Protecting Survivor Benefits
Across the country, states routinely take children’s Social Security, disability, and survivor benefits. Those benefits are the child’s property. Our reforms stop agencies from taking children’s resources and instead require that they be preserved in trust for the child’s future.
June 20, 2023News & Press ReleasesHB 2559 put a stop to the AZ Department of Child Safety’s practice of taking foster children’s federal social security, disability, or veteran survivor benefits.
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, 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 [...]
March 14, 2023Op-Eds & CommentaryRead as we advocate for a bill currently in the Arizona Legislature that would stop the Arizona Department of Child Services from taking survivor benefits from the state's foster children. So far, House Bill 2559, has received strong bipartisan support.
March 2, 2023Model Reforms, Research & ReportsThe Problem Under federal law, many foster children are owed survivor benefits (including social security and veterans benefits) if their parents died, or if they have a disability (social security income). Many states apply [...]
February 14, 2023Events & TestimonySupport Senate Bill 1430 For all children in the care of the Department of Child Safety (DCS), DCS is required to determine whether each child is eligible for benefits administered by the federal [...]
