Isaac Bryan

California parents fighting to reunify with their kids in foster care face an arduous path. They must appear at numerous court hearings, complete hours of classes, and attend all scheduled visitations — often while finding housing, separating from abusive partners and kicking drug habits.

In California and other states, many parents must pay for their children’s stay in foster care. Based on evidence, the law should be abandoned, writes Jill Duerr Berrick for CalMatters.