are forced to make cuts to abuse prevention programs, counseling services for youth and families, visits to kids in residential and foster care and programs for families in crisis.
"Unless the government fulfills its obligation to adequately fund child welfare agencies, CAS will not be able to meet the legislated mandates under the Act. Ontario's children and youth must not be made to pay with their safety, says Hahn. We have a responsibility to demand that the provincial government take seriously its mandate to protect children and invest the necessary funding in child welfare services," Hahn added.
"It is time the Liberal government started creating solutions instead of playing with our children's futures. They have created chaos in our schools with their attacks on support staff's democratic rights. They have cut millions of dollars to direct supports protecting kids. And they have mounted a campaign that is hurting workers, hurting the economy and, increasingly, hurting children," he concluded.
Press release: Melodika.net
21 November 2012
http://www.melodika.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=486166&Itemid=54
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23 NOVEMBER
Teen Smoking has Fallen Across Most of the US
A new study suggests that there is a decline in the number of teen smokers across the U.S. and that now, the overall percentage of youth smoking is under 9 percent nationwide, with Wyoming leading with the highest rate of smokers and Utah having the lowest.
According to a new federal government report, there has been a significant decline in cigarette smoking among children aged 12 to 17 in the U.S., between 2002 and 2010 in 41 states.
The report suggests that overall, adolescents have cut down on cigarette smoking from 12.6 percent to 8.7 percent during these eight years, but there is a large difference noted in the rate of smoking among youngsters between states. For example, while Wyoming has 13.5 percent teen smokers, Utah has just under 6 percent.
The total number of youngsters who understood and believed the harm from smoking one pack or more a day saw a slight increase from 63.7 percent to 65.4 percent. However, this increase in the awareness was witnessed only in five states, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) report said.
Previous research suggests that the awareness of the ill-effects of smoking does discourage adolescents from smoking.
"Although this report shows that considerable progress has been made in lowering adolescent cigarette smoking, the sad, unacceptable fact remains that in many states about one in 10 adolescents smoked cigarettes in the past month," SAMHSA administrator Pamela Hyde said in an agency news release.
"The report also shows that we must collectively redouble our efforts to better educate adolescents about the risks of tobacco and continue to work with every state and community to promote effective tobacco use prevention and recovery programs."
The press release noted that over 15 years, tobacco sales to young adults reduced from about 40 percent to 8.5 percent.
22 November 2012
http://www.counselheal.com/articles/3258/20121122/teen-smoking-fallen.htm
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21 NOVEMBER
Intervention Program Helps Young Kids With Their Weight
Worldwide, the prevalence of childhood obesity has
increased in the past 3 decades. This is a result of a sedentary
lifestyle, a high-fat diet, and excess caloric intake. The treatment of
obese and overweight children is often difficult. There has been
substantial evidence suggesting that the early childhood period is
critical in the development of obesity. Two articles published
concurrently examine the effectiveness of behavioral and
multidisciplinary interventions for weight management in young children.
The aim of the study by Bocca and colleagues is to assess the effects of
a multidisciplinary intervention program for 3-year-old to 5-year-old
overweight and obese children compared with a usual-care program. The
aim of the study by Danielsson and colleagues is to investigate whether
the degree of obesity predicts the efficacy of long-term behavioral
treatment and to explore any interaction with age.
Study Synopsis and Perspective
Behavioral interventions for weight management in young children and
teenagers have mixed results, with efforts in younger children showing a
greater weight loss effect than efforts in older children and
adolescents, according to the findings of 2 new studies, both published
online October 29 in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent
Medicine.
In the
first study, Gianni Bocca, MD, from the Department of Pediatrics and
Beatrix Children's Hospital at the University of Groningen, the
Netherlands, and colleagues report that obese children aged 3 to 5 years
who were randomly assigned to an intensive multidisciplinary
intervention had greater decreases in body mass index (BMI), BMI z
score, and waist circumference z score than children in a usual-care
group.
The study included 75 children with a mean age of 4.7 years, 29 of whom
were overweight and 46 of whom were obese. Participants were randomly
assigned to receive 16 weeks of either a multidisciplinary intervention
or usual care.
