Stories
The Springfield News-Leader has launched a public-service journalism project to focus public attention on critical challenges facing children, foster discussion and build on existing initiatives. You can read Executive Editor David Stoeffler's introductory column for more information on the project.
The recently created News-Leader's Every Child community advisory committee -- with representatives from the business, government, education, nonprofit, law enforcement, health and faith sectors -- will play an important role. It will educate and advise journalists and help engage other stakeholders and the general public in a discussion and, ultimately, action.
Woman escapes domestic violence to help build a better life for her son
September 16, 2013Beth is working third shift and secretly hoarding her paychecks. She has a plan to leave, to escape. She thinks of all the things she would later tell a judge: how the man tried to kill himself in front of her and her son, how he threatened her with a knife, how he has slapped her.
Many of the foster-system reforms have helped, but some have hurt
September 16, 2013Dominic James should have been nearing his 12th birthday by now. He should have been in middle school. He might have grown out of his habit of waving at every passing car when he was outside. Wrestling with his father would no longer be cool.
Smart recalls details of harrowing ordeal
September 16, 2013Elizabeth Smart, abducted in Utah 10 years ago, often is asked: Are you completely healed? To arrive at an answer, she did a personal inventory. “I feel wonderful,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been happier,” she added.
Task force calls on public to join fight against child sexual abuse
January 6, 2013For decades, talking about child sexual abuse was something people just didn’t do. On a rare occasion, after a big headline, it might come up in water cooler talk.
Others share concerns raised by Dixon about conditions at Children's Division
December 9, 2012For at least a time, the workers could not copy and paste.
State neglecting children
June 30, 2012If the state of Missouri were a parent, it might be rightly charged with neglect. In what has become an all-too-familiar story, we learn once again how the state is failing in its duty to properly and quickly investigate child abuse and neglect reports.
Deadlines for child hotline calls routinely blown in Greene County
June 24, 2012Last year, workers investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect in Greene County missed more state-mandated deadlines than they met.
Stress, low pay, heavy workload too much for many caseworkers to handle
June 23, 2012No one becomes a Children’s Division caseworker with the idea it’ll be a cakewalk. It’s clear from the outset: The hours are tough, investigations are emotional and there’s significant responsibility to ensure each child is safe and thriving.
Every Child continues to teach
June 23, 2012It was the kind of photo that made you want to turn your head away, or simply turn the page. Published with a story Feb. 5 as part of our Every Child series, the picture conjured up thoughts of starving children in faraway Third World countries.
Advocate keeps an eye on Children's Division
June 6, 2012One result from the Dominic James Memorial Foster Care Act was the creation of the Office of State Child Advocate.
Keep kids safe from common risks
May 26, 2012Twenty-five children die every day in the United States from injuries from drowning, falls, fires or burns, poisoning, suffocation, and transportation-related injuries. Think about it, one entire classroom of children dies every day from injuries.
Shortcomings must be met
May 13, 2012In a community that prides itself on being a “great place to raise kids,” we have plenty to crow about, and plenty to fix. The state of mental health care, especially for children, offers us both opportunities.
Public health services a lifesaver for parents without insurance
April 22, 2012Shannon Murrill, 40, of Springfield has high blood pressure, but she doesn’t see the doctor because she doesn’t have insurance. Her three youngest children are another matter.
Abusers work to find victims
April 13, 2012The truth of the matter is, many adults who prey on children for sexual gratification are smart. They know where they’ll be trusted. They know who will look the other way. They know the kids who won’t tell.
Knowledge helps curb child abuse
April 7, 2012Nearly 10 years ago, Community Partnership was looked to for help in developing a coordinated mandated reporter training for Greene County.
Parents key to Informed Supervision initiative
March 24, 2012Greene County wants to improve the way it works with “sexually harmful youth” by expanding its Informed Supervision initiative and providing more support for families.
Options include five levels of supervision for sex offenders
March 24, 2012After a sex offense is reported, Greene County juvenile officials quickly determine if the youth should be locked up, released to a parent or offered an option in-between. They start with a detailed checklist.
Greene County juvenile sex offenders often begin as victims
March 24, 2012They tend to fly under the radar, get good grades and participate in school and church activities. They have rarely been in trouble before.
Greene County juvenile officer's job a balancing act
March 24, 2012Every juvenile who ends up under Morgan Galloway’s supervision has committed a sexual offense. As the sole Greene County juvenile probation officer for “sexually harmful youth,” she manages 30-35 open cases at any given time.
About 80 youth on confidential registry
March 24, 2012State law requires Greene County to maintain a registry of juveniles who have committed the most serious sex offenses. But unlike the adult registry, it’s not accessible to the public.
Death of Dominic James led to changes in foster-care system
March 19, 2012Sidney James hides what haunts him. His broad smile and vibrant personality draw people to him easily and comfortably. But beneath the surface is a lingering bitterness. James lost his only son nearly 10 years ago.
A big embrace
March 18, 2012Feb. 23 was a big day for Zoe. But while her new family celebrated her adoption, she was far more interested in animal crackers. At 2 years old, sugar is a lot more exciting than a courtroom and a guy in a robe.
CASA volunteer is a voice for hurt, neglected children
March 17, 2012The children watched their mother die. Her boyfriend shot her and then himself. The kids, a little boy and girl, remained trapped in the house for at least an hour. No one knew what had happened.
