whether it is sufficiently meeting systemic needs is largely left up to whether we trust the government.

The child protection system needs real changes and real solutions to underlying problems, not attacking symptoms with band-aids. It needs to prevent disturbing issues and tragic incidents from occurring rather than applying a cosmetic to a preventable wound. For that to happen the public's chief informant, the media, has to get into the game.

supplying enough of the right resources for the child protection system to carry out its three-fold mission (protecting children, preserving families and providing permanent homes for children.)

the confidentiality and denial of access laws ... more often than not fail to serve the overall, long-term best interests of children.

it's been my experience that the responsible press can carefully protect the identity and identifying information on the individual case while still discussing the public policy issues.

They trust that he's the boss; he's going to put you in there when he thinks he needs to. There's no complaining. The chemistry's been phenomenal.