The multidisciplinary intervention consisted of 25 sessions, totalling
approximately 30 hours during the 16 weeks, and included dietary advice
and physical activity sessions for parents and children, as well as
psychologic counseling for parents. Dietary advice consisted of 6
sessions of 30 minutes each, guided by a dietician. Participants were
advised about eating approaches and physical activity, and parents were
given ways to motivate their children and to serve as a healthy role
model.
Children and parents in the usual-care group were followed up by a
pediatrician, whom they visited 3 times over the course of 16 weeks for
30 to 60 minutes each time. Information on healthy eating was provided,
and the children were advised to perform physical activity for 1 hour
per day and to limit sedentary activity.
Compared with the usual-care group, in the intervention group, from
baseline to 16 weeks, significantly greater decreases in BMI (mean
difference, 0.5 kg/m2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01 – 1.07 kg/m2;
P = .05), BMI z score (mean difference, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.02 – 0.42; P =
.03), and waist circumference z score (mean difference, 0.3; 95% CI,
0.04 – 0.60; P = .02) were observed. In addition, visceral fat showed a
trend toward a higher decrease in the intervention group compared with
the usual-care group.
In the
second study, published in the same issue of the journal, Pernilla
Danielsson, RN, PhD, from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm,
Sweden, and colleagues report the findings of a 3-year longitudinal
study of obese children aged between 6 and 16 years.
A total of 643 children underwent a behavioral intervention over the
course of 3 years and were included in the analysis. The behavioral
treatment was designed "to help patients, with the support of their
parents, to adopt healthier eating habits, to become more physically
active, and to reduce the time spent in sedentary activities."
The guiding principle, the authors note, was that the treatment should
be intensified if it failed. As a consequence, the frequency of weight
checks varied from weekly to once a year. However, there was no
association between the frequency of visits and the results of
treatment.
Treatment was more effective for the younger moderately obese children
than for the older children. Of the 10- to 13-year-olds, 20% had a
reduction in BMI z score of 0.5 units or more compared with 8% of
children who were aged 14 to 16 years. In contrast, 58% of the severely
obese young children showed a clinically significant reduction in BMI z
score (mean reduction, −0.7; 95% CI, −0.80 to −0.54).
The severely obese adolescents showed no change in mean BMI z score
after 3 years, with only 2% experiencing clinically significant weight
loss.
In this second study, age was found to be a predictor of a reduction in
BMI z score (odds ratio, 0.68 units/year; 95% CI, 0.60 – 0.77
units/year).
Practical Targets
In a
related editorial, Jennifer A. Woo Baidal, MD, and Elsie M. Taveras,
MD, MPH, from Boston Children's Hospital and the Obesity Prevention
Program, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School in
Boston, Massachusetts, point out that the 2 studies "provide evidence
that intervening on obesity at an early age is effective and may have
sustained effects on weight and adiposity."
They suggest that behavioral targets for children younger than 5 years
include:
avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages and drinking water as the beverage of choice;
reducing exposure to food marketing by decreasing television viewing and screen time;
providing opportunities for children to participate in at least 1
hour per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity,
including active play;
replacing fried, sugary, and empty-calorie foods with fruits and vegetables at all meals and snacks; and
promoting sufficient, high-quality sleep.
"More and more evidence points to early childhood as a pivotal time for preventing in young children an obesity trajectory that is hard to alter by the time they enter middle school," they add.
Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent
Medicine.
29 October 2012
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19 NOVEMBER
Washington
Addicted And Conflicted: Teenage Smokers Want To Quit
Nearly one-in-ten teen girls in the United States are current smokers, but a majority of them want to quit, according to a new survey conducted by Legacy and Seventeen magazine. Researchers from Legacy – best known for the truth® youth smoking prevention campaign – surveyed teen girls on their behavior, attitudes and opinions about quitting smoking and found that 70 percent who smoke want to quit. According to the data, almost 60 percent have tried to quit, but less than half were successful. The results of the survey were highlighted in the November issue of Seventeen magazine.
"The smoking epidemic is a teen epidemic," said Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, President and CEO of Legacy. "With November marking Lung Cancer Awareness Month and the Great American Smoke Out taking place November 15, these findings provide a timely opportunity for teens to get the resources they need to make the most important decision of their young lives: to quit smoking," she added.
Data was collected by Research Now and included 570 13-17 year old girls, 9 percent of whom were current smokers. Among those surveyed, most who tried to quit found it was more difficult than they expected (52.6 percent); less than half (40 percent) were successful in their attempts.
