‘Never Designed to Help’: How New York’s ‘Child Welfare’ System Preys on Families
The New York City Administration for Children’s Services effectively serves as a policing system for parents, which disproportionately targets families of color and only rarely finds evidence of abuse or neglect.
Daniel Moritz-Rabson May 15, 2023
Injustice, Inc.: How America’s Justice System Commodifies Children and the Poor
Countless forms of detention and foster care facilities are profiting from warehousing the humans treated as remnants.
Daniel L. Hatcher Mar 01, 2023
A Lonely Child Finds His Way Out of Abuse and Homelessness, It Lands Him Behind Bars
First in a three-part series on a teenager with a tumultuous childhood sent to die in prison, and where his life would lead. The following narrative was compiled from interviews and court records.
Sylvia A. Harvey Jan 30, 2023
Hidden Foster Care: All Of The Responsibility, None Of The Resources
Outside of the traditional foster care system exists a shadow system of potentially hundreds of thousands of children removed by CPS to their relatives or family friends—without a court case, monetary support, or due process.
Roxanna Asgarian Dec 21, 2020
Social Workers Are Rejecting Calls For Them to Replace Police
Some say their roles are already too close to those of law enforcement and are organizing for a radical rethinking of the profession.
Mia Sato Aug 20, 2020
Children in Residential Treatment Centers Are Especially Vulnerable to COVID-19
Tens of thousands of children are in congregate care settings around the country, and some have already started to get sick.
Roxanna Asgarian May 05, 2020
Coronavirus Raises Questions On How To Meet Court-Ordered Obligations
Many programs for people on parole, probation, or supervision take place in group settings—the exact opposite of what public health officials are recommending in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Elizabeth Brico Mar 27, 2020
How the Media Can Stigmatize Parents and Separate Families
Stories that uncritically blame child welfare agencies for the deaths of children at the hands of their parents can contribute to increases in child removals—with devastating consequences for families.
Elizabeth Brico Jan 15, 2020
The Damage Done By Foster Care Systems
Children who have been in foster care, especially those who have been subjected to multiple moves, are at a high risk of ending up incarcerated.
Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 18, 2019
How Child Services Punishes Mothers With Substance Use Disorder—And Their Children
Rather than separating families, child ‘welfare’ agencies should help families get access to the care they need.
Elizabeth Brico Nov 15, 2019
New York’s Child Welfare Laws Will Advance Justice
Two bills, awaiting Governor Andrew Cuomo’s signature, would help reduce the punitive impact of the child welfare system on kids and their families, including formerly incarcerated parents.
Nora McCarthy Nov 13, 2019
The Appeal Podcast: The War on Drugs Continues In Family Court
With Miriam Mack and Elizabeth Tuttle Newman of The Bronx Defenders
Adam H. Johnson Sep 26, 2019
Parents Threatened With Losing Children Over Cannabis Use
Even in states where use is decriminalized, child welfare systems continue to treat it as a sign of neglectful parenting, particularly among families of color.
Miriam Mack, Elizabeth Tuttle Newman Sep 09, 2019
A Mother Grapples With an Adoption that Led to Deaths
Tammy Scheurich, who lost three biological children in the Hart family crash last year, tells her story for the first time.
Roxanna Asgarian Feb 26, 2019
‘I Gotta Be Strong for My Babies’
An Oklahoma woman is serving 18 months in prison after being accused of failing to protect her daughter from the girl’s dad.
Roxanna Asgarian Dec 18, 2018
D.A. Charges Pittsburgh Mom After Toddler’s Mysterious Death from Fentanyl in Sippy Cup
Despite looming questions about what happened, Jhenea Pratt is now facing life without parole.
Joshua Vaughn Oct 30, 2018
Parents Fight For Daughter After ‘Pervasive and Egregious’ Violations By Family Court Volunteers
Washington case raises questions about the role of court appointed special advocates.
Roxanna Asgarian Sep 28, 2018
Before Children’s Grisly Deaths, a Family Fought for Them and Lost
The Hart family’s apparent murder-suicide drew headlines, but the path to the tragedy started much earlier—in Texas.
Roxanna Asgarian Jul 12, 2018
Two States Just Made It Easier to Take Babies Away From Mothers Who Use Drugs During Pregnancy
M. thought she was doing the right thing. She had become dependent on opioids, but when she learned she was pregnant, she immediately tried to enroll in a medication assisted treatment (MAT) program. MAT is the standard of care for treating people with opioid use disorder — especially pregnant women, as quitting opioids too suddenly […]
Lisa Sangoi May 17, 2018
Black Families Matter: How the Child Welfare System Punishes Poor Families of Color
A few days after an argument with her boyfriend led to a 911 call, Ms. L, a mother of two young boys, received an unexpected visit from Child Protective Services (CPS). The caseworker asked her if she used drugs, and Ms. L truthfully responded that she smoked marijuana from time to time. According to Ms. […]
Dorothy Roberts, Lisa Sangoi Mar 26, 2018
Montana Prosecutor’s Crackdown on Pregnant Women Who Use Drugs Could Harm Women’s Health
Last month, a Montana prosecutor made a major move to criminalize pregnant women. Big Horn County Attorney Gerald “Jay” Harris announced he would seek civil restraining orders against pregnant women who use drugs or alcohol. Under these court orders, pregnant women can be monitored for such conduct by law enforcement. If they are found in […]
Raven Rakia Feb 23, 2018