Model Reforms
Your flagship policy proposals, model legislation, and reform frameworks that policymakers can adopt or adapt.
May 1, 2026Model ReformsINTRODUCTION For more than 25 years, despite countless reforms, outcomes for America’s abandoned, abused, and neglected children in the foster care system have remained unchanged. Children in foster care face a devastating reality—poor [...]
April 30, 2025Model ReformsOn Wednesday, May 7 at 11:30 a.m. ET, the Michigan Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of In re Barber/Espinoza—a case that will determine whether a woman who trafficked her 9-year-old daughter can still claim parental rights.
February 29, 2024Model ReformsAt the Center for the Rights of Abused Children, we protect the rights of children who are victims of abuse and neglect, and we work to ensure every child has a safe and [...]
June 2, 2023Model Reforms, Research & ReportsExecutive Summary Children have a right to education. However, children in foster care struggle to fully benefit from this fundamental right. In Arizona, children who experience foster care have the lowest on-time graduation [...]
June 2, 2023Model Reforms, Research & ReportsExecutive Summary Every child deserves a safe and loving home, but far too many live in homes that are unhealthy and unsafe—often from birth. These are children who were born exposed to drugs, [...]
June 2, 2023Model Reforms, Research & ReportsExecutive Summary Youth in foster care face an uphill battle in educational attainment. Abuse, ongoing trauma, and unstable living arrangements contribute to poor outcomes for foster youth. Foster children move from one home [...]
June 2, 2023Model Reforms, Research & ReportsProblem Nationally, over 90% of children in foster care leave the child welfare system via reunification with biological parents, guardianship, kinship placements, or adoption.1 The remaining children – approximately 9% of teens and [...]
May 5, 2023Events & Testimony, Model ReformsOn behalf of the Center for the Rights of Abused Children (Center), I write in support of AB 1512 (Bryan). This critical initiative protects and preserves federal benefits that belong to the child [...]
May 2, 2023Model Reforms, Research & ReportsOverview: Nearly 10% of children in our nation’s child welfare system “age out” of the system, leaving foster care without a family, meaningful adult connections, or adequate support. Outcomes for these young adults [...]
May 2, 2023Events & Testimony, Model ReformsThe proposed policy seeks to conserve and maximize a child’s federal benefits within applicable asset limitations and to ensure those benefits are used exclusively for the individual unmet needs and best interests of [...]