Press Releases
FIRST REPORT RELEASED ON KANSAS FOSTER CARE SETTLEMENT PROGRESS
For press inquiries: Christina Ostmeyer, costmeyer@kansasappleseed.org; Willis Jacobson, wjacobson@youthlaw.org; Camilla Jenkins, cjenkins@childrensrights.org; Jeffery Rotenber, jeffrey.rotenberg@dlapiper.com (Kansas City, KS) — Today, a report on the State of Kansas’ progress in calendar year 2021 toward achieving the Performance Goals, Practice Improvements, and Outcomes of the McIntyre v. Howard Settlement Agreement was released by the Center for the […]
August 30, 2022UN Calls for US Action to Address Racial Injustice in Child Welfare System
UN Committee recommends US take all appropriate measures to eliminate racial discrimination in the child welfare system following testimony from Children’s Rights and partner advocates Media Contact: Camilla Jenkins, cjenkins@childrensrights.org GENEVA —On August 30, The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) issued its Concluding Observations following its review of the performance […]
August 22, 2022Children’s Rights Receives Sozosei Foundation Grant to Address Criminalization of Child Mental Health
Contact: Camilla Jenkins │917-971-1784 │cjenkins@childrensrights.org NEW YORK –The Sozosei Foundation has awarded Children’s Rights a grant to further its work to end the institutionalization and criminalization of children, youth and young adults with mental health conditions, and instead make sure they get the care they need at home, within their own communities. “At the Sozosei […]
July 14, 2022National Advocates Call on UN to Review Racial Injustice in U.S. Child Welfare System
Contacts: Camilla Jenkins, cjenkins@childrensrights.org; Anjli Parrin, hri@law.columbia.edu NEW YORK, NY—Ahead of an upcoming meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), more than 25 advocates and civil rights organizations have signed on to a new report submitted today by Children’s Rights and the Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School. The […]
June 27, 2022Children’s Rights Congratulates Lambda and Americans United on Victory for Lesbian Woman Rejected by Foster Care Agency
Contact: Camilla Jenkins, cjenkins@childrensrights.org Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Lambda Legal today declared victory on behalf of Kelly Easter, a Tennessee woman who for more than two years had been denied the opportunity to foster refugee children solely because she is a lesbian. The organizations filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of […]
June 6, 2022Washington State Reaches Groundbreaking Federal Class-Action Settlement for Youth in Foster Care
Contact: Willis Jacobson, National Center for Youth Law: wjacobson@youthlaw.org | media@youthlaw.org; Susan Kas, Disability Rights Washington: susank@dr-wa.org; Camilla Jenkins, Children’s Rights: cjenkins@childrensright.org; Jason Wettstein, Department of Children, Youth, and Families: Jason.Wettstein@dcyf.wa.gov State commits to significant transformations of Washington’s foster care system. SEATTLE — Today, Washington’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) settled D.S. v. Washington […]
May 31, 2022Children’s Rights Joins Amicus Brief Supporting Plaintiffs in Alaska Supreme Court Case on Social Security Benefits for Older Youth
Contact: Camilla Jenkins, cjenkins@childrensrights.org NEW YORK, NY—Children’s Rights, together with other national children’s advocacy organizations, has joined an Amicus Brief supporting plaintiffs in a case before the Alaska Supreme Court. The case involves Alaska’s practice of applying for and seizing the Social Security benefits of eligible older youth in foster care without notifying them or […]
May 17, 2022Children’s Rights and Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute in Letter to United Nations Committee: Racial Injustice in Child Welfare is an Urgent Human Rights Issue
On May 16, Children’s Rights and the Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School submitted a letter to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination asking that it address racial discrimination within the child welfare system in an upcoming review of the U.S. regarding all forms of racial discrimination.
May 4, 2022Georgia District Court Grants Relief in IDEA Class Action for Children in Need of Special Education in Adult Jail
Contact: Camilla Jenkins, cjenkins@childrensrights.org ATLANTA, GA —On April 29, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia issued a remedial relief order in T.H. v. DeKalb County School District. The Court ruled that the DeKalb County Sheriff must provide eligible incarcerated youth with legally mandated special education and related services. The case was […]
April 27, 2022Arizona Law Sanctions Taxpayer-funded Discrimination and Harms Children and Families
On April 25, Governor Doug Ducey signed into law a bill allowing faith-based foster care and adoption agencies to turn down prospective parents because of the agencies’ religious beliefs. The new law opens the door to discrimination against same-sex couples and families of differing religions seeking to foster or adopt a child at a time when the foster care system in Arizona is under enormous strain. According to the Arizona Department of Child Safety, there are close to five children in foster care for every one licensed foster family.