I had the opportunity to join my colleagues at this year’s National Association of Counsel for Children’s (NACC) conference, From Crisis to Innovation: Toward a Family-Centered Justice System, in Denver, Colorado on August 13. Traveling to Denver during the pandemic was a new experience. But being surrounded by experts in the child welfare, juvenile justice, […]
Amidst the growing momentum to transform what has been known as the child welfare system and reimagine true support and empowerment of families and communities, my transition to this role could not be more timely. As the Director of Advocacy and Policy, I will lead Children’s Rights in expanding our use of policy and legislation to achieve […]
Honor and share Cornelius’ memory: Facebook Twitter Instagram Today, we are thinking about Cornelius Frederick. Cornelius was a softhearted, rambunctious Black 16-year old child. He loved chess, card tricks, and computers. He was a loving brother and nephew who dreamed of being a counselor one day. His life was not easy. At age 10, he […]
When I see the never-ending news reports about the inhumane conditions children in migrant detention centers are being forced to live in, I am reminded of my own experiences growing up in foster care facilities. This article got it exactly right. What’s happening to children at the border is a travesty. But it’s also happening […]
I remember knowing that something was very wrong. I was 9 and my sister probably 11. We were waiting outside of school in Brownsville, Texas for my mom to pick us up. This was a rare treat instead of taking the bus. The bus came and went and we kept waiting. When the police came […]
At any given time, there are approximately 42,823 children housed in institutions and other group facilities. The trends of abuse, lack of mental health support, and racial inequality within child welfare institutions have harmed children and families for too long – and our history clearly shows that you cannot fix a fundamentally bad practice. It […]
Nationally, 31.2% of children ages 14 to 17 in the foster care system are forced to live in an institution or group facility (also known as congregate care) instead of with a family, putting children at severe risk of dangerous and tragic outcomes. In New Hampshire, the number of institutionalized children is staggering: over 70% […]
