Press Releases
DC Agrees to Implement Emergency Measures to Fix Child Welfare Failures
WASHINGTON, DC — Under the continued threat of contempt proceedings for violating the terms of a longstanding order to reform its dysfunctional child welfare system — and the possibility of a second federal court takeover of the system — the District of Columbia has agreed to contract external child welfare experts to develop and execute […]
September 29, 2008In CT, Backlogs of Children Awaiting Homes and Services, But Reforms Underway
BRIDGEPORT, CT — The latest progress report on Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) credits the agency with implementing the first stages of a new court-ordered reform plan, including efforts to recruit hundreds of additional foster parents, but also highlights more than 2,500 foster children requiring heightened reviews because they are “stuck” in state […]
August 19, 2008Advocates Seek Contempt Finding Against State of Georgia
ATLANTA, GA — Citing the ongoing failure of Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to meet court-ordered requirements to find permanent homes for hundreds of abused and neglected children languishing in state custody, the national advocacy group Children’s Rights and local co-counsel today asked the federal court to find the state in contempt. […]
August 1, 2008Report: Fulton County Inching Toward Improvements in Children’s Legal Representation
ATLANTA, GA — Fulton County made incremental progress toward improving legal representation of children in Juvenile Court during the first half of 2008, but much remains to be done before the county fulfills the court-enforceable requirements mandated by the settlement of the federal class action lawsuit aimed at reforming Atlanta’s troubled child welfare system, according […]
July 25, 2008Children’s Rights Moves to Hold District of Columbia in Contempt of Court
WASHINGTON, DC — Citing the ongoing failure of the District’s Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) to meet the performance standards of a court-ordered reform plan in the federal class action brought on behalf of both the approximately 2,500 children in CFSA custody and thousands more reported for abuse or neglect, national advocacy group Children’s […]
July 22, 2008Report: DeKalb County Meeting Requirements to Improve Legal Representation of Foster Children
ATLANTA, GA — The settlement of a landmark class-action lawsuit seeking reform of the Atlanta child welfare system on behalf of thousands of children in its custody has produced vast improvements in the quality of legal representation foster children in DeKalb County’s receive in Juvenile Court, according to a new report released today by an […]
July 17, 2008Under New Court Order, Connecticut Must Act Aggressively to Address Persistent Child Welfare Failures
BRIDGEPORT, CT — Two months after the national advocacy group Children’s Rights and Connecticut co-counsel triggered noncompliance proceedings against the state of Connecticut under the terms of the court-enforceable federal class action settlement mandating the comprehensive reform of the state’s child welfare system, Senior U.S.District Judge Alan H. Nevas today approved and ordered into effect […]
July 3, 2008Michigan Settles Reform Lawsuit, Agrees to Overhaul of Failing Child Welfare System
DETROIT, MI — A settlement agreement mandating top-to-bottom reform and federal court oversight of Michigan’s long-failing child welfare system has been reached in the federal class action brought against the state by the national advocacy group Children’s Rights and a team of attorneys from Michigan and across the country. The settlement, to be submitted for […]
May 14, 2008Atlanta Child Welfare Reform Efforts Slipping in Critical Areas
ATLANTA, GA — Rates of abuse and neglect among children in the custody of Atlanta’s child welfare system continue to rise and critical service needs for children and their families are not being met, according to a new report issued today by the court-appointed independent monitors in the federal class action reform lawsuit brought against […]
May 5, 2008Advocates Seek Partial Federal Takeover of Connecticut Child Welfare System
Citing the ongoing failure of Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families to meet performance standards mandated by the settlement of a federal class action reform lawsuit brought against the state on behalf of approximately 6,000 children in state custody and thousands more at risk of entering state custody, the national advocacy group Children’s Rights and […]
