Child Welfare Watch News Digest - December 12, 2013

Here's a roundup of this week's news on low-income children, youth and their families:

This week, The New York Times published a remarkable series documenting the lives of an 11-year-old girl named Dasani and her homeless family in Brooklyn. The complete series is available here.

In Governing magazine, John Buntin offers a deep look at the career of William Bratton, Mayor-elect de Blasio’s choice for New York City police commissioner. Bratton is widely known for transforming the NYPD during his short stint as commissioner from 1994 to 1996. Buntin highlights Bratton’s successes as Commissioner of the Los Angeles Police Department in recent years.

• Center Director Andrew White recently appeared on KCRW's nationally syndicated radio program, To the Point, last week to discuss the Bratton appointment. Audio is available here.

Efforts to raise the minimum wage are gaining attention in cities across the country. On The Atlantic Cities site, Richard Florida makes the case for a local minimum wage. “Given the substantial differences in housing and living costs across U.S. cities and metros, a single minimum wage makes little sense. Workers need much more to get by in San Francisco or New York than in smaller, less expensive cities”.

The Bloomberg Administration is set to close two immunization clinics serving low-income communities in the Bronx and Queens. While dozens of alternative clinics are available in these boroughs, the Corona clinic sits in the community board with the highest share of foreign-born residents in the city and treats clients who speak a wide range of languages and represent a variety of cultures. Read more here on the blog of the NYC Independent Budget Office.

FosterClub, the national network of young people in foster care, recognized 100 Young Leaders for their resilience and commitment for improving foster care.

Join Rise Magazine’s "I’m Reading for Rise" campaign. Between now and December 19, post a photo of yourself reading Rise Magazine and make a donation here.

• In October, Pia Footman, a parent and editorial assistant at Rise, spoke at the Center’s forum on the impact of poverty and chronic stress on early childhood development. See an interview with Pia Footman or watch the full forum here. Download the most recent issue of the Center's Child Welfare Watch here.