The survey also found that many of the teens who reported smoking identified themselves as social smokers, or someone who had merely tried smoking.
"The term 'social smoking' becomes problematic for many young smokers. We know that even one cigarette can do damage to your body and light smokers may still face adverse health effects," Healton said. "Additionally, the nicotine in cigarettes can change the way our brains work – especially the developing brains of young teens. In our efforts to stem the tobacco epidemic, we must not only focus on prevention and providing teens with information on WHY they should not try that first cigarette; we have to devote energy to showing them HOW to stop smoking one of the most addictive substances available to them.""At Seventeen, we want to empower girls with real information to make the smartest choices in their health—and their lives," says Ann Shoket, Seventeen's Editor-In-Chief. "It's crucial that we give girls the right reasons to stop smoking, and the tools to actually make it happen."
Research shows that there are many reasons why teens start to smoke, including peer pressure, rebelliousness, impact of media, parental smoking and more. Many of those surveyed said they started smoking because their friends were smoking and because they were curious. A small number of teen girls reported they smoked to control their weight.
Press release: PR Newswire
14 November 2012
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/928049
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16 NOVEMBER
Does Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Affect Success Later in Life?
Clinical Context
With a worldwide prevalence of 5%, childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its long-term effects have been a major concern. Recently, reports from 5 prospective studies following preadolescents with ADHD into early adulthood found higher rates of ADHD symptoms and antisocial personality disorders in those with childhood ADHD compared with those without ADHD. There have only been few prospective, controlled studies that have gone beyond the third decade of life.
The aim of this study by Klein and colleagues was to examine whether children with ADHD have worse educational, occupational, economic, social, and marital outcomes and higher rates of ongoing ADHD, antisocial personality disorder, substance use disorders, adult-onset psychiatric disorders, psychiatric hospitalizations, and incarcerations than non-ADHD comparison participants at a mean age of 41 years.
Study Synopsis and Perspective
Men diagnosed with ADHD in childhood have significantly worse functional outcomes as adults compared with their counterparts without the disorder, new research shows.
A 33-year follow-up study conducted by investigators at the Child Study Center at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City showed that men who were diagnosed with ADHD as children had worse educational, occupational, economic, and social outcomes compared with non-ADHD comparison participants.
Led by Rachel G. Klein, PhD, the researchers also found higher rates of divorce, ongoing ADHD, antisocial personality disorder, and substance use disorders as well as more hospitalizations and incarcerations.
"Our findings confirm that men diagnosed with ADHD as children had multiple disadvantages throughout their lifetime," Dr. Klein said in a statement.
"It's essential that we monitor children with ADHD through adolescence and continue to treat them to help offset issues that can extend into adulthood," she added.
The study was published online October 15 in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Long-term Study
According to Dr. Klein, no previous prospective study of ADHD has gone beyond early adulthood.
To examine the long-term outcomes in this patient population, the investigators followed up 135 men who were diagnosed with ADHD at a mean age of 8 years and a comparison group of 136 men not diagnosed with childhood ADHD. The average age at follow-up was 41 years.
At 33-year follow-up, results revealed that only 3.7% of affected men had academic degrees higher than high school diplomas compared with 29.4% of comparator control participants.
Further, those with ADHD as children also had lower occupational status levels and relatively poorer socioeconomic status compared with control participants.
Despite the fact that 83.7% of men with ADHD held jobs, they were significantly less well off than their non-ADHD comparators, with an average annual income disparity of $40,000.
Men with childhood ADHD were also more likely to have ever been divorced, at 31.1% vs 11.8% for the control group.
Men with childhood ADHD also had higher rates of ongoing ADHD, at 22.2% vs 5.1% for the comparison group (P < .001). The authors note, however, that ADHD symptoms in the comparison group may have emerged during adulthood.
Both antisocial personality disorder and substance abuse disorder were also more frequent in men with childhood ADHD. However, the groups did not differ in the frequency of ongoing mood or anxiety disorders.
"Importantly, no new disadvantages emerged in adulthood in ADHD men," Dr. Klein added. "So problems started in adolescence, and this means that we need to help young patients with ADHD in adolescence."
Need for Continuous Treatment
Anthony Rostain, MD, from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, told Medscape Medical News that this is the longest follow-up study of ADHD to date, and for that reason alone, it is important.
