Massachusetts State Auditor Finds Widespread Rape and Sexual Abuse in Foster Care but DCF Officials Won't Report It

Health Impact News --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- Massachusetts State Auditor Finds Widespread Rape and Sexual Abuse in Foster Care but DCF Officials Won't Report It December 15, 2017 1:13 pm [auditor-suzanne-bump-107d0c4ac231f5e3-300x198] On December 7, 2017, Massachusetts State Auditor Suzanne Bump released an appalling audit of her state's Child Protective Services, the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The audit, which covered 2014 and 2015, found that there were many instances where children in state care, whether in foster homes or group homes or other facilities under DCF care, were abused physically or sexually, but DCF failed to report the incidents to the proper authorities. DCF officials told Auditor Suzanne Bump that they don't see sexual abuse as a serious enough problem that they need to report it. [Read More...]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Time to Repeal the Childhood Vaccine Injury Act Because it Only Protects Pharmaceutical Companies December 15, 2017 7:34 pm [Statue of Lady Justice in Downtown Frankfurt Germany] Congress passed the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) in 1986, and President Ronald Reagan signed it into law soon after. This law was supposed to protect children. However, and the NCVIA does less to protect patients than it does drug companies making vaccines. When Reagan signed the NCVIA, he also created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), which allows anyone—children and adults—who have suffered an injury (or worse) following a vaccination to file a claim. To date, it has paid out nearly $4 billion in compensation since 1988, including the 2008 case of Hannah Poling, whose family received more than $1.5 million in the first-ever court award for a vaccine-autism claim. The NCVIA also sets limits on the liability of vaccine manufacturers. They don’t have to pay a dime, in most cases, if someone is injured as a result of a product they make. [Read More...]( 401 Congress Ave. Suite 1540 Austin TX 78701 USA You are receiving this message at this email address as it was used to subscribe for Health Impact News updates. [Unsubscribe from this newsletter](. [.]