Toward stronger families, safer kids

The Gazette Editorial Board

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Most of us will never experience firsthand the workings of Iowa's child protection system. Most Iowa children, thankfully, grow up safe from harm, free from abuse and neglect. But in a broader sense, child protection in Iowa affects us all - and not only because it is a taxpayer-funded system.

Ethically, we are compelled to safeguard the health and welfare of vulnerable children. Constitutionally, we must respect and uphold the rights of parents and families to raise children as they see fit, within safe parameters.

Practically, the effects of child abuse and the ramifications of family separation echo through our communities - showing up in dropout rates, criminal behavior, substance abuse and family dysfunction - for generations to come.

For these reasons we must all demand a child protective system that is efficient, effective and humane. One that safeguards children's safety and strengthens families wherever possible.

That's why The Gazette and KCRG-TV9 are sponsoring “Fractured Families,” tomorrow's forum concerning Iowa DHS child-placement policies and practice.

We've invited panelists with a wide range of expertise to discuss the strengths of Iowa's child protection system and opportunities for improvement.

How do child protection workers decide when to remove a child from his or her family? Why are Iowa's out-of-home placement rates among the nation's highest? What is being done to address concerns raised in a recent institutional analysis of child protection services in Linn County?

What can we learn from states that have tackled disproportionate representation of racial and ethnic minorities, slashed out-of-home placements and strengthened families - all while keeping children safe?

The questions come easy. The answers are a different story.

We don't expect any magic bullets to come out of Wednesday's forum. But we do expect a thoughtful discussion. Maybe a few new ideas. A greater understanding of how best to tackle complicated child welfare issues.

Iowa's children and families deserve at least that much.

n Comments: thegazette.com/

category/opinion/editorial or

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If you go

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n What: “Fractured Families: A public forum on child removal in Eastern Iowa.”

n When: 7 p.m. Wednesday

n Where: African American Museum of Iowa, 55 12th Ave., Cedar Rapids

n Panelists: Patrick Grady, chief judge, Sixth Judicial District; Sharon Hall, attorney, represents parents in foster cases; Marlene Jessop, adoptive mother, former foster mother and service provider; Virgil Gooding, African American Family Preservation and Resource Committee; Marc Baty, area director, Department of Human Services; Lisa D'Aunno, director, National Resource Center for In-Home Services.

n Broadcasts: KCRG-TV9.2; live stream on KCRG.com, TheGazette.com