The study findings are also important because they demonstrate that ADHD-related problems extend well into adulthood.
"Difficulties with substance use, academic underachievement, and relationship issues – all of those are already there in adolescence, so it speaks to the importance of addressing these problems in adolescence because they have lifelong consequences," said Dr. Rostain.
He noted that an issue not addressed in the study was how much treatment men with ADHD received and what percentage of patients continued treatment at any point in time.
In fact, these men were diagnosed in the 1970s, when it was believed stimulants were addictive, so treatment with stimulants was discontinued by the time the children reached adolescence, he noted.
"This is likely an untreated group," Dr. Rostain speculated. "So this is the impact of not getting treatment continuously."
The findings also demonstrate the importance of identifying ADHD symptoms in patients of all ages. The study, he noted, measured both clinical and functional outcomes, which are "the cost of ADHD in terms of real-life adaptations and managing the demands of adulthood."
The authors and Dr. Rostain have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. Published online
October 15, 2012. Abstract
Study Highlights
¦In this prospective, 33-year follow-up study, 2
groups were studied. The proband group consisted of 135 white men with
childhood ADHD who were free of conduct disorder. The comparison group
was made up of 136 men without childhood ADHD.
¦The outcome measures were occupational, economic, and educational
attainment; marital history; occupational and social functioning;
ongoing and lifetime psychiatric disorders; psychiatric
hospitalizations; and incarcerations.
¦Overall, results demonstrated that probands had significantly worse
educational, occupational, economic, and social outcomes; more divorces;
and higher rates of ongoing ADHD (22.2% vs 5.1%; P < .001), antisocial
personality disorder (16.3% vs 0%; P < .001), and substance use
disorders (14.1% vs 5.1%; P = .01) compared with the comparison
participants.
¦Compared with the comparison group, the probands did not have more mood
or anxiety disorders (P = .36 and P = .33, respectively) or
alcohol-related disorders (P = .20).
¦Despite most probands having jobs (83.7%), there was a disparity of
$40,000 between the median annual salary of employed probands and the
comparison group.
¦During their lifetime, probands had significantly more antisocial
personality disorders and substance use disorders and more psychiatric
hospitalizations, incarcerations, and deaths than comparison
participants.
¦In addition, psychiatric disorders with onsets at 21 years or older
were not significantly elevated in probands.
¦Probands without ongoing psychiatric disorders had worse social, but
not occupational, functioning.
¦The study included the following limitations: ¦the design lacked the
ability to generalize the results to women and all ethnic and social
groups, as the probands were white men of average intelligence;
¦the contrasts between probands and comparison participants may have
exaggerated the relative dysfunctions of the proband group because of
the characteristics of those comparison participants lost to follow-up;
¦study diagnoses reflect self-reports, and different results might
emerge with input from significant others; and
¦missing study participants may have resulted in some contrasts having
limited power, which may have precluded the detection of significant
associations.
Clinical Implications
• Early prospective studies demonstrated that
people with ADHD in childhood are more likely to have ADHD symptoms and
antisocial personality disorders in early adulthood.
• Childhood ADHD leads to multiple disadvantages well into
adulthood, without the increased onsets of new disorders after age 20
years.
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14 NOVEMBER
WASHINGTON
New PSAs Aim to Increase Adoption of Teenagers from Foster Care
To promote the adoption of teenagers from foster care, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), AdoptUSKids and the Ad Council are unveiling a new series of multimedia public service advertisements (PSAs). Today, more than 33,000 teenagers await adoption from the U.S. foster care system. Nearly 50 percent (14,000) are between the ages of 14 and 16.
These new PSAs are part of the Adoption from Foster Care campaign launched in 2004. Since the launch of the campaign more than 15,000 children have been placed with a permanent family.
"Families give children support, stability and confidence in the future," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "We are looking for prospective parents who can provide the stability and security that children in foster care need and deserve."
The new television, radio, print, outdoor and digital PSAs end with the tagline: "You don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent." The goal is to reassure prospective parents that even if they are not "perfect," they have the potential to make a positive impact on a child's life. This year, a special emphasis is placed on recruiting families for 14 to 16 year olds.
The PSAs direct audiences to visit www.adoptuskids.org or to call 1-888-200-4005 (English) or 1-877-236-7831 (Spanish) to receive the latest information about the foster care system and the adoption process.