Working to keep children in their homes by helping families
February 26, 2012Maribeth Primm has been known to wash cockroaches out of her hair because of her job. She’s pulled up carpet that’s been matted to the ground with dog urine. Her work? Helping families keep their children from being removed by the state.
From drug user, dealer to mentor
February 25, 2012The phone call comes from a Springfield principal. It shakes Lulu Washington. Jacquline is in trouble. Someone from the school will be bringing the 15-year-old home. Lulu waits at the front gate of her yard.
Children exposed to meth
February 25, 2012Police went to a south Springfield house earlier this month to check on the welfare of an 80-year-old woman. What they say they found were two boys, ages 4 and 6, the elderly woman’s great-grandsons, living in a house filled with old food and trash.
Counselor helps children battling addictions or abuse
February 25, 2012Therapist Sarah Johnson keeps candy in her office. It’s meant to counter the painful experience for children who visit. Rape. Neglect. Physical abuse.
Now is the time to confront abuse
February 18, 2012Most of us have a hard enough time making a plan for the next year — so it’s difficult to imagine making a plan that might need to span two or three generations.
Springfield clinic ensures children stay healthy, regardless of parents' income
February 18, 2012A building that once housed a tractor supplier and then sat vacant for more than a decade is now Ground Zero for health care for the unemployed and those getting by on low incomes in Springfield.
Answers sought for child abuse in Springfield, Greene County
February 18, 2012It seemed unanimous: the work the News-Leader has done so far on children’s safety issues in the Ozarks has at least raised awareness.
A lifetime of healing
February 6, 2012Long after the scars have healed, broken bones have mended and the situation has been remedied, the long term effects of child abuse remain. “It really is a healing process over a lifetime,” says Lisa Ellsworth, who counsels adults at The Victim Center in Springfield.
Abuse prevention resources
February 5, 2012The Victim Center education programs 819 N. Boonville Ave. Springfield, MO 65802 (417) 863-7273 http://www.thevictim center.org/ Melinda Vacey leads age-appropriate educational programs for children and adults on child physical and sexual abuse.
Working hard toward child abuse prevention
February 5, 2012It began as a very simple idea: Why don’t we prepare future parents for what we know they’ll face? Tantrums will come. Frustration with a baby’s constant crying is inevitable. Junior is not always going to be fun or cute.
THE KIDS' COP
February 5, 2012Detective Fred Beck sits in the back of the mostly empty courtroom and watches as the man in the striped uniform is brought in. Beck thinks about the first time he saw the man, about a year before.
A duty to report child abuse, neglect
February 5, 2012A recent examination by USA TODAY found few states prosecuting adults who are mandated to report evidence of child abuse but fail to do so. That seems to not be the case in the Ozarks.
Know what to do in case of abuse
February 4, 2012Q. What is abuse? A. “Abuse” is any physical injury, sexual abuse or emotional abuse inflicted on a child, other than by accidental means, by those responsible for the child’s care, custody and control,” EXCEPT:
The hidden, but all too prevalent, world of neglected kids
February 4, 2012The first time Brooke Clarkson met the 4-year-old boy, he weighed 19.6 pounds. He couldn’t talk. Four years later, he still can’t — save for a few small words. “He said my name one time, and I completely lost it,” Clarkson said.
Children advocates speak out
February 4, 2012norm Ridder Superintendent, Springfield Public Schools “I believe the answer to your question is that both — there is a high (incidence) of child abuse and Greene County experiences a high volume of abuse reports.” Denise Bredfeldt Executive Director, May
Should everyone be a mandated reporter?
February 4, 2012A Missouri senator and the state’s attorney general have pushed for new legislation to make any adult who witnesses sexual abuse against a child a mandated reporter. Sen.
How to help end child abuse
February 4, 2012The Child Advocacy Center 1033 E. Walnut Springfield 65806 (417) 831-2327 Donations can be made to The Child Advocacy Center in Springfield online at www.childadvocacycenter.org/support.php.
Keep supporting fight against child abuse in the Ozarks
January 31, 2012I’m not a novelist, screenplay author or TV writer. My job as a journalist is to tell the truth about our community. But, at times, I wish I was a fiction writer.
Domestic violence can lead to child abuse
January 14, 2012Research shows a strong link between domestic violence and child abuse.
Children's play can show the way to heal
January 14, 2012Child therapist Kelley Jones’ playroom at The Victim Center has the usual assortment of children’s toys … a feather boa … a kitchen playset.
Many abusers use custody battles as way to seek control
January 14, 2012Domestic violence advocates say batterers sometimes use child custody proceedings as a way to continue to exert control.
Domestic violence task force's goal: Making a difference
January 14, 2012Attorney General Chris Koster assembled a task force last year with a tough assignment — to turn the tide on domestic violence in Missouri despite a dearth of money.
Child abuse gets attention from state task force
January 9, 2012Concerns about child sexual abuse were suddenly forced to the forefront of the public consciousness as news of the Penn State scandal surfaced.
Focusing on abuse and neglect -- every day
December 31, 2011Words about children are not supposed to frighten. They are not supposed to shock. They are not supposed to disgust.
Man warns teens about addiction
November 5, 2011Springfield fifth-graders learned about meth in March in a program sponsored by the the Southeast Rotary Club of Springfield.