Child Advocacy Awards

Past recipients of the Price Child Health and Welfare Journalism Award are listed below.

2024-2025

• First Place (tie): Medicated in Foster Care: Who’s Looking Out? An Imprint review of all 50 states’ policies and class-action lawsuits across the country reveals spotty enforcement of federal requirements that child welfare agencies monitor psychotropic prescriptions for foster youth. Reported by Michael Fitzgerald, Sarah Henry, Jeremy Loudenback, and Susanti Sarkar. Published by The Imprint.
• First Place (tie): Poisoned: Fentanyl's Child Victims. National investigative reporters spent more than two years poring over this journalism project, sorting through 100+ hours of videos and audio recordings and thousands of police, court, and other documents to tell a critical public health story about fentanyl’s child victims. Reported by Lori Jane Gliha and Brittany Freeman. Published by Scripps News.
• Honorable Mention: Forgotten Children. A four-part series on the tragic and underreported problem of childhood grief – and the efforts to address it. Parental death has been rising in the U.S. due to COVID-19, the overdose epidemic and gun violence. Reported by Michele Cohen Marill. Published by MindSiteNews.
• Honorable Mention: The System's Response to Drug Tests, a two-part investigation into the gap in logic that has emerged when it comes to the crossroads of child welfare and substance abuse. While there continues to be a growing acceptance in the medical community of medication-assisted treatment as a critical piece on the path to sobriety, there are still courts and child protection agencies who hold it against mothers trying to keep or reunite with their children. Reported by Sara Tiano. Published by The Imprint.
• Honorable Mention: Sold for Sex. How does a teenager fall prey to sex trafficking not once, but twice, and perhaps three times – all while under the legal protection of Oregon’s foster care system? That’s the question reporter Hillary Borrud set out to answer in her exhaustive investigation, “Sold for Sex,” which exposed sweeping failures by state workers to keep the girl safe from the day she was born. Reported by Hillary Borrud. Published by The Sunday Oregonian
• Honorable Mention: Life Support. This four-part investigation examines how recent changes to reproductive rights laws in Arkansas, Kentucky, Idaho, and Texas impact women and the children born to them. Reported by Annie Gowen, Danielle Paquette, Karin Brulliard, and Molly Hennessy-Fiske. Published by The Washington Post.

2023-2024

• First Place: High Stakes, Silent Systems by Michael Fitzgerald and Jeremy Loudenback of The Imprint, an investigation on sexual and reproductive health in foster care.
• Second Place: Calling the Cops by Thomas Peele, Daniel J. Willis, Mallika Seshadri, Emma Gallegos, Monica Velez and staff of EdSource, an unprecedented look at school policing practices.
• Honorable Mention: Fighting for Kin by Sara Tiano of The Imprint, documenting one woman's struggle to keep her family together.
• Honorable Mention: Born of History by Nancy Marie Spears of The Imprint, exploring a young person’s journey through a tribal foster care system and into a life of advocacy.
• Honorable Mention: Black teachers: How to recruit them and make them stay by Diana Lambert of EdSource, exploring the declining number of Black teachers nationwide and recent efforts to recruit and retain teachers of color.
• Honorable Mention: A Mother’s Worst Nightmare by Shoshana Walter, with data analysis by Melissa Lewis of The Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting, exploring the challenges faced by thousands of women put on anti-addiction medications, including investigations by child welfare agencies that have separated mothers from their newborns.

2022

• Georgia Wells, Jeff Horwitz, and Deepa Seetharaman, of the Wall Street Journal, for the following articles revealing how social media platforms are negatively impacting the health and well-being of young users:
  
  • Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Many Teen Girls, Company Documents Show
    Facebook’s Effort to Attract Preteens Goes Beyond Instagram Kids, Documents Show
• Steve Volk and Julie Christie, of Resolve Philly / The Philadelphia Inquirer, for the following articles discussing how foster youth are being denied use of important benefits they are entitled to, and one local effort to stop that from happening:
  
  • Philly took $5 million in foster children’s Social Security payments without telling them
    Bill would bar Philly from keeping Social Security payments meant for foster children

2021-22

• NPR/The Marshall Project, for the following articles informing the public about how foster youth are being denied use of important federal benefits they are entitled to:
  
