Michael Piraino

Those of us who work and volunteer with children in the foster care system know only too well how domestic violence and sexual abuse can shatter a family and destroy the foundations of a child's life.

Children who are exposed to domestic violence are in danger. They are more...

It's easy to become confused by the budget debate between the White House and Congress, but most of us have faith that somehow cooler heads will prevail and enough money will be allocated to protect abused and neglected children.

After all, children are the most vulnerable...

"I'm not bipolar. I'm just naughty."

In the past few days, we have all had the honor of getting to know a remarkable young man from Texas named Ke'onte Cook. He has appeared on ABC's 20/20 and World News, testified before Congress and for...

"Every child thriving in the safe embrace of a loving family." It's one of the five critical pledges the National CASA Association has made to abused and neglected children. And this month -- this Saturday in particular -- is a time to celebrate one way children can find...

Should we be hopeful? Or should we despair?

I have been moving between these two emotions as I read the flurry of new research released in the
past few weeks.

There are reasons to be concerned for the children in our country. 16.4 million children

As another season of graduation celebrations comes to a close, the sights of caps, gowns and diplomas bring to mind the significance of graduation as one of life's great milestones, and the opportunities and challenges that await new graduates. I often wonder how many of them truly are prepared and...

The decision to remove a child from his or her home and parents should never be taken lightly. While a living situation may be fraught with abuse, drugs or neglect, families still maintain cultural, racial and social values that often define a child's sense of identity.

The forced separation of...

Recently the Obama administration announced that it is taking action to address the growing problem of prescription drug abuse. Of course this is good news, and more must be done to raise awareness of this issue and crack down on those who abuse the system. It reminded me of another...

Every year since 1974, U.S. presidents have proclaimed one week in April as National Volunteer Week. This recognition honors the millions of Americans who dedicate their personal time and talent to help make the world a better place. As President Obama noted in this year's proclamation,

During the last few days, I've been energized and inspired by the advocates attending the annual conference of National CASA Association, the nonprofit I lead. Each year we host a conference to expand our knowledge, exchange best practices, and celebrate the many achievements of the 70,000 CASA and guardian ad...

Recent news reports covering the horrific case of the abuse and neglect suffered by 10-year-old twins Nubia and Victor Barahona once again remind us of the tragedies that are all the more disturbing when the children involved have been under the care of the child welfare system.

There...

I hope you took the time to watch the President's State of the Union speech on Tuesday. There's an interesting graphic on the New York Times website that analyzes the patterns of word use throughout the State of the Union addresses delivered by Presidents going back to 1934....

For most of us this month marks an annual tradition of gathering with family and friends for the holidays. For others the season can pass entirely without family get-togethers or celebration. Regrettably, this frequently can be the case for the 25,000 teenagers who age-out of foster care each year.

Pushed...

The recession may have officially ended but its lasting impact on American families is fueling an underlying and largely ignored crisis that threatens to flood our social service systems for years to come.

According to the latest annual American Community Survey recently released by U.S. Census Bureau, in the...