Since the selection of Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) as the 2012 Vice Presidential candidate for the Republican Party, there has been an increasing focus on how each party would tackle health care reform under their Administration. Maybe this is because prior to being tapped as the GOP VP candidate, Ryan...

As we recognize the 16th anniversary of the "look back" eligibility requirement for federal foster care assistance, the time has come to urge Congress to change direction. The House of Representatives' FY 2013 budget included steep cuts to discretionary spending, instructions to replace scheduled defense cuts with cuts to non-defense...

In recent years Americans have engaged in fervent debate about our national policies on illegal immigration. We worry about lost jobs, crime, and the cost of illegal immigration nationally and in local communities. We argue about whether immigration should be addressed federally and whether the hardnosed policies of states like...

Imagine raising your children from infancy, through the "terrible twos," to the "tweens," and the difficult teens, to finally helping them leave home with the tools they need to succeed. Fast forward a few years and you may be thinking about retirement with a few vacations, golf or tennis, and...

Headlines across the nation continue to mark the destruction and loss of life... but not from a natural disaster, rather a man-made one. The Oklahoma child welfare system became the focus recently after the death of Serenity Ann Deal -- a little girl killed by her father after...

It seems that good parenting and justice both eluded Caylee Anthony, the beautiful smiling little girl captured in photos that were shown endlessly during the trial of her mother Casey Anthony. Casey was acquitted of Caylee's murder, but even so, it's clear that the adults in Caylee's life let her...

Nestled between Mother's Day and Father's Day is National Foster Care Month, a time when we celebrate the love, caring, and sacrifices that mothers and fathers who care for other people's children make. These contributions shape, mold, and save the lives of children whose mothers and/or fathers have failed to...

In politics, the pendulum swings to the left and to the right. But this most recent political pendulum swing has created such unprecedented divisiveness about the role of government that even incumbents in Congress are deciding not to run. This divisiveness on Capitol Hill is starting to be reflected in...

It seems that everyday a new media report emerges about shockingly violent acts against children. Even with all the success we've had in the past decade in encouraging prevention and finding progressive ways to keep children safe, it's still not enough. Too many children die at the hands of their...

The sweeping changes in Congress are being characterized as a mandate for change, including cutting the nation's massive deficit. This seems like a very reasonable goal, as long as the cuts are prudent and take a long view of their impact. Of course, the process of making substantial budget cuts...

Stories help us define and understand societal issues.

Take Jimmy Wayne for instance. His dark childhood was marked with abuse, abandonment and instability. With his mother in and out of prison, he bounced around a series of foster homes and was shuffled between 12 schools in two years,...

Dear Santa,

As you get ready to deliver gifts near and far, I know that you will do your best to give gifts to children rich and poor, urban and rural, black, brown and white, and healthy and sick. Despite this, I know that not all children will have a...

Every once in a while I need grounding. Even though I deal every day with the issues facing children in foster care, I sometimes need to stand back -- away from the statistics and policy debates -- to see real children in need of real families. That's one of the...

It works!!!!

For those of us who work in the nonprofit arena, making a case for investing in programs and efforts that help those less fortunate is central to what we do. Even with great research, it can be difficult to convince others that investing money and time --...

Olympian Wilma Rudolph, who overcame physical disabilities, gender bias and segregation to win three gold medals, once said: "Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us."

This tenet...

What do Mel Gibson, Roman Polanski, Lawrence Taylor and Russian spies have in common? They are now poster boys (and girls) for larger societal issues facing children.

Lately, the news has been ripe with stories about alleged bad behavior by many notable Hollywood and sports figures, from domestic violence...

We live during a remarkable time. Recession aside, it's been a time of growing black wealth and influence; an era that saw an African-American man elected president of the world's most powerful nation. It's also a period when African-Americans have had unprecedented influence on industries, professions, and nations.

With so...

As Father's Day approaches, I wanted to sing the praises of all the great dads in our nation -- biological, step, foster and adoptive. Shaping a young life takes a nurturing family and community. Fathers are a critical part of the family equation, providing emotional and financial supports that prepare...

This month, I had the honor of delivering the commencement address at the graduation ceremony for the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois campus in Chicago. My commencement message to the College's 220 graduates was devoted to encouraging them to strongly consider pursuing...

Since May is National Foster Care Month, I was reflecting on the struggles facing the nation's nearly half million foster children and wondered what my predecessors in the child welfare field were thinking as the Great Depression was pulling to a close. Like me, they must have worried...