  • State Foster Care Agencies Take Millions Of Dollars Owed To Children In Their Care, by Eli Hager, Joe Shapiro
  • Were You Ever in Foster Care? Here’s How to Find Out if the Government Took Your Money, by Eli Hager
  • Paying for Their Own Foster Care, by Lawrence Bartley, Donald Washington, Jr.
  • Los Angeles County Moves To Get More Money Into The Hands Of Foster Youth, by Joe Shapiro
  • Decades after foster care, she learned she was owed benefits. Where did the money go?, by Alexandra Arriaga

2021

• Karen D'Souza of EdSource, for the following articles documenting the child care crisis:
  • Amid pandemic, infants especially need quality child care, reformers say
  • More help for struggling California child care sector
  • Inside California’s new master plan to reshape early education and child care
• Isabella Vanderheiden of the Eureka Times-Standard, for the following article documenting the child care crisis:
  • Humboldt County child care was in crisis before COVID. Now, matters are worse.

2020

• Elizabeth Aguilera of CalMatters, for the following pandemic-related articles:
  • For some California teens, school closures led to work in the fields
  • Over a million California students still lack access to remote learning
  • Home is a perilous place for some Californians during coronavirus pandemic
  • Coronavirus stretches California’s special education system to the brink
• The Imprint, for its July 2019-June 2021 coverage of pandemic-related issues included in the following compilation:
  • Coronavirus, Kids and Families: The Imprint‘s Coverage of Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice in a Time of Pandemic
• Richard Winton of the Los Angeles Times, for the following pandemic-related articles:
  • ‘We do not want another Gabriel Fernandez’ Coronavirus leads to ‘alarming’ drop in child abuse reports
  • Sheriff’s plan to check on high-risk kids nixed after opposition from child protective services

2019

• Jill Tucker and Joaquin Palomino, for the investigative series, Vanishing Violence published by the San Francisco Chronicle
• Nuria Marquez Martinez, for “Should Oakland Schools Finally Try to Integrate?” published by the East Bay Express
• Politico, for its coverage on migrant child health and well-being
• Voice of San Diego, for its coverage on children and youth, as well as other vulnerable populations

2017-18

• The Chronicle of Social Change for the outstanding and compelling contributions it makes daily to the public's understanding of the plight of children and youth in foster care, as well as other vulnerable populations
• The Center for Investigative Reporting for the outstanding and compelling contributions it makes daily to the public's understanding of the plight of children and youth, as well as other vulnerable populations

2016

• Laurel Rosenhall of Calmatters.org for the following child- and youth-related articles:
  • Health care: “A child's death and the power of the dental lobby” follows a grieving family as they advocate for a change to state law regarding anesthesia in pediatric dental care. They found themselves up against the dentists’ trade association, which is a huge donor to California political campaigns.
  • Juvenile justice: Despite arguments from human rights advocates, California lawmakers have repeatedly rejected bills to restrict the use of solitary confinement on youth. “Legislators lock up bills to limit solitary confinement of juveniles” explains the power of the law enforcement lobby.
  • Child abuse: “What to disclose when an abused child nearly dies” examines a long-standing fight between child welfare advocates and the government agencies charged with protecting vulnerable children from harm.
  • Public education: Written during the primary campaign season, “Education fight over ‘shades of Democrat’” reveals how teacher unions and school reform groups vie for influence in the Legislature by funding campaigns for opposing Democrats. The outcomes could determine how California schools help the most disadvantaged students succeed.
  • Environmental health: “Lawmakers reject bills aimed at artificial turf” explores a debate over the health risks for children who play sports on certain types of artificial fields. The story shows that California lawmakers repeatedly side with labor and business interests that install the turf, over the concerns of parents and health advocates

2015

• The San Jose Mercury News series, "Drugging Our Kids," by Karen de Sa

2013-14

• The Los Angeles Times' Continuing Coverage of Los Angeles County's Child Welfare Crisis and Reporting on Foster Family Agencies by Garrett Therolf

2012

• Daily Newspapers:
  • First Place, Daily Newspapers: The Sacramento Bee, "The Girl With 100 Scars," by Marjie Lundstrom
• Electronic Media:
  • First Place, Electronic Media: Ryann Blackshere, Compilation of Articles on Foster Care and Transracial Adoption

