Press Releases
Children’s Rights Responds to SC Governor’s Order Blocking Migrant Children from State Foster Care
On April 12, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order to block unaccompanied immigrant children from being placed in South Carolina foster care facilities and group homes. The order incorrectly stated that denying immigrant children entry was necessary because of “requirements imposed” in connection with Michelle H. v McMaster, a federal court matter […]
March 2, 2021Child Welfare Advocates Release Roadmap for Ending Institutionalization of Children
New report shows harm done to children living in institutions and group homes, and offers strategies for reform Contact: Camilla Jenkins 917-971-1784 cjenkins@childrensrights.org Today, national child advocacy organization Children’s Rights released a report that brings new urgency to ending the harmful, unnecessary housing of more than 40,000 U.S. children in institutions and other group facilities […]
February 18, 2021Children’s Rights Applauds Introduction of the Equality Act
Today, U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) announced the introduction of the Equality Act, federal legislation that, if passed, would provide consistent and explicit anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs. The Equality Act would […]
February 16, 2021Settlement reached in federal class action on behalf of Arizona kids in foster care
On February 12, U.S. District Court Judge Roslyn Silver granted final approval of a settlement agreement for B.K. v. Faust, a federal class action lawsuit filed on behalf of the more than 13,000 children in Arizona’s state foster care system. The settlement will require the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) to improve access to […]
February 15, 2021First Monitor’s Report Shows Substantial Progress toward Compliance with Court-Ordered Reform Plan for Iowa Boys’ State Training School
Contacts: Children’s Rights—Camilla Jenkins, 917-971-1784, cjenkins@childrensrights.org; Disability Rights Iowa—Annie Matte, 515-278-2502, contact@driowa.org (Des Moines, IA) – An independent Monitor today filed the initial report on Iowa’s efforts to improve conditions and services at the Boys State Training School in Eldora, Iowa, noting that the State has made progress in accordance with a Court order to […]
February 11, 2021Children’s Rights Celebrates the Administration’s Agreement to Halt Discriminatory HHS Rule Change
On Wednesday, a federal court granted a joint request from Plaintiffs and the Biden Administration and ordered the immediate postponement of a discriminatory Trump-era regulation that would have allowed taxpayer-funded child welfare agencies to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and other non-merit characteristics. This historic decision, agreed to by both […]
February 9, 2021Alabama Bill Will Harm Innocent Children
Tomorrow, the Alabama State Senate Healthcare Committee will take up SB 10—a bill that, if passed, would harm transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) children. If passed, SB 10 would ban widely-accepted gender-affirming medical care for Alabama’s TGNC youth, and make the provision of this medical care a Class C felony. SB 10 even makes it […]
February 3, 2021State of Wisconsin and Children’s Rights Begin Exit of Milwaukee County Foster Care Settlement Following Years of Successful Reforms
Significant improvements in child welfare are a victory for Milwaukee County children Contact: Camilla Jenkins, 917-971-1784, cjenkins@childrensrights.org (Madison, Wisconsin)—In a significant milestone for Milwaukee County children in foster care, the parties to the Jeanine B. v. Evers class action lawsuit brought to overhaul Milwaukee County’s foster care system have jointly filed to exit federal court […]
January 28, 2021Northern District of Georgia Grants Class Certification to Include Hundreds of Incarcerated Students with Disabilities
This week, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia granted an unopposed motion to certify T.H. v. DeKalb County School District as a class action. The decision is the first of its kind in the 11th Circuit establishing that a class can proceed on behalf of incarcerated youth with disabilities within a county […]
January 22, 2021Federal judge to approve transformative foster care settlement, reforms will move to implementation phase
Contact: Christina Ostmeyer, costmeyer@kansasappleseed.org; Camilla Jenkins, cjenkins@childrensrights.org; Patricia Guinto, pguinto@youthlaw.org; Josh Epstein, josh.epstein@dlapiper.com Kansas City, KS – Today, a federal judge indicated he plans to approve the settlement agreement between attorneys representing the nearly 7,000 children in foster care and Kansas state officials. An order of approval is expected to be issued early next week. The […]