The Right to Counsel
We advocate for the constitutional right to a lawyer for every abused child in state care, ensuring they have a shield in the room to enforce their rights. Without a dedicated attorney, a child is denied one of the most fundamental protections of our legal system. Attorneys for children enforce their rights and help them exit care up to 3.5 times faster than children without representation. Attorneys also provide a critical check on agencies, making sure they follow the law.
April 20, 2026Research & ReportsAsserting, Arguing, and Appealing the Constitutional Rights of Children in Foster Care. Read more here.
March 27, 2025Research & ReportsIn a searing new memo released today, Lives in the Balance: A Bold Plan to Fix America’s Broken Child Protection System, the Center for the Rights of Abused Children lays bare an unflinching truth:
March 8, 2025Op-Eds & CommentaryFoster care unexpectedly took center stage at President Trump’s congressional address on Tuesday. First Lady Melania Trump highlighted her Foster the Future initiative — which secures scholarships and opportunities for kids in foster care — and President Trump recognized Jeff Denard, a foster parent to 40 children.
September 1, 2024Resources & ToolsAttorneys 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 [...]
May 21, 2024Research & ReportsWe believe every child deserves a safe and loving home. When asked by lawmakers across the country for the single reform that will help protect the most abused and neglected children in foster [...]
March 7, 2024Events & TestimonyAppointing Client-Directed Counsel to Children in Children-in Need-of-Care Proceedings Appointing a guardian ad litem (GAL) in cases involving abused children results in confusion. This confusion stems from the unclear and potentially conflicting ethical [...]
- February 8, 2024Events & Testimony
Legal Representation for Children in Foster Care Requiring the appointment of a client-directed attorney to represent children in abuse and neglect proceedings, giving children a voice. Written Testimony - Kendall Seal, Vice President [...]
- February 7, 2024Research & Reports
Through our work with children, we learned that states throughout the country proactively apply for federal benefits on behalf of eligible children and then keep it, considering it a reimbursement for the child’s [...]
- January 16, 2024Events & Testimony
Requiring the appointment of a client-directed attorney to represent children in abuse and neglect proceedings, giving children a voice. MO Oral Testimony Right to Counsel 01-16-2024 Children and Families
October 4, 2023Events & TestimonyAppointing a guardian ad litem (GAL) in cases involving abused children results in confusion. This confusion stems from the unclear and potentially conflicting ethical obligations of the GAL to the court and the [...]