The FAMCare Blog

Since 1977 when Annie opened on Broadway, theatrical artists have been portraying endangered youth who have experienced both maltreatment and engaged in delinquent behavior like Oliver Twist and Little Orphan Annie.

Oliver! and Annie, two of Broadway’s most iconic musicals, star two children caught between Juvenile Justice and Child Protective Services. 

Case workers in Juvenile Justice have long been concerned about a subversive movement in the back halls of Congress and many state houses to erase any distinction between young offenders and adult criminals. As recently as the 1990s almost all 50 states overhauled their juvenile justice laws, allowing more youths to be tried as adults and scrapping long-time protections to help rehabilitate delinquent kids and prevent future crimes. Only ignorance of the history of juvenile justice in United States could be responsible for a now subdued but continued movement to “simplify” criminal justice by merging juveniles and adults together in the eyes of the law. May we take a moment to remind everyone how our juvenile justice system evolved to its present effective state.

On November 18, 2020, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET, the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice (FACJJ) will hold a virtual meeting. Composed of members of state advisory groups on juvenile justice, the FACJJ advises the President, Congress, and OJJDP Administrator on matters related to juvenile justice, and evaluates the progress and accomplishments of juvenile justice activities and projects.

Register to attend.

COVID-19 Diagnoses in Juvenile Facilities
Known Cases as of June 24
658 youth, 771 staff 

Annie E. Casey Foundation

“If there was ever a good time to make sure that not a single young person spends a single day in detention or placement unless there is an immediate and severe risk to community safety, this is it,” says Nate Balis, director of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Justice Strategy Group. “This is the time for juvenile justice agencies to scrutinize every detention and placement decision and to review — if not reconsider — every policy that leans toward confinement.”

Today, we all work in silos with our heads down and our noses to the grindstone. This self-imposed isolation adds to the burn out rate in social services. This blog hopes to offer you a refreshing break from the intensity of your service – “Think of reading this blog as a refreshing “glance around the room” looking for inspiration and encouragement from your colleagues who, like you, have dedicated their lives to the service of society’s most vulnerable.”

The Headline

After years of writing about the mass incarceration of Americans, it gives us great pleasure to share this headline with everyone in the social services community.

A new resource guide is available that helps to keep our teens and youth safe.  If you'd like to grab a copy - you can get it here:  https://www.staysafe.org/teens/ 

A resource for finding Federal grants to fund youth programs has been shared with our team.  You can find information on the http://youth.gov website.

How we care for the most vulnerable among us is one of the great challenges of our time. As Mahatma Ghandi once said, “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” And social workers are hard-pressed to find one group in more dire need of urgent attention than children at risk of neglect or abuse.

On September 7, 2018, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. ET, OJJDP, in conjunction with the National Gang Center, will present "OJJDP Funding Opportunities for Gang Suppression." This webinar will highlight the two OJJDP gang suppression solicitations available to prevent and reduce gang-related crime and violence. The discussion will cover eligibility, goals, objectives, deliverables, and budgetary requirements. A representative from the National Gang Center will also highlight ways in which jurisdictions can introduce and/or strengthen comprehensive approaches to develop strategic gang-reduction plans and implement coordinated gang suppression strategies.