The campaign's reach will be extended on social media by featuring "Oh, Parents" moments-- the genuine and often hilarious stories of imperfection that all parents experience. Prospective parents and supporters are invited to join the conversation and share their own humorous mishaps of parenting through social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, and starting next month on Tumblr.
"We are hopeful this campaign's focus on recruiting families for 14 to 16 year olds will increase the chances that the 1,700 youth in this age range currently featured on www.adoptuskids.org will be placed for adoption," said Kathy Ledesma, national project director, AdoptUSKids.
The new PSA content was created pro bono by Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners (kbs+). "The notion that you don't have to be perfect to be a loving parent is a universal truth, and we couldn't be more proud to help support this message," said Izzy Debellis, Co-Chief Creative Officer, kbs+. "As an agency, but especially as advocates of the cause, we are thrilled to be part of it."
"We're pleased to continue this tremendously successful campaign with HHS and AdoptUSKids through these new, light-hearted PSAs by kbs+," said Peggy Conlon, president & CEO of the Ad Council. "Out of all of the Ad Council's PSA campaigns, the call to action for our Adoption from Foster Care campaign is perhaps one of the largest -- to ask Americans to open their hearts and homes to a teen. But, it is also one of the most important and gratifying, and we know that our partners in the media will continue to support such a worthwhile cause."
Since July 2004, the Ad Council has partnered with ACF, AdoptUSKids and kbs+ on a national multimedia campaign to encourage the adoption of children from foster care. Since its launch the campaign has received more than $341 million in donated media support across television, radio, print, outdoor and digital media. Per the Ad Council model, the new PSAs will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated by the media.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families Within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is the agency that is responsible for federal programs that promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities. The Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) administers national programs for children and youth; works with states, Tribes, and local communities to develop services that support and strengthen family life; seeks joint ventures with the private sector to enhance the lives of children and their families; and provides information and other assistance to parents. Many of the programs administered by ACYF focus on children from low-income families; abused and neglected children; children and youth in need of foster care, independent living, adoption or other child welfare services; preschool children; children with disabilities; runaway and homeless youth; and children from Native American and migrant families. For more information on ACF's adoption programs, please visit http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/focus-areas/adoption .
AdoptUSKidsAdoptUSKids is a multi-faceted, federally funded project whose mission is to raise public awareness about the need for families for children in foster care, and assist States, Territories and Tribes to recruit and retain foster and adoptive families and connect them with children. The project is managed through a cooperative agreement with the Children's Bureau at ACF.
SOURCE The Ad Council
Press release: PR Newswire
13 November 2012
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12 NOVEMBER
Child Sexual Abuse – An Attorney’s Viewpoint
Susan B. Ramsey Reports: The recent media attention surrounding the Penn State – Sandusky trial and other revelations concerning child sexual abuse matters require discussion, as there are many ramifications for survivors, families of survivors and the people who care about them. According to the Crimes against Children Research Center located at the University of New Hampshire. There are many estimates concerning the number of children who are victims of sexual abuse.
• One U.S. governmental source counted more than
78,000 child victims of sexual abuse in just 2003. That is a rate of 1.2
per 1,000 American children.
• The 2001 National Crime Victimization Survey which only covers ages 12
through 17 estimates that 1.9 per 1,000 children are rapes or sexually
assaulted.
• National Surveys of Adults find that 9 to 28% of women say they have
experienced some type of sexual abuse or assault in childhood.
Of course these estimates and others that are available nationwide have limitations based on many issues, primarily that these incidents are often not reported to any law enforcement or protection agency. .
Who are the victims of child sexual abuse?
According to the Crimes Against Children Research Center, it is difficult to create a profile of children who will be sexually abused. It is possible to describe characteristics that are more common among victims.
(a) Demographics and gender. It is fairly well known that many more girls than boys are victims of sexual abuse. This statistic has been confirmed regardless of the information that has been used. Across different types of research, all reliable studies conclude that girls experience sexual abuse more than boys.
(b) Age. There is some discrepancy in the available
data about whether teenagers are at higher risks or whether the risk is
more uniformly distributed. One national study that uses information,
agencies found that 14% of sexual assault victims are ages 0 to 5, 20%
are ages 6 to 11, 33% are ages 12 to 17. \
Who are the perpetrators of child sexual abuse?
