You have probably been hearing a lot about solitary confinement recently. You may know the story of Kalief Browder, the young man who took his own life after being released from Rikers Island, having been arrested at sixteen for allegedly stealing a backpack and spending two years in solitary confinement on Rikers. Or, perhaps you […]

Child advocates, pro bono attorneys and young people formerly involved in government systems joined together with corporate technology leaders earlier this month in Mountain View, Calif. to examine how technology can be used to improve the lives of vulnerable children.

For years, states have been creating and toughening laws on sex offender registries, but policy makers and advocates are rethinking rules around placing juveniles on the lists that track offenders and can make information on them accessible to the public, according to an article published by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Adoptions are supposed to be forever, right? Unfortunately, for kids who have been in foster care, that’s not always the case. And too often, when adoptions break – for reasons such as the lack of post-adoption services, the failure to bond as a family, or aging or ailing adoptive parents – adults continue to receive […]

California Governor Jerry Brown signed several laws this month that stand to have a far-reaching impact on children in the state’s child welfare system. Last week, Brown signed a set of three laws to curb the overprescribing of psychotropic drugs in foster care, following a five-part San Jose Mercury News investigation revealing nearly 1 in […]

As part of Children’s Rights’ ongoing efforts to advocate on behalf of LGBTQ youth in foster care, CR recently joined 15 organizations and agencies – ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Department of Justice, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Lambda Legal and others – to address hate crimes based on race, ethnicity, religion, […]

Attorneys, advocates, social workers and others who work directly with children can play vital roles in reforming the government systems that too often fail them. That was the message of Ira Lustbader, litigation director at national advocacy organization Children’s Rights, and his fellow panelists, during the closing discussion of the 38th National Child Welfare, Juvenile, […]

Caseworkers in the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families are being ‘set up to fail’ due to poor management and rising caseloads, according to a review released this week by the state’s Child Advocate Office. The office’s interim report, based in part on interviews and focus groups with DCF managers, supervisors and caseworkers, portrays a […]

Criminal justice advocates, City Council members and families of the incarcerated gathered at City Hall Sept. 8 to speak out against the city’s newly proposed limitations on jail visitation at Rikers Island. Advocates say the proposed changes are harsh and discriminatory and will disproportionately impact minorities and those who cannot afford bail. In an effort […]

Do you, or someone you know, have a story to share about life in foster care? If so, Children’s Rights would love to hear it. Children’s Rights is now accepting submissions for its 4th annual Fostering the Future campaign. The blog-a-day initiative, which takes place during National Foster Care Awareness Month, highlights the first-hand accounts […]