Press Releases
Justice for Children: Federal Lawsuit Settlement in South Florida Promises Major Reforms for Children in Foster Care
Contact: Daniel Kessel, 646-216-3343, dkessel@childrensrights.org (Tallahassee, FL) – Florida officials and attorneys for children in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, Florida’s “Southern Region,” agreed to a settlement plan that will vastly improve the lives of children in foster care. The settlement, filed March 11 in federal court, is part of the civil rights lawsuit H.G. v. Carroll, […]
March 13, 2019Children at Risk: Reports Find Troubling Lack of Progress in Michigan Foster Care Reform
Contact: Daniel Kessel, 646-216-3343, dkessel@childrensrights.org (DETROIT) – A new report finds that once again, critical safety concerns remain for children in Michigan’s child welfare system more than 10 years after the state entered a settlement agreement in Dwayne B. v. Snyder, a lawsuit filed by Children’s Rights and co-counsel. Not only do children face a severe […]
March 1, 2019Statement: Say No to Discrimination in Georgia (SB 221)
(Atlanta, Georgia) — This week, the Georgia State Senate introduced SB 221, a piece of legislation that would implement a broad license to discriminate in Georgia on the basis of “religious freedom.” Christina Wilson Remlin, Lead Counsel for Children’s Rights, issued this statement: “Once again, the Georgia legislature is trying to create a license to […]
February 26, 2019Statement: Migrant Youth Sexual Abuse Allegations Reflect Government “Callousness”
Today, Axios and other outlets reported that HHS released documents alleging that thousands of migrant youth suffered sexual abuse in U.S. custody. Sandy Santana, Executive Director of Children’s Rights, issued the following statement: “The latest revelations out of Washington about the sexual abuse of immigrant children while in the custody of the United States government […]
February 21, 2019Tennessee Case Study: Report Shares Lessons Learned from Child Welfare System Overhaul
Contact: Daniel Kessel, 646-216-3343, dkessel@childrensrights.org (Nashville, TN) – Tracing the dramatic overhaul of Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services over the past two decades, a new report details the trajectory of challenges and eventual success in DCS’s efforts to comprehensively transform the state’s child welfare system as part of the Brian A. v. Haslam reform campaign brought […]
January 23, 2019Children’s Rights Condemns HHS Decision to Grant South Carolina Authority to Discriminate in Foster Care System
Contact: Daniel Kessel, dkessel@childrensrights.org NEW YORK — In response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families decision to grant a waiver to allow South Carolina foster care providers to discriminate against foster youth and prospective foster and adoptive parents while maintaining their licenses and continuing to receive federal funds, Children’s […]
December 19, 2018New Report Shows Tennessee Sustaining Major Reforms in Child Welfare System, Identifies Opportunity for Greater Investment to Reduce Racial Disparities
Contact: Daniel Kessel, 646-216-3343, dkessel@childrensrights.org (Nashville, TN ) – A new report by Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago found that Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services (DCS) continues to sustain progress made during the 17-year effort to reform its child welfare system, and identifies opportunities to address racial disparities in outcomes for children […]
December 14, 2018Report: Call to Action to Protect Sex Trafficking Victims in Milwaukee Foster Care
Today the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission and other organizations released a report Unaccompanied Homeless Youth and Sex Trafficking, a follow-up to a report in March 2018. Children’s Rights welcomes this spotlight on the vulnerability of children in out-of-home care to sex trafficking in Milwaukee. Eric Thompson, an attorney for Children’s Rights, issued this statement: “These […]
December 13, 2018Unsafe and Uneducated: New Report Reveals Dangers for Youth in Pennsylvania Foster Care
Lack of oversight of residential facilities poses serious risks to vulnerable children, including dangerous conditions and lack of educational opportunities Contact: Daniel Kessel, 646-216-3343, dkessel@childrensrights.org (HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA) – A new report released today by Children’s Rights and the Education Law Center-PA raises serious concerns about the safety of Pennsylvania’s residential placements for youth in foster care and […]
November 16, 2018Extreme Housing Instability and Lack of Mental Health Services Endanger Children in Kansas Foster Care, New Suit Charges
Kids Moved So Often They Are Effectively Homeless While Deprived of Necessary Mental Health Treatment, “As Kansans We Should Be Ashamed and Outraged” Contact: Daniel Kessel, 646-216-3343, dkessel@childrensrights.org (KANSAS CITY, KANSAS) – Children in Kansas foster care face extreme housing instability—sometimes moved more than 50 or 100 times—and are deprived of critical mental health assessments and […]