Tag: baby

Youth work and social care news from around the world

Posted on By Chris

Links from around the world of youth work and social care:

  • SEND complaints: guide for young people: The Department for Education (DfE) has published guidance for young people aged 16-25 in England who are unhappy with their special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision or support at school or college, and need help and guidance on how to resolve disagreements.
  • UK Youth Parliament survey: The UK Youth Parliament has launched a Make your mark survey of the views of young people aged 11-18. Young people are invited to take part in the ballot to decide what members of the UK Youth Parliament should debate and vote on to be their campaign in 2019. The survey closes on 10 October 2018.
  • Vulnerable young people: The Home Office has published a summary of the 11 local authority-led projects in England receiving grant funding from the Trusted Relationships Fund to help youth workers, police, nurses and other professionals working with vulnerable young people aged 10-17 who are at risk of child sexual abuse, criminal exploitation or peer and relationship abuse.
  • Revised Police & Criminal Evidence Act Codes of Practice (PACE): Changes to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act Codes of Practice, codes C (detention), H (detention – terrorism), E (audio recording of suspect interviews) and F (visual recording of suspect interviews), came in to force on 31 July 2018 including changes that are of particular significance to children and young people.
  • New unit to tackle exploitation of vulnerable young people: The Department for Education (DfE) has announced plans for a new national response unit to help local authorities in England support vulnerable children at risk of exploitation by criminal gangs. The new unit, which will operate from 2019 up until 2022, will address child sexual exploitation together with other crimes, such as gang and drug activity, which exploit vulnerable children and can lead to children going missing.
  • First ever study of serious case reviews of sudden unexpected infant deaths: The research was conducted by academics at the University of Warwick who aimed to develop a detailed understanding of the circumstances of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) cases subject to serious case review.  Key findings include: domestic violence, mental health problems and substance misuse highlighted as factors; most cases occurred when intoxicated parents shared sleeping surfaces with child; and many happen following a sudden change in family circumstances.

Newborn baby found abandoned in manger at a New York church

Posted on By Chris

Manger

A newborn baby has been found abandoned in a church nativity scene in New York.

The baby boy, who is perfectly healthy and even had his umbilical chord still attached, was found by a custodian in the Holy Jesus Child Church in Queens, New York.  The custodian told police he had just set up the nativity scene before taking a lunch break and returned to find the baby left there.

Father Christopher Ryan Heanue, a priest at the church, wrapped the baby in a towel before police arrived and took him to Jamaica Hospital, where doctors realised he was only a few hours old.

Father Christopher said:

“The beautiful thing is that this woman [who left him there] found in this church — which is supposed to be a home for those in need — this home for her child.”

Police have obtained CCTV footage of a woman with a baby near the church, who is then seen again later without a baby, however they are not releasing the footage.  Officers say they currently have no updates on the whereabouts of the mother.  According to New York state law parents are legally able to leave a baby at a safe location within 30 days of birth, as long as they tell an ‘appropriate person’ (such as a police officer or doctor) about it.

Father Christopher told the Guardian:

“A young couple in our parish would love to adopt this child and keep this gift in our community. It would make a great Christmas miracle.”

A Dad for Christmas

Posted on By Chris

Christmas presents

When it comes to Christmas, it might be safe to assume children will ask Santa for an extensive list of toys, games and treats.  But a survey highlighted in The Telegraph of their typical lists for Father Christmas has shown many have more serious concerns, requesting “a dad” instead.

A study of 2,000 British parents found most children will put a new baby brother or sister at the top of their Christmas list, closely followed by a request for a real-life reindeer.

A “pet horse” was the third most popular choice, with a “car” making a bizarre entry at number four.  But despite their material requests, the tenth most popular Christmas wish on the list was a “Dad”.

The survey, of consumers at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City, found children aged three to 12 years also wanted a dog, chocolate and a stick of rock.  Traditional hopes for a white Christmas were represented by a wish for “snow” in ninth place, with sensible youngsters also requesting a “house”.

Of the top 50 festive requests, 17 related to pets and animals, with some imaginative children hoping for a donkey, chicken and elephant.

iPhones and iPads also appeared on the list, with some quirky children asking for the moon, a time machine, a pond cover and beetroot. One child asked for Eva Longoria and another wanted Harry Styles from One Direction.

A request for a “mum” reached number 23 on the list.