I Went to Mexico to Meet Asylum-Seekers Trapped at the Border. This Is What I Saw.
n/t
Category: Modern Parenting,
The U.S. has held a record 69,550 migrant children in government custody in 2019
The U.S. has held a record 69,550 migrant children in government custody in 2019
The US government are the bad guys in this movie.
The World’s Happiest People Share Their Parenting Secrets
Why are the Danish people consistently reputed to be the happiest in the world? They suggest their elevated level of innate happiness may be rooted in the way the nation’s children are parented.
…Play is the language of children and in Denmark protecting children’s right to free play is taken very seriously; it’s considered crucial, not optional. Over scheduling kids is actively avoided; you’re more likely to hear a Danish parent say their child is going to play in the backyard on Saturday rather than take part in organised sport. And by “play” they mean kids are left to their own devices, with a friend or alone, to play exactly as they see fit, for as long as they want.
The Danes recognize play teaches social skills, empathy, self-control, coping mechanisms, and much more.
…The Danes like to “keep it real”. They’re honest with their children about the good, bad and ugly of life. Danish movies, stories, and books often deal with difficult topics and don’t always have happy endings; science shows “keeping it real” can improve empathy skills as well as make us happier in a “count your blessings” kind of way.
…Reframing is a cultural phenomenon in Denmark which is passed from one generation to the next; it’s incredibly powerful and results in the “realistic optimism” Danes are famous for.
…They actively teach empathy in schools. It has the same value as subjects like Math or English, with programs in place to teach kids to identify others’ emotions and conceptualize themselves in others’ shoes.
…Hygge, pronounced hooga, means “to cozy around together.” Hygge is spending time together with loved ones in a cozy, psychologically safe environment. Everyone enters into an unspoken agreement that, for this period of time, no one complains, brags or brings up negative or controversial topics; creating a drama-free space.
The World’s Happiest People Share Their Parenting Secrets – Raised Good
hmmmm
Flint weighs school closures as it grapples with special ed costs
Fueling the district’s economic problems is the fact that 24% of the 3,750 students in Flint Community Schools are designated as special education, a number that is nearly twice as high as the 13.2% statewide average.
…Flint’s water was contaminated with lead when officials used corrosive river water from April 2014 to October 2015 that wasn’t properly treated. In children, lead exposure can result in serious effects on IQ, ability to pay attention and academic achievement.
Flint weighs school closures as it grapples with special ed costs
hmmm
Flint’s Children Suffer in Class After Years of Drinking the Lead-Poisoned Water
The contamination of this long-struggling city’s water exposed nearly 30,000 schoolchildren to a neurotoxin known to have detrimental effects on children’s developing brains and nervous systems. Requests for special education or behavioral interventions began rising four years ago, when the water contamination became public, bolstering a class-action lawsuit that demanded more resources for Flint’s children.
…The percentage of the city’s students who qualify for special education services has nearly doubled, to 28 percent, from 15 percent the year the lead crisis began, and the city’s screening center has received more than 1,300 referrals since December 2018. The results: About 70 percent of the students evaluated have required school accommodations for issues like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as A.D.H.D.; dyslexia; or mild intellectual impairment.
…Pediatricians here caution against overdiagnosing children as irreparably brain damaged, if only to avoid stigmatizing an entire city.
…The suit accuses the school systems of violating federal and state laws, including the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, by failing to identify students who could qualify for special education services, by failing to provide the mandated instructional services to those who do qualify and by punishing children for disability-related behavior.
Students were denied assessments for education plans or behavioral intervention plans, and then were segregated from their peers, secluded and restrained, repeatedly sent home from school, expelled or arrested, the lawsuit said.
…The district ignored her pleas to accommodate his A.D.H.D., which his pediatrician said was exacerbated by elevated lead levels.
…Bethany Dumanois, who has taught in Flint for 25 years, works two jobs to keep teaching because she said she cannot abandon children whose discolored, rash-covered skin and chunks of exposed scalp haunt her. In the earlier days of the crisis, she spent class time addressing questions from her students about whether they would die from the water like their class lizard, a bearded dragon, did.
…Instead of investing in more teachers, social workers and special education aides, she said the district had pushed laptop computers and iPads, “just jumping on any bandwagon, trying to sugarcoat what’s happening with these kids.”
On a recent night at a local restaurant, Ms. Pascal, the 23-year Flint teaching veteran, vented over the “injustices everywhere.” The district adopted a new reading program with no money to buy the instructional materials. She had been asked to identify a handful of her students for a new behavior support program, but wants to include all 21.
