Erica Hammel was convinced that her son, Wyatt, was being abused by her ex’s new girlfriend, Rachel Edwards. But had no way to prove it. Without proof, the court refused to deny Edwards access to Wyatt. As a result, he ended up being shaken hard enough to cause permanent brain injuries. This left him facing…
There are lots of Child Advocacy Centers in Michigan, serving the needs of children who’ve been harmed through neglect or abuse, and their families. According to Children’s Advocacy Centers of Michigan, a nonprofit aimed at unifying and strengthening Michigan’s response to child victims of abuse, the goal is that every child in need will have…
Welcome back and thanks for joining us for this discussion on the recent research into links between student performance at school and child maltreatment in the home. In our previous article we introduced you to the two researchers that headed up this unique study that compared the state’s child abuse and neglect records, with their…
If you ask any teacher, they’ll tell you that many factors affect how a child performs at school. Research has shown that everything from the ‘poverty’ achievement gap (which refers to the difference in academic achievement between poor kids and non-poor kids), the racial and ethnic achievement gaps, and even the size and location of…
Have you ever heard that leaving a child alone in a car seat is illegal in Michigan because it endangers the child? Many people believe that, and that’s certainly what CPS workers would have you believe. But in actual fact, that isn’t quite the truth. What does Michigan law have to say about it? If…
One of the many challenges that Michigan will face, if recreational marijuana is legalized later this year, will be changing the way CPS handles “pot cases.” In Michigan, while medical marijuana is legal, its use by children is still very rare, and very controversial. And that’s just for medical purposes. Any other exposure to a…
April was national child abuse prevention month, and the efforts made around Michigan to raise both awareness and financial help for local organizations battling this crime were amazing! People from all walks of life got together to make more Michigan residents aware of what’s happening behind closed doors, and money was raised to help non-profits…
Michigan’s safe delivery law is once again in the spotlight. With April being child abuse awareness month, the focus was on saving the lives of Michigan’s youngest residents. And so with that in mind, Governor Snyder declared April 20th Safe Delivery of Newborns Day, and agencies across the state are working to make sure that…
One of the greatest challenges facing law enforcement and child safety advocates today, is how to prioritize an abused child’s well being, while still successfully pursuing an investigation. Not sure what that means? Consider this… When a child is abused by a parent or caregiver, or some other trusted adult, they are often reluctant to talk…
You would think that will all of the awareness campaigns, and new legislation being passed in recent years, that cases of child abuse and neglect would be declining in Michigan. But according to child advocacy experts around the state, that unfortunately isn’t the case. Child abuse, it seems is on the rise in Michigan. Wait,…