Dave Ress stories on Virginia's child welfare system

When social workers think about taking children from their homes, they often make decisions in arbitrary ways with little planning or thought, a blistering report from a state watchdog says.

A raffle of playhouses will help support Henrico Court-Appointed Special Advocates, who speak up for abused and neglected children in juvenile court.

Being a foster care kid is tough – but Richmond grandmother Faith Spencer decided, it shouldn’t have been quite so tough for her grandson Adame.

Here are some suggestions from Children’s Ombudsman Eric Reynolds.

An annual state report out this week says 49 deaths of children involved cases where families already were in touch with Child Protective Services or foster care social workers.