Just as it is difficult to create a simple profile of who will become victims of sexual abuse, it is equally difficult to create a profile of who will perpetrate sexual crimes against minors.
(a) Gender. The perpetrators of sexual abuse are overwhelmingly males. Studies using law enforcement as well as victims self report data found that more than 90% of the perpetrators of sexual offenses against minors were male.
(b) Age. Juveniles themselves commit a considerable proportion of sexual offenses against children with estimates indicating about one-third, ranging from 29 to 41% are juveniles. Among adult perpetrators, young adults under the age of 30 are over represented.
(c) Relationship to the victim. Acquaintances and family members commit most sexual abuse and assault. Several studies agree that approximately half of all the offenders are acquaintances. The studies differ about the percentages who are family members. The range going from 14 to 47%. A good approximation is that the family members constitute a quarter to a third of the offenders. Strangers make up the small group of perpetrators ranging from 7 to 25%.
Resources for survivors of child sexual assault and abuse.
There are many national and local organizations which provide resources for adult survivors of sexual abuse as well as family members or parents of children who have been sexually abused.
(a) RAINN – Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network has a website (http://www.rainn.org) and a hotline number of 1-800-656-HOPE . The website provides much information about where to get help, how to get additional information and a newsroom which provides help information about recent cases in the media.
(b) ASCA – Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse is an international self help support group designed specifically for adult’s survivors of neglect, physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse. This program offers community based self help support groups; web based self help support groups, survivor to thriver work box. It has a website (http://www.ascasupport.org).
Sources
1. Crimes Against Children Research Center;
Childhood Sexual Abuse Fact sheet; Emily M. Douglas and David Finkelhor,
May 2005.
2. United States Administration for Children and Families, Child
Maltreatment 2003: Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse
and Neglect Data Systems, National Statistics on Child Abuse and Neglect
2005.
3. Sedlak, A.J. and D.D. Broadhurt, Executive Summary of the Third
National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect 1996, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and
Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, National
Center on Child Abuse and Neglect: Washington DC,
4. National Incident Based Reporting System, Statistics Calculated by
Staff at the Crimes Against Children Research Center 2001,
5. Finkelhor, D.Hammer, and A.J. Sedlak, Sexually Assaulted Children:
National Estimate in Characteristics in the Juvenile Justice Bulletin,
In Press Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Washington DC,
6. World Health Organization, Comparative Risk Assessment; Child Sexual
Abuse 2001, Who Collaborating Center for Evidence and Health Policy and
Mental Health, Sydney, Australia
Press release: JusticeNewsFlash.com – Press Release
Distribution
10 November 2012
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9 NOVEMBER
US
UW study: "It costs too much to be healthy"
The high cost of health care is deterring some parents from taking their children to the doctor or buying prescription medication, regardless of how much money they make or whether they have health insurance, according to a study published today in the journal Pediatrics.
Previous research has shown that families who have
difficulty paying their medical bills may delay or forgo needed care. In
this study, researchers sought to determine factors that affect
families’ decisions to put off or go without care, including the cost of
health care relative to a family’s income and having a child with a
limitation such as asthma, autism or obesity.
Investigators Lauren E. Wisk and Dr. Whitney P. Witt, from the UW School
of Medicine and Public Health, examined data from the 2001-2008 Medical
Expenditure Panel Surveys on 14,138 families with at least one child.
Excessive financial burden was defined as total out-of-pocket health
care expenses as a proportion of the families’ total income. Delayed or
forgone care was defined as putting off or going without medical care or
prescription medications for a parent or child due to cost and/or
insurance-related reasons.
Results showed that families with high financial burden, having a child with an activity limitation or a parent without insurance each increased the likelihood that families would delay or go without care. For example, having a child with an activity limitation increases the odds of unmet health needs by 81 percent. However, when a parent and child had the same insurance, they were more likely to get the care they needed.
Interestingly, before the recession, children with private insurance and a consistent, appropriate usual source of care were protected against unmet need due to cost or insurance. However, those factors were not significantly protective during the recession.
Additionally, significant racial/ethnic and income-related disparities existed in the experience of delayed or forgone care. For example, families whose income was less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level were two to three times more likely to delay or go without care than families with incomes at or above 400 percent of the poverty level. Meanwhile, families who experienced more than a 10 percent decrease in their family income during the study period were also more likely to experience unmet need.
