Helping Children
The Spokane Spokesman-Review deserves a round of applause for devoting itself throughout April to highlighting child abuse and neglect in its community. The Spokesman-Review's "Our Kids: Our Business" project starts with JoNel Aleccia's "Confronting Child Abuse," which recounts how 4-year-old Summer Phelps died at the hands of her father and step-mother. The extensive series also includes an article on how the growing number of parents addicted to meth is straining the foster care system, stories about the adult survivors of sexual abuse, personal essays by area parents and profiles of people and programs dedicated to stopping the cycle of abuse. The series also features advice on avoiding online predators, suggestions of local family resources and listings of events geared toward helping children. This is a great example of journalism that tries to make a positive difference in a community. www.spokesmanreview.com/ourkids/stories/