NEW YORK - A new report says family connections make all the difference and it ranks New York in the middle of the pack for finding stable family settings for children in the child welfare system. One sign of progress in the new report is the way New York is helping to preserve family connections.

Dr. Jeremy Kohomban is CEO of the Children's Village regional treatment center in Manhattan, which according to the report has greatly expanded its network of foster families in recent years.

"We have many more children living in families, including teenagers, and I think the report is a wake-up call to remind us that while we made progress, that there's a lot more we can do," says Kohomban.

The report,Every Child Needs a Family, says New York just misses the national average with 83 percent of out-of-home placements made with family, compared to 84 percent nationwide.

Gerard Wallace, director with the New York State Kinship Navigator program, says the results vary from one county to the next because the state takes a decentralized approach in supporting extended families that care for children who have been removed from their homes.

"In many counties more kin take on children without any supports," he says. "In some counties, particularly more downstate, it is predominantly foster kinship that works."

Wallace say more than 20,000 children still live in group home settings and the state is working hard to get higher placement of kin as foster parents.

"New York just increased its funding for kinship services and it doubled it," he says. "New York is going to be releasing soon the 13 or so programs that it will fund across the state to support kinship families that are not in foster care and those programs are critical. "

The Casey report finds about 57,000 children nationwide are living in group homes. It says there is no documented behavioral or clinical reason for placing 40 percent of children in group homes.


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Advocacy groups said they are concerned about the lack of accountability surrounding Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's $388 million proposal to staff schools with police officers known as school resource officers.

Cyan Blackwell, policy strategist for the ACLU of Ohio, explained the increased presence of police in schools over the past few decades has led to students being criminalized for behavior once handled by a principal, such as using a cell phone in class or disrespecting a teacher.

"We've been relying heavily on police officers to respond to these minor infractions," Blackwell pointed out. "Which has often led to exclusionary discipline practices such as suspending a student from school or expelling a student, as well as school-based arrests and referrals to juvenile court."

She noted research showed Black students in Cincinnati are nearly five times more likely to face discipline and law enforcement referrals than their white peers, beginning what has been described as a school to prison pipeline.

TaKasha Smith, executive director of the Juvenile Justice Coalition, believes there should be guardrails around the proposed funding to help determine the effectiveness of adding school resources officers, and to boost transparency for families.

"Some really simple first steps to increase trust for the community, for the schools, for the children is that police officers who have excessive use of force, who have those claims on the record, should not be dealing primarily with our kids," Smith contended.

Alison Paxson, senior policy associate for the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio, acknowledged school safety is not a one-size-fits-all issue, and said school administrators need funding flexibility to best serve students.

"We need to ensure local control is honored for schools to choose to hire a school counselor instead of a police officer based on their own local contexts and needs," Paxson urged.

According to the ACLU, Ohio schools average one school counselor for every 500 students in the classroom.

New findings suggest health effects stemming from child maltreatment can be passed on to the next generation.

In South Dakota, leaders in early-childhood support said there are ways to limit the impact of traumatic events within a family's history.

The research was led by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program and the National Institutes of Health. It said children of mothers exposed to childhood maltreatment had higher rates of asthma, ADHD and autism.

Darbi Hunt, family lead for South Dakota's Early Childhood Comprehensive System's Collaborative, said guidance and early screening are vital in reversing such outcomes.

"It's important that we look for ways to help understand better practices," Hunt stressed. "Provide them the resources, the knowledge and the skills so that we can try and break that cycle."

The state is expanding its Bright Start visiting program for income-eligible households, where a personal nurse supports mothers during and after birth. And there are parenting classes, too. But Hunt noted awareness and accessibility can be a challenge in a rural state like South Dakota, and she urged agencies to team up to prevent families from falling through the cracks.

Darla Biel, assistant director of the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment, said the findings add to the long history of research showing how a surrounding environment can impact child development. But she emphasized a history of abuse or neglect does not mean a family is permanently broken.

"They may have experienced adversity," Biel acknowledged. "That doesn't mean that they're not able to be supported, and not able to move forward in healthy and safe ways with their children and their families."

Biel added parents navigating adversity should feel no shame in asking for help, noting they are not alone in trying to cope with stress while raising a child.

According to last year's State of Babies data summary, 22% of South Dakota mothers reported less than optimal mental health. Parenting classes are offered through the state's Social Services department.

Youth advocates continue to sound the alarm over the impact flavored tobacco products have on teenagers, and hope Minnesota lawmakers take another close look at a proposed statewide ban.

Following attempts in previous legislative sessions, a bill has surfaced to prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes.

The coalition Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation said the region faces a youth tobacco epidemic.

Bethlehem Yewhalawork, program manager for NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center, said enacting proposed restrictions can prevent things from getting worse.

"Passing a comprehensive flavor policy will really prevent youth addiction and improve health for all Minnesotans," Yewhalawork contended.

According to the coalition, one in seven 11th graders in Minnesota reports using e-cigarettes, and 88% of those students use flavored products.

Proposed bans often encounter pushback from the tobacco industry and retailers. A similar ban in the city of Edina recently survived a court challenge. Currently, 25% of Minnesotans are covered by a local flavored tobacco policy.

Preethika Naveen, a senior at Eagan High School, said while overall smoking rates have declined, use of flavored tobacco is prevalent among her peers.

"Many kids use menthol chew and vape e-cigarettes. Why? Because of the flavors," Naveen observed.

Advocates also argued the tobacco industry continues to use menthol products to target Black Americans, LGBTQ communities and youth. Groups such as the Children's Defense Fund have noted early exposure to nicotine can have lasting effects on a child's brain development.