Child welfare: protecting children’s interests

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Richard Gelles
Katherine Gomez

Hour 1

The shocking death of 6-year-old Khalil Wimes, who was allegedly starved and beaten to death by his parents, has outraged and confused many Philadelphians. Why was this young boy removed from a safe foster home and returned to his unstable family? Why did a Department of Human Services worker not report the abuse despite seeing him reportedly eight times over the last eight months of his life? Despite countless efforts to reform the child welfare system, we are we still struggling to protect the most vulnerable children. Today on Radio Times, we’ll discuss child safety and family reunification and look at problems in the DHS. Our guests are RICHARD GELLES, dean of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice, where he holds the Joanne and Raymond Welsh Chair of Child Welfare and Family Violence; and KATHERINE GOMEZ, the managing attorney of the Family Advocacy Unit at Community Legal Services.

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[audio: 043012_100630.mp3]

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