“Every U.S. family has a finite amount of resources available to them, and every day they have to make decisions about how to allocate those resources. This is especially true in today’s economy where you hear people talk about ‘feeling the pinch,’” Wisk said. “This study shows the unfortunate reality of the situation. Families aren’t choosing to spend their money on going to the doctor when someone is sick because of how much it cost them to see the doctor last time. They’re sacrificing their health because it costs too much to be healthy.”
Witt says the study “provides clear evidence that
families are rationing needed health care as a result of high costs. The
concern is that these financial barriers to care will lead to a decline
in the health of US families.”
However, Witt said the results also highlight potential solutions,
specifically limiting cost-sharing, providing continuous coverage to
families as a unit, and focusing on the most vulnerable families (like
those with children with health problems) to ensure that needed care is
received.
7 November 2012
http://www.themadisontimes.com/news_details.php?news_id=2387
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7 NOVEMBER
Should Schools Close During Bad Flu Outbreaks?
A new U.S. government study suggests that during a serious flu epidemic, closing schools can keep people -- especially kids -- out of the ER.
Now, researchers say, the big questions include: When is it best to close schools? And what are the downsides?
The study, reported October 19 in Clinical Infectious Diseases, looked at what happened in two Texas communities during the H1N1 epidemic of 2009. In one community, schools were closed as a precaution; in the other, they weren't.
It turned out that in the district where schools shut down, there were fewer ER visits for the flu.
What's more, among kids age 6 and up, there was no increase in flu-related ER trips, while that rate doubled in the community where schools stayed open.
"The effect was most dramatic among school-age children," said Dr. Martin S. Cetron, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There have been skeptics who've doubted that school closures could have much impact during a major flu outbreak, according to Dr. Cetron.
"They've said, well, people will just congregate in malls or other public places," explained Dr. Cetron, who directs the CDC's division of global migration and quarantine, and worked on the study.
But schools are different from malls, Dr. Cetron pointed out, with kids being in close contact with each other all day long.
He said he thinks this study, along with others, "settles" the question of whether school closures are effective. "Should this be an arrow in our quiver? I think the answer is 'yes,'" Dr. Cetron said.
But lots of other questions remain.
"Under what conditions could (school closures) be warranted?" Dr. Cetron said. "What level of severity is needed?"
And if schools are closed, he noted, what are the downsides? Parents will have to stay home from work, or find child care. And kids and teachers will have to make up the lost school time somehow. So the expected benefits of school closings would need to be worth the troubles.
The current study looked at two adjacent counties in Texas: Tarrant County, which closed its schools for eight days after a few kids were diagnosed with H1N1; and Dallas County, where schools did not shut down after a few cases were detected.
Before Tarrant County's school closures, the flu accounted for about 3% of all ER visits to area hospitals; during the closures, that rate inched up to just over 4%. But the increase was bigger in Dallas County during the same time period: from 3%, to just over 6%.
The impact was most clear among kids ages 6 to 18. In Tarrant County, there was no increase in the proportion of ER visits blamed on the flu. In Dallas County, the figure more than doubled, from about 5% to 11%.
"It's important to point out that this was a pre-emptive school closure," Dr. Cetron said. "Usually, most closures we see are reactive."
Predicting how a flu outbreak might affect a local area is far from easy. It's not like tracking a hurricane, for instance, Dr. Cetron pointed out.
Decisions on school closures are made locally. For school districts to make wise decisions, Dr. Cetron said communication with local and state health agencies is key.
Source: Clinical Infectious Diseases
30 October 2012
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/773603?src=mpnews&spon=9
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5 NOVEMBER
CANADA
Helping children and youth find their forever families
The Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies (OACAS) and Ontario's Children's Aid Societies are spreading the message throughout Adoption Awareness Month, that all children and youth deserve to have forever families and lifelong connections they can count on.
What is a forever family? It's a lifelong, permanent connection to an adult through adoption, legal custody, kinship care (care by a relative or someone known to the child), or customary care. Having this connection is extremely important as it provides an adult to turn to through all of life's celebrations and challenges, it's a safe place to come home to, and a sense of stability all of which are so important to the development of a child. Last year, more than 830 children were connected to their forever family by adoption through the public system. Over 3,000 children found permanency through legal custody, adoption, kinship care, or customary care.