She thinks about quitting, but said she refuses to leave another vacancy for the district to fill.
sigh…
Harris Policy Proposals That Got Lost in that Shitshow of a Campaign
Under Harris’ proposal, homebuyers who rent or live in historically redlined communities can apply for a federal grant of up to $25,000 to assist with down payments or closing costs. Harris’ campaign estimates that this will help up to 4 million families.
Redlining is the discriminatory practice of denying financial or other services for low-income and minority communities.
Harris’ policy proposal also aims to prevent discrimination in home sales, rentals and loans by promising to strengthen and strictly enforce anti-discrimination laws.
…In May, Harris reintroduced her 2018 bill to tackle racial disparities in maternal health and rolled out her proposal to fine companies that don’t achieve pay equity
Harris’ education proposal — her first major policy as a presidential candidate — would boost teacher pay, make additional investments in public schools and support programs dedicated to teacher recruitment, training and professional development, particularly at historically black colleges and universities.
Kamala Harris unveils $100 billion black homeownership plan – CNNPolitics
sigh…
Misinformed YouTubers are undermining the fight for children’s privacy online.
“The access that children have to YouTube carries with it a corporate obligation to institute and enforce policies that protect the well being of these young users.” As part of its FTC settlement, Google created a new system allowing YouTubers to mark their content as “Made for Kids.” Once they do, Google disables some of the site’s features, such as personalized advertising, commenting, and notifications for these videos.
But YouTubers seem confused about what these things mean in practice and why Google has implemented them. As a result, many are unintentionally spreading misinformation about children’s privacy law. Some claim that YouTube will have to ban certain types of content, such as videos about the popular game Roblox. Others, from food bloggers to a capella artists, worry that YouTube will have to disable all personalized advertising on a video just because a child may watch it. One commenter even said that she will have to start “swearing like a sailor” and incorporate more “adult” conversations into her videos in order to avoid being covered by COPPA.
…That’s not what COPPA does. Under this law, companies with content directed to children under 13 must inform parents what information they collect from kids and obtain parental permission before they collect it. So the content creators complaining that the law prohibits all personalized advertising are simply misinformed—and spreading that misinformation. If a company like Google really wanted to use personalized ads on videos for kids, it would just need to get parents’ permission first. But instead, Google is acting as if children on YouTube—and the protections they’re afforded—are relatively new phenomena, exacerbating content creators’ misunderstandings of the law.
Misinformed YouTubers are undermining the fight for children’s privacy online.
People are such idiots.
A Trump administration strategy led to the child migrant backup crisis at the border
…“This will strain bed capacity,” authorities wrote in a discussion paper in February 2018.
..According to current and former government officials, and emails and memos detailing the Trump administration’s strategy, it is clear they knew that without enough beds in government shelters, children would languish in Border Patrol stations not equipped to care for them.
…[Policies also] made it harder for adult relatives of unaccompanied minors to secure the children’s release from U.S. custody. Enhanced vetting of sponsors — including fingerprints and other paperwork — and the sharing of that information between child welfare and immigration authorities slowed down the release of children and exposed the sponsors to deportation.
…The contractors tasked with carrying out the background checks and fingerprinting were overwhelmed, according to current and former HHS officials.
…The approach caused thousands of unaccompanied minors to be stranded in U.S. custody and exacerbated the appearance of a crisis on the southern border — a major element underlying the administration’s public request for billions of dollars in additional funding from Congress.
…A few months after the policy was implemented, HHS officials determined that it was not improving child safety. They concluded that the added vetting was redundant and needlessly extended the time children remained in custody.
…The administration also developed and rolled out its family separation policy in the spring of 2018, part of its “zero tolerance” approach at the border. The months-long initiative, which separated thousands of children from their parents, compounded the need for shelter space.
mmhmmm
Trump Administration Separates Some Migrant Mothers From Their Newborns Before Returning Them to Detention
Advocates also report that some asylum seekers in the Western District of Texas who have given birth in USMS custody were forced to hand over their newborns to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). Reuniting with their newborn hinges on their release from federal custody, and whether they can access legal help to navigate the child welfare system.
…Dr. Shelly said she doesn’t know if the U.S. citizen newborns of detained parents are eventually adopted or whether detained patients are deported without regaining custody of their babies. The OB-GYN is also unsure if foster parents have any obligation to remain in communication with parents remanded to USMS custody.
According to USMS, the onus for child care placement is on the detained parent, though it appears as if asylum seekers who give birth in USMS custody don’t have many choices at all.
…U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) could release these women shortly after they are first apprehended, and then refer them to organizations like Annunciation House that can offer support as they pursue asylum and prepare to give birth. But that’s not what happens.
Jeezus….
