On August 9, I traveled to Geneva with other civil and human rights advocates to address the 107th Session of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). Words cannot begin to describe the power, energy, and hope that filled the room of the Palais Wilson as advocates from U.S. non-governmental organizations spoke their truths about the injustices inflicted on human beings in our country, every single day. I was there to share my personal relationship with the child welfare system and to speak to what I have witnessed on a daily basis in my professional life as a lawyer and an advocate: the unequal disruption and treatment of Black families compared to other families.

In this webinar, presented by the TAY Federal Coalition and hosted by the Youth Law Center, we kick off a virtual congressional briefing series on systemic racism and racial justice in the child welfare system. The series aims to provide Members of Congress and congressional staffers with the information necessary to understand the history and ongoing impact of systemic racism on children, youth, and families. The series will also highlight how current structures and policies affect families every day and the need for solutions, co-designed with those who have experienced and been impacted by the child welfare system.

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 […]

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 […]