2011

• Daily Newspapers:
  • First Place, Daily Newspapers: The Los Angeles Times Continuing Coverage of the Troubled Los Angeles Dep’t of Children & Family Services, by Garrett Therolf
  • Second Place, Daily Newspapers: The Los Angeles Times, “Grading the Teachers” by Jason Song, Jason Felch, and Doug Smith
• Weekly Newspapers:
  • First Place, Weekly Newspapers: East Bay Express, “Pushing Foster Children Off the Plank” by Angela Kilduff
• Electronic Media:
  • First Place, Electronic Media: VoiceofSanDiego.org, Compilation of Articles on Preschool/Child Care, by Emily Alpert
  • Second Place, Electronic Media: CaliforniaWatch.org, “As Early Elective Births Increase, So Do Health Risks for Mother, Child” by Nathanael Johnson; “Spending Far from Equal Among State’s School Districts, Analysis Finds” by Louis Freedberg and Stephen K. Doig; “School Health Centers Expand Despite Lack of State Funding” by Louis Freedberg

2010

• First Place, Daily Newspapers (Tie):
  • The Sacramento Bee's investigative series on Sacramento County’s child welfare system by Marjie Lundstrom
  • The Los Angeles Times for "Innocents Betrayed" by Garrett Therolf, Kim Christensen and Hector Becerra
• First Place, Weekly Newspapers: The East Bay Express for the following compilation of work:
  • "Rethinking Juvenile Justice” by Sam Levin
  • “A Safe Place for Troubled Teens” by Laurie Udesky
  • "A Father’s Quest” by Erin Gilmore
• First Place, Electronic Media:
  • Daniel Heimpel for www.FosteringMediaConnections.org

2009

• 1st Place: The San Diego Union Tribune series, "Short Lives Revealed," written by Greg Moran, a compelling look at the plight of children in San Diego County's child welfare system—and revealing details about nearly 20 children who died while in foster care.
• 2nd Place: The San Francisco Chronicle special report, "Eyes on the Prize," written by Jill Tucker and Nanette Asimov, tracking the lives of the 1995-96 kindergarten class at Dr. George Washington Carver Elementary School, and revealing how the students fared against tremendous obstacles as they worked toward their high school diplomas with the class of 2008.

2008

• 1st Place: The San Jose Mercury News series, “Broken Families, Broken Courts” written primarily by Karen de Sá, an extended series exposing the failings in the state’s Juvenile Court system.
• 2nd Place: The Sacramento Bee series, “Unprotected,” written by Marjie Lundstrom, with contributors Amy Pyle, Mitchell Brooks, Autumn Cruz, and Sheila Kern, an ongoing series on the Sacramento County child protection system.
• Special Award: El Observador, for five bilingual articles focusing on child-related health and well-being topics (pdf).

2007

• 1st Place (tie): The Pasadena Weekly series, "Throwaway Kids," written by Joe Piasecki, a five-part series chronicling the dangers and pitfalls that await thousands of youth aging out of the foster care system each year.
• 1st Place (tie): The San Francisco Chronicle series of editorials and news stories entitled, “No Refuge,” exposing the failings and deficiencies of California’s foster care system, and urging positive change for the children involved.
• 3rd Place: The Press-Enterprise article entitled, "No Rescue," an in-depth report by Paige Austin on how social services agencies and others failed to protect two young boys from being tortured and eventually beaten to death.
• Special Interest Award: Daniel Heimpel, for "Foreign Turf," a series of articles appearing in Tu Ciudad Magazine and InsideLacrosse.com on how a lacrosse team in South Los Angeles is offering high school students a positive alternative to gangs and drugs.

2006

• 1st Place: The Sun (San Bernardino) series, "Enough," written by The Sun's staff, illuminates the violence that plagues the San Bernardino area, its direct effect on children and youth, and the community's response.
• 2nd Place (tie): The Los Angeles Daily Journal article, “Landfill Blamed for Student Illnesses,” reported by Anat Rubin, details the possible link between respiratory infections in a Los Angeles school and a neighboring waste management facility.
• 2nd Place (tie): The Sacramento Bee series, "Put to the Test,” reported by Laurel Rosenhall, with photos by Carl Costas, examines the struggles of some California students attempting to pass the newly-instated California High School Exit Exam.

