Press Releases
Understaffed Mississippi Department of Human Services Abandons Children in Emergency Shelters for Over a Year
A Mississippi Department of Human Services (DHS) document obtained as part of the ongoing child welfare reform lawsuit, Olivia Y. v. Barbour, identifies 168 children in emergency shelters statewide who, as of December 2004, had been left there an average of 124 days (over 4 months) each during their current shelter stay. 3 children in […]
March 29, 2005Lawsuit Reveals Backlog of Nearly Three Thousand Child Abuse Investigations in Mississippi
Mississippi Department of Human Services (DHS) documents recently obtained by attorneys for the plaintiffs as part of the child welfare reform lawsuit Olivia Y. v. Barbour reveal that DHS has a backlog of 2,863 child abuse investigations statewide. In addition, DHS caseworkers are not able to respond to child abuse complaints for an average of […]
March 15, 2005Mississippi DHS: Child Abuse and Neglect Caseloads at “Beyond Danger!” Levels
Documents obtained as part of the child welfare reform lawsuit Olivia Y. v. Barbour show that Mississippi’s Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS), is allowing average caseloads of 48 cases per caseworker across the state to place thousands of children at risk of serious harm. The state’s own category […]
March 7, 2005First Report From Expert Panel Shows New Jersey Children Still At Risk
The New Jersey Child Welfare Panel today issued its first report on the state’s progress in reforming its child welfare system as a result of the Children’s Rights class action lawsuit Charlie and Nadine H. v. McGreevey. The report by the group of experts, charged with monitoring New Jersey’s court-ordered child welfare reform shows pockets […]
February 24, 2005Court Oversight Ends for New Mexico Child Welfare System
Albuquerque, NM — A federal district judge in New Mexico ended court oversight of the state’s child welfare system today, citing reforms achieved under a 25-year class action reform lawsuit, Joseph A. v. Bolson. The lawsuit had been filed in 1980 charging that the state’s Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) was doing little to […]