There are more than 8,000 children and youth in the care of Ontario's Children's Aid Societies who are looking for their forever family. The majority of these children and youth are between the ages of 13 and 18, yet they represent a small percentage of those being adopted. Last year, children between 13 and 18 represented 61% of the 8,000 children needing permanent families, yet only 3.6% of these children were adopted through Ontario's public adoption system. Regardless of their age or situation, all of these children need a permanent connection. To help support these children and youth, the government of Ontario announced subsidies to families who adopt or become legal custodians to sibling groups, and/or youth over the age of ten years in June. Visit http://bit.ly/SVRE9z to read more about the announcement.
Some of the children needing forever families are siblings looking to stay together. For Farion and Tracy they knew they wanted to grow their family but didn't know how special the connection to their children would be. "Although we are grateful to have each other, somehow we felt that something was missing from our lives. Like a puzzle that isn't quite complete without the last piece. That is until we met siblings Katie and Barry."
"Having these children to share our lives with is such a great gift. At the end of the day we want our children to know that they will always have a place where they feel safe and loved. We've found the piece that was missing from our puzzle," said Farion and Tracy.
Other children needing forever families are children with special needs. For Becky and Mitchell*, adoption came as an unexpected surprise. "One of the students in a special needs class I came to work at was living in a foster home, the same home he had been living in since he was a year old. When the placement suddenly became disrupted he was abruptly moved to a new home, and his world turned upside down. David returned to school after this a very scared and confused little boy. He would make comments about just wanting a family to love him, and didn't want to go "home". Mitchell and I knew David had to be a part of our family."
"Later we met Sam who has cerebral palsy. Of course, Mitchell and I couldn't resist falling for Sam as well, and we started making inquiries about adopting him in the fall of that year. We wouldn't change the path that let us to be the parents of these amazing people. They are happy, healthy, secure, and loved with us, and that makes all the difference to them and us."
Help find forever families for Ontario's children and youth. Visit www.useyourvoice.ca to find your local Children's Aid and more information on adopting through Ontario's public adoption system.
Press release: Canada Newswire
2 November 2012
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1063717/helping-children-and-youth-find-their-forever-families
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2 NOVEMBER 2012
Resolving Child Custody Disputes in Georgia
An overview of how Georgia courts decide child custody cases.
When the parents of a child do not live together -- either because of a divorce or because they were never married -- Georgia courts will step in to determine who will be granted custody.
In Georgia, there are two sides to most child custody cases: physical and legal custody. Physical custody refers the parent with whom the child lives most of the time. In most cases, one parent will be granted primary physical custody and the other will be granted visitation and parenting time. Legal custody involves the power to make important decisions about the child's upbringing, such as schooling, health care and religious education. Legal custody can be awarded to one or both parents.
How Is Custody Decided?
When a married couple divorces, there is no automatic presumption about
which parent will be awarded primary custody. Both the mother and the
father start off on equal footing.
This isn't always true, though, when a child is born outside of wedlock. In those cases, the mother will automatically be granted custody unless the father has legitimated the child. This can be done either by a voluntary agreement between the parents or by pursuing a legitimation action in court. Simply putting the father's name on the birth certificate is not enough.
After the custody case is filed, the parents will appear in court, where a judge will review the evidence and hear testimony. The judge will look at the whole picture to determine what custody arrangement will be in the best interests of the child. In doing so, the judge will consider a number of factors, including the following:
The bond between each parent and the child
Whether the child has lived with one parent more often
The extent to which each parent contributed to a satisfactory and stable home life
Each parent's physical and mental health
Any evidence of abuse, chemical dependency or criminal behavior
Each parent's ability to meet the child's educational needs
Each parent's ability to meet the child's basic material needs, including food, clothing and medical care
The extent to which each parent has been involved in the child's social, educational and extracurricular activities
In custody cases involving older children, the judge may ask the child if he or she has a preference about where to live. Children age 14 and older get to choose which parent to live with, unless the judge finds that the choice is not in the child's best interest. Children between the ages of 11 and 14 may express a preference, although that preference is merely a factor in the judge's decision.
Georgia child custody cases can be very complex, and they almost always involve a lot of heightened emotions. It is important to strike a balance between advocating for your position and not disparaging the other parent or asking the child to make an uncomfortable decision. If you are seeking custody of your child, talk with an experienced Georgia family law attorney who can help you make your case.
Press release: 24-7pressrelease.com
1 November 2012
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/904254
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