Sometimes the very strategies meant to help children have the opposite effect. Join AEI’s Naomi Schaefer Riley and Ian Rowe as they look behind the headlines at the public policies and cultural agendas driving child welfare and education. Rowe and Riley bring to light practices that will make you ask, “Are you kidding me?”

(Note to listener: This episode contains mention of child abuse and child fatalities.) When children who are already on the radar of their child protection agency die from abuse, it is essential to ask whether and how this death could have been avoided. In particular, could the agency have prevented the death by doing something differently?In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Marie Cohen, a child welfare policy analyst, researcher, and former Washington, DC social worker. Marie authors a blog, Child Welfare Monitor, where she recently released a report analyzing the deaths of 16 children in Washington, DC in which the death was the result of child abuse, or in which child abuse could not be ruled out as a cause of death. Marie discusses her observations from working within DC’s Child and Family Services Agency and participating in a Child Fatality Review Panel in the district, noting the ways social workers were trained to focus on strengths in the families they were working with and the agency’s attempts to prevent a “savior” mentality. She also shares her experience trying to obtain data on these fatalities from the Child and Family Services Agency, noting that the lack of transparency and available data makes it difficult to determine how these deaths could be prevented in the future. Resources: <ul><li><a href="https://childwelfaremonitor.org/2023/11/13/we-are-not-here-to-save-children-abuse-and-neglect-deaths-after-contact-with-child-welfare-services-in-the-district-of-columbia-2019-2021/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">We Are Not Here to Save Children: Abuse and Neglect Deaths after Contact with Child Welfare Services in the District of Columbia, 2019-2021</a> | Marie Cohen</li><li><a href="https://www.americanrenewalbook.com/putting-the-kids-first-a-child-welfare-system-that-works/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Putting the Kids First: A Child Welfare System That Works</a> | Naomi Schaefer Riley</li></ul> Show Notes: <ul><li>1:07 | How did Child Welfare Monitor originate, and what work are you doing with DC in particular?</li><li>3:50 | What was involved in your work with the DC Child Fatality Review panel?</li><li>7:09 | What were your top-line findings when investigated the stories of the 16 children who died in DC?</li><li>8:48 | How do such blatant deaths of children occur after the child protection system is already involved? </li><li>13:27 | What should states be doing to be more transparent? </li><li>15:24 | What would the response of the DC child welfare leadership be if they read this report?</li><li>19:08 | What are your recommendations for greater transparency from child welfare agencies and ways to help prevents deaths like these in the future? </li></ul>

Are You Kidding Me?

“We Are Not Here to Save Children”: Marie Cohen on Preventable Child Deaths in the District of Columbia

Discussions about the child welfare system are plagued by two false narratives. The first is that cases where children are neglected are simply instances of poverty and can be solved just by providing more material resources to the family. The second is that racial disparities in the system mean that it is plagued by systemic bias and that authorities should stop intervening so frequently in the lives of black families. This episode features a conversation between Naomi and Ian that took place at FREE Forum Denver this past November, a conference hosted by Ian as part of the FREE (family, religion, education, entrepreneurship) Initiative. In the episode, Naomi shares an overview of the child welfare system, including misconceptions about child maltreatment, and analyzes different policy approaches. She and Ian then discuss the societal trends contributing to the problems, and what steps can be taken toward reform. Resources<ul><li><a href="https://www.aei.org/events/the-relationship-between-child-maltreatment-and-poverty/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Relationship Between Child Maltreatment and Poverty</a> | Naomi Schaefer Riley</li><li><a href="https://•TheRelationshipBetweenSubstanceAbuseandChildWelfare" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Relationship Between Substance Abuse and Child Welfare</a> | Naomi Schaefer Riley</li><li><a href="https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/policy-focus-fixing-our-child-welfare-system-to-help-americas-most-vulnerable-kids.pdf?x91208" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fixing Our Child Welfare System to Help America’s Most Vulnerable Kids</a> | Naomi Schaefer Riley</li></ul> Show Notes<ul><li>0:01:50 | Naomi’s remarks begin</li><li>0:02:58 | Misconceptions around neglect</li><li>0:07:22 | Misconceptions around racial disparities</li><li>0:13:55 | Conversation with Ian begins</li><li>0:14:13 | What were the roles of faith-based organizations before a public child welfare system was created?</li><li>0:17:48 | What prevents people from acknowledging that substance abuse plays a major role in child maltreatment?</li><li>0:19:12 | How does the fear of stigmatizing perversely create worse outcomes for children in unsafe situations?</li><li>0:21:29 | What is the role of adoption in these situations?</li><li>0:24:35 | What is the ideology behind those who oppose interracial adoption?</li><li>0:28:25 | What are some examples of policies or strategies that are working successfully?</li></ul>