2005

• 1st Place: San Francisco Chronicle series, "Too Young to Die," reported by Erin McCormick and Reynolds Holding, a five-part series revealing the glaring disparities in infant mortality rates among certain San Francisco neighborhoods, examining factors potentially contributing to the disparities, and introducing readers to the personal stories of California families impacted by infant death rates comparable to those of Bulgaria or Jamaica.
• 2nd Place: The Sun (San Bernardino) series, "Table to Grave - America's Childhood Obesity Epidemic" by reporters Annette Wells, Selicia Kennedy-Ross, and Leigh Muzslay and photographer Jennifer Cappuccio, a four-day series examining the physical, emotional, and financial consequences of childhood obesity.
• 3rd Place: The Los Angeles Daily Journal article, "Death at 4, With Complications," by Susan McRae, detailing the difficulty foster children have in obtaining quality medical care.

2004

• 1st Place: The Orange County Register series, "Toxic Treats," reported by Jenifer B. McKim, Valeria Godines, William Heisel, Keith Sharon, and Hanh Quach, a six-part investigation which sheds light on a hidden health threat facing our children: lead contained in Mexican candy.
• 2nd Place: The San Mateo County Times for series, "A Tiny Life Lost—The Short, Sad Life of Angelo" by Emily Fancher and Amy Yarbrough, detailing the tragic loss of an eight-month-old infant who was allegedly killed by his father while under the supervision of San Mateo County's child welfare system.
• 3rd Place: The Oakland Tribune for its compilation of stories entitled "Chazarus Hill's Story & Follow Up" by Michele Marcucci, Harry Harris, Brenda Payton, and Douglas Fischer, detailing the death of a three-year-old child, allegedly at his father's hands, and the child protection agency that had been informed of potential abuse but refused to provide an immediate response.

2003

• 1st Place: The Oakland Tribune (June 15-22, 2003) "Separate And Unequal" — Jill Tucker, Robert Gammon, Michelle Maitre (Reporters); Nick Lammers (Photographer): Part 1 (pdf) / Part 2 (pdf) / Part 3 (pdf) / Part 4 (pdf) / Part 5(pdf)
• 2nd Place (tie): The Los Angeles Daily Journal (November 12, 2002) "Misty, Who Got No Breaks" (pdf) — Cheryl Romo (Reporter)
• 2nd Place (tie): The Los Angeles Daily Journal (July 8, 2002) "A Child-Suicide in Foster Care" (pdf) — Cheryl Romo (Reporter)

2002

• 1st Place: Los Angeles Times (December 2, 2001) "Crashing Hard Into Adulthood" - Phil Willon (Reporter); Gail Fisher (Photographer)
• 2nd Place (tie): The Oakland Tribune (July 29 - August 1, 2001) "Special education: The broken promise" - Jill Tucker, Kristin Bender, Suzanne Bohan, Lisa Friedman, and Josh Richman (Reporters); Sean Connelley (Photographer)
• 2nd Place (tie): The Sacramento Bee (June 23 - 25, 2002) "Kids on Meds" - Dorsey Griffith (Reporter); Lezlie Sterling (Photographer)

2001

• 1st Place (tie): The Fresno Bee (February 18, 2001) "Hall of Shame" - Barbara Anderson, George Hostetter, and Lesli Maxwell (Reporters); Kurt Hegre (Photographer)
• 1st Place (tie): Press-Telegram (March 11 - 18, 2001) "Homeless Kids, Invisible Victims" - Wendy Thomas Russell and Ralph De La Cruz (Reporters); Brittany M. Solo and Steven Georges (Photographers)
• Honorary Award: Cheryl Romo of the Los Angeles Daily Journal, compilation of articles on the foster care system

2000

• 1st Place: Los Angeles Times (December 19, 31, 1999) "Vehicle Safety: The Hidden Dangers for Children" - Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Richard Simon (Reporters) Part 1 / Part 2
• 2nd Place: The Sacramento Bee (October 31 - November 3, 1999) "Dead-End Dreams" - Darragh Johnson (Reporter) and Bryan Patrick (Photographer)