Samoa Measles Outbreak: Government Closes Schools, Requires Vaccinations
A state of emergency was declared Friday by acting Prime Minister and Minister of Health Faimalotoa Kika Stowers-Ah Kau. The proclamation legally mandates that all Samoan citizens receive an MMR vaccination and bans minors from public gatherings.
Of the 716 cases reported, over 100 affected individuals have been hospitalized.
….Parents were “neglecting their responsibilities”[emphasis peanut gallery] by not vaccinating their children, Naseri said. According to officials, most of the deaths in the recent epidemic are unvaccinated children under two years old.
Samoa Measles Outbreak: Government Closes Schools, Requires Vaccinations : NPR
hmmm
Oklahoma mom imprisoned for 15 years for not reporting boyfriend’s abuse freed
Tondalao Hall was sentenced in 2006 to 30 years in prison under Oklahoma’s “failure to protect” law after her then-boyfriend, Robert Braxton Jr., abused two of their children so severely, at least one had multiple broken bones.
…Braxton, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to abusing the children, but was given no additional time behind bars: He received a 10-year suspended sentence and was released on probation after having served his two years in jail,
…Oklahoma’s law makes no exception for parents who stay silent out of fear for their own safety — which Lambert said was the case in Hall’s situation. In addition to choking and punching their young children, Lambert said, Braxton beat and psychologically abused Hall.
Oklahoma mom imprisoned for 15 years for not reporting boyfriend’s abuse freed
hmmm
US rapper draws outrage with daughter ‘virginity test’
he escorts Deyjah Harris to the doctor’s office after each birthday to “check her hymen”.
“Usually like the day after the [birthday] party, she’s enjoying her gifts, I put a sticky note on the door: ‘Gyno. Tomorrow. 9:30’,” TI, whose real name is Clifford Harris, told the presenters.
The trips began after Deyjah’s 16th birthday, Harris said, and his daughter was required to sign a waiver allowing the doctor to share the “results” with him.
…”It’s extremely abusive to police your daughter’s hymen and any doctor who would participate in such an act needs to lose their license,” tweeted author Ijeoma Oluo.
…Jennifer Gunter, a gynaecologist and bestselling writer, added that “hymen exams are medically not a thing”, and that the so-called tests “support a disgusting patriarchal trope”.
The presence of an intact hymen – which can easily be broken without engaging in sexual activity – is not regarded as an effective way to test virginity.
US rapper draws outrage with daughter ‘virginity test’ | USA News | Al Jazeera
At least he cannot legally force her to do this anymore.
Medically unfeasible and morally obnoxious.
…All of those jokes about Dad’s threatening the men who date their daughters support this kind of thinking.
Trump reverses Obama-era policy against faith-based adoption agencies
Rolling back a last-minute regulation put in place under former President Obama, the …Trump administration is being praised by Christian conservatives for defending religious freedom with a newly proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that would allow faith-based foster care and adoption services to receive federal funding even if they turn away couples because of their religious beliefs.
Trump reverses Obama-era policy against faith-based adoption agencies | Fox News
Grrrrrrrr
Tally of children split at border tops 5,400 in new count
Tally of children split at border tops 5,400 in new count | PBS NewsHour
GRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Tally of children split at border tops 5,400 in new count
Tally of children split at border tops 5,400 in new count | PBS NewsHour
Until this stop every single American resident and citizen is culpable in these kidnappings.
Head of Amnesty International says migrant children detained ‘much longer’ than 20 days; head of ORR tells her it’s OK
The agency’s national director, Jonathan Hayes, flew down from Washington, D.C., to accompany them on the tour and he told her that he believes it is OK to hold children for longer than 20 days because it is not considered detention but “care and custody.”
…“His position is that they are not a detention facility; they are a care and custody shelter, which under international law is the same thing. And we believe that Flores does in fact apply to all the ORR shelters,” Huang said.
“It’s an interesting response. In previous meetings, ORR has acknowledged that they haven’t been able to meet the Flores requirements. It was a bit of a surprise to hear today that they don’t feel they’re obligated to. So that’s a big concern for us,” Huang said.
…Rumors have been circulating that as early as Monday, Mexican government officials will force the [refugees waiting for their opportunity to apply for asylum] from the tent encampment [where they have been forced to stay] and send them to a stadium about six miles south of the border, where volunteers have told Border Report they will not be able to take meals, water, hygiene items or offer legal advice.
…As for the child detained for nearly eight years, Huang said she was disturbed by the revelation: “It’s affected me a lot to think about that child. Even if it’s just months, I wonder about how many are caught in something that feels like detention to them for sure.”
For fucks sake white people…. This kind of blind “benevelence” is what gave us decades of Indian schools. Get over yourselves and stop being Satanic to people with darker skin than yours.
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