The Current State of the Child Welfare System (Recorded LIVE at FREE Forum Denver)

Even as many parents grow increasingly dissatisfied with their local public schools, finding another option for their children is not always easy – or affordable. Publicly-funded school choice programs aim to bridge this gap, but they have faced enormous political opposition. As the education system rebuilds itself post-pandemic, is there hope that school-choice programs will gain more traction? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Darla Romfo, president and CEO of the Children’s Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to providing scholarships for low-income students to attend private schools. Darla discusses the opportunities that have opened up around school choice in recent years, the rise of homeschooling and church-based schooling, and how Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) can serve as a vehicle to help more parents gain access to educational options. She also points out that though school choice programs face opposition from some corners, support remains high among parents, Republicans, and even the majority of Democrats. Resources<ul><li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/2023/homeschooling-growth-data-by-district/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Home Schooling’s Rise from Fringe to Fastest-Growing Form of Education</a> | The Washington Post</li><li><a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/2023/01/26/let-parents-choose-their-kids-schools/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Let Parents Choose Their Kids Schools</a> | Darla Romfo </li><li><a href="https://www.aei.org/op-eds/why-we-must-eliminate-barriers-to-school-choice-nationwide/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why We Must Eliminate Barriers to School Choice Nationwide</a> | Ian Rowe</li><li><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-death-of-public-school-review-find-a-place-to-learn-4817d47c?mod=opinion_reviews_pos1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Death of Public School’ Review: Find a Place to Learn</a> | Naomi Schaefer Riley </li></ul> Show Notes<ul><li>0:00:48 | What is the current climate around Educations Savings Accounts and what is the potential for growth?</li><li>0:06:56 | What is the rationale behind opposition to school choice programs?</li><li>0:08:27 | To what degree are finances a barrier for families considering homeschooling? </li><li>0:12:06 | What are the trends among Catholic schools with the rise of ESAs? </li><li>0:16:51 | How will states respond to the backlash against public school policies? </li><li>0:18:24 | How do organizations like CSF grow and how can listeners support school choice programs in their states? </li></ul>

When Parents Do Know Best: Darla Romfo on the Viability of School Choice Programs

New research shows students in 2023 are making less progress in reading and math than their counterparts were prior to the pandemic. Rather than catching up after the return to in-person schooling, students fell even further behind. How can this be and what can we do about it?In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Michael J. Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and visiting fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution. Mike identifies contributing factors to the issue, such as chronic absenteeism and the lowering or elimination of assessment benchmarks. He argues that along with the need to place high expectations on students, we must learn to hold teachers and parents accountable for ensuring students learn. Lastly, Mike discusses bipartisan efforts to get America’s students back on track. Resources<ul><li>We Can Fight Learning Loss Only With Accountability and Action | Michael J. Petrilli </li><li>Unlocking the Future | Ian Rowe, Robert Pondiscio, Jessica Schurz, John Bailey</li></ul> Show Notes<ul><li>00:41 | Do we have to accept the reality that students are behind due to the pandemic?</li><li>03:43 | Why is it that students are moving backwards?</li><li>06:32 | Are policy leaders, parents, and educators paying attention to this issue?</li><li>10:59 | Do state-takeovers of education systems help with accountability?</li><li>13:35 | How do you strengthen teachers’ abilities to hold students’ accountable?</li><li>16:09 | What is the political landscape around education reform? Are there any bipartisan efforts happening?</li><li>22:29 | Are states mirroring other states’ policies or is there tunnel-vision when it comes to education reform?</li></ul>

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Are You Kidding Me? by AEI Podcasts

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