Safety is the non-negotiable floor of the child welfare system. Child death rates have risen 30 percent in the last decade, and nearly half of all children are re-abused after being returned to their homes. We press to ensure that every decision made by the court is weighed against one primary question: “Is this child safe?”
News & Press
Events & Testimonies
Op-Eds
Every 12 minutes, a child goes missing. One bill can make all the difference
At 13, Alicia Kozakiewicz snuck out of her house to meet a “friend” she’d met online. He wasn’t a friend. He abducted her, chained her in a basement, and tortured her. Alicia’s family, neighbors, and the FBI turned the world upside down to find her, and within days, she was pulled out of that basement alive. Anaiah Walker’s story [...]
More than sympathy, Fostering the Future Accounts offer hope
Published in The Hill. History does not always arrive with fanfare. Sometimes it arrives softly and humbly, and only in hindsight does the landmark moment become clear. That is how it came earlier this month, when First Lady Melania Trump announced Fostering the Future Accounts, a new path to savings accounts for children in foster care. [...]
Mandatory Reporting Saves Lives
In The Imprint, reporter Jeremy Loudenback highlighted California’s efforts to change mandatory reporting laws, a movement spurred by advocates who believe the current system unnecessarily pulls innocent families into the child welfare system. Loudenback featured the story of Roger De Leon, Jr., who was investigated for suspected abuse only to be later found innocent, as one traumatic example.
Pregnant moms addicted to drugs are terrified to get help. This bill could change that
More than 800 newborns in Arizona each year suffer from drug withdrawals because of their moms. HB 2530 helps both mother and child.
We Can Reduce the Need for Special Education through Better Drug Treatment
Pregnant women struggling with addiction need early and effective paths to sobriety. This would both decrease the effects of drug exposure in the infants and decrease the likelihood of foster care by giving moms a longer runway for recovery.
Why the Supreme Court matters for abused kids
Hi friends, A few months ago, I was invited to write a chapter for a reference book on American foster care. I’m thrilled to share this sneak peek with you in advance of publication. Here is my chapter, "Changing Laws, Changing Lives". Thank you for helping America’s abandoned and abused children. ~ Darcy P.S. Thanks [...]
Research & Reports
When Parental Substance Use Endangers Children: Defining Imminent Risk for Child Protection Systems
The federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act provides a minimum definition of child maltreatment that includes imminent risk of serious harm. Yet, in practice, many state and county child [...]
Resources & Tools
Michigan Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Child Trafficked by Parent; State is not Obligated to Attempt Reunification
In a major victory for child protection, the Michigan Supreme Court has ruled that the state is not required to attempt reunification with a parent who trafficked her child. This landmark decision, In re Barber/Espinoza, affirms Congress’s intent in the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), which intentionally allows states to forgo reunification when children suffer extreme physical or sexual abuse.
Preliminary Toolkit – Counsel for Children
Attorneys Protect Children’s Fundamental Rights Executive Summary Children possess numerous legal and constitutional rights that must be protected. Amid the numerous interests in abuse and neglect proceedings, children’s rights and interests are distinct from any other party – including their parents. These rights, ranging from family integrity and safety to education and permanency, are central [...]
Television & Video
Model Reforms
On 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.
PURPOSE The pandemic has tattered the safety net for our nation’s vulnerable children. History tells us that economic downturns lead to increases in child abuse cases and increases in the number of children placed into foster care. 2020 is proving to be no different. ER doctors and pediatricians report seeing an increase in cases of [...]
The adoption process can be slow, sometimes taking longer than a year. This largely administrative activity swallows precious time that foster children, especially older kids, don’t have to waste. Older kids are among the most difficult to place in a permanent home and face terrible odds without a family. Twenty-five percent of children who “age [...]