1999

• 1st Place: Los Angeles Times (October 11 - 14, 30; November 2; December 16, 1998; May 14, 25, 1999) "Failure to Provide: Los Angeles County's Child Support Crisis" - Greg Krikorian and Nicholas Riccardi (Reporters)Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7
• 2nd Place: The Fresno Bee (January 23, 25; April 11, 1999) Special reports on Dustin Haaland - Michael Krikorian (Reporter)
• 3rd Place: Los Angeles Times (July 1, 1998) "A Health Gain for Kids" (September 27, 1998) "Lagging Health Insurance Effort" - Alex Raksin (Editorial Writer)

1998

• 1st Place: The Press-Enterprise (March 29 - April 1, 1998) "Gaps in the Safety Net - Dion Nissenbaum (Reporter) Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10
• 2nd Place: Los Angeles Times (November 16 - 17, 1997) "Orphans of Addiction" - Sonia Nazario (Reporter) and Clarence Williams (Photographer)Part 1 /Part 2

1997

• 1st Place (tie): The Bakersfield Californian (May 4 - 6, 11, 18, 25; June 1, 8, 15, 1997) "Innocents Lost" - Lisa Friedman, Denise Zapata, Javier Erik Olvera, Bob Christie, Chris Harrison, and Leonel Martinez (Reporters); Ed Homich (Photographer)
• 1st Place (tie): The Orange County Register (November 24 - 27, 1996) "Deadbeat Parents: Everybody's Burden" - Bonnie Weston, Ernie Slone, and Jim Mulvaney (Reporters); Mindy Schauer and Michael Goulding (Photographers)

1996

• 1st Place - Most Effective Presentation: San Francisco Examiner (January 7, February 4, April 14-16, May 8, 1996) "Caring for Kids" - Annie Nakao (Reporter) and Christina Koci Hernandez (Photographer)
• 1st Place - Best Researched Article/Series: Los Angeles Times (July 9-12, 1995) "1 in 8: Who's to Blame for Teen Pregnancy" - Shari Roan (Reporter) and Iris Schneider (Photographer) Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7
• Honorary Award: The San Diego Union-Tribune, "Solutions" series

1995

• 1st Place: Contra Costa Times (January 1995) "The Support Wars" - Catherine Hedgecock, Joan Morris, Virgil Meibert, Lee McCormack, Meri Simon, Karl Mondon, Susan Pollard, Bob Larson, and Dan Rosenstrauch (Assorted Contributors)
• 2nd Place: San Bernardino County Sun (July 17-19, 1994) "Too Violent, Too Young" - Rebecca Fairley Raney (Reporter) and Mark Zaleski (Photographer)

1994

• 1st Place: San Francisco Examiner (April 24-28; May 8-9, 15, 29; June 5, 10, 1994) "Teaching Peace" - Scott Winokur, Carla Marinucci, and Gregory Lewis (Reporters); Mark Costantini, Katy Raddatz, and Craig Lee (Photographers)
• 2nd Place: The San Diego Union-Tribune (March 6, 1994) "From Cradle to Grave" - Mark Sauer and John Wilkens (Reporters)

1993

• 1st Place: The Fresno Bee (December 13-15, 1992) "The Forgotten Farmworkers" - Alex Pulaski (Reporter) and John Walker (Photographer)
• 2nd Place: San Bernardino County Sun (October 11, 1992) "Foster Care: The Broken Promise" - Theresa Walker, Ed Hayward, Patrick Olsen, Betts Griffone, and Alan Mittelstaedt (Assorted Contributors)

1992

• 1st Place: Los Angeles Times (May 12-16, 1991) "Youth Isn't Kid Stuff These Days," "Childhood: Fearing for Your Life," "A Generation of Innocents Carries Drug Abuse Scars," "Homeless Boy's Life a Series of Moving Days, Schools," and "Children's Lack of Political Voice Leaves Needs Unmet" - Ron Harris (Reporter)
• 2nd Place: Oakland Tribune (May 1992) "Bang, Bang, You're Dead" - Michael Collier and Daniel Vasquez (Reporters); Matthew Lee and Michael Macor (Photographers)