Child Welfare News Site, Publisher Honored at SoCal Journalism Awards

LOS ANGELES - June 26, 2017 - PRLog -- The Chronicle of Social Change and the journalist who founded it were given three honors, including a first-place prize, at the Los Angeles Press Club's 59th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards on June 25.

The Chronicle of Social Change is an online news publication that covers child welfare, juvenile justice and other issues affecting vulnerable children and youth.

Just over a year ago, it published "L.A.'s One and Only Native American Foster Mom," a news feature that introduces Lisa Smith, a Cherokee woman in Diamond Bar, California, who cares for two Native American children in Los Angeles County's foster care system.

Written by Daniel Heimpel, a journalist who founded The Chronicle of Social Change in 2013, "L.A.'s One and Only Native American Foster Mom" won first place honors for hard news feature originally published for the Internet. The story also won second place for "minority/immigration" reporting on any media platform – print, radio, TV or online.

On the Los Angeles Press Club's awards announcement, the judges commented: "The systematic break-up of Native American families by the federal government is highlighted by Heimpel's compelling, hard-hitting article that nevertheless casts hope with the portrayal of L.A. County's one and only Native American foster mother."

On the day the story was published, 89.3 KPCC's Take Two followed it with a 14-minute radio segment, during which Heimpel expounded on his reporting.

Los Angeles County social workers charged with recruiting more Native American foster parents recently told The Chronicle of Social Change that since the story's publication, other Native Americans in the county have registered to become foster parents.

The Chronicle of Social Change (https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/) also won third place honors for Internet-only news website during the June 25 awards.

The Chronicle of Social Change is published by Fostering Media Connections, a 501[c]3 nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of journalism and media to drive public and political will behind reforming the systems that serve vulnerable, children, youth and their families.