As New York legalizes marijuana, parent advocates push child welfare agencies to be less punitive

5/19/2023

New York Child Welfare Workers Illegally Separated Newborn From His Mother Over Cannabis Allegations, Lawsuit Alleges

A federal lawsuit alleges a mother was separated from her newborn solely on the basis of a non-consensual marijuana drug test.

Upstream City

5/18/2023

Upstream City: Child Welfare Systems Should Be Allies, Not Leaders, in Transformative Change

An “upstream” approach should not be an argument for expanding the size or scope of child welfare systems, writes Nora McCarthy.

5/17/2023

New York Attorneys and Human Service Workers Get Pay Increase in $229 Billion Budget

New York's $229 billion budget includes pay increases for attorneys representing low-income residents and human services workers.

5/15/2023

Older Youth in Foster Care, Treating Withdrawal in Newborns, and More Recent Headlines

This week we review some new research on older youth in foster care, and the impact of mother bonding in the treatment of withdrawal symptoms for opioid-exposed newborns. We also discuss several recent stories published in The Imprint, including the first installment of a series looking at the haphazard rules around sexual and reproductive health for youth in foster care; how a small group of parent activists eventually effected the closure of California’s state-run youth prisons; and more.Coming

Podcast

5/12/2023

Congress Considers Increased Funding for Tribal Child Welfare and Court Systems

A bipartisan bill would increase funds for tribal courts and child welfare systems and ease administrative burdens to access family resources.  

5/8/2023

People Over Dispositions

A recent law journal article lays out three arguments against the rate at which many child welfare systems terminate parental rights. “The Ties That Bind” lays out data, outcomes and legal reasoning to support that idea. 

Podcast

    5/3/2023

    Lakeside Staffers Plead No Contest to Charges from Cornelius Fredericks’ Death

    Two former Lakeside Academy staffers pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter in the 2020 death of 16-year-old Cornelius Fredericks.

    5/2/2023

    Black Minnesotans Tell UN Panel of Harms Committed by Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Authorities

    Black residents of Minnesota gave powerful testimony to a UN panel today on the harrowing practice of placing children in solitary confinement.

    5/2/2023

    Northern California County’s Child Welfare System Again Called out by Civil Grand Jury

    A civil grand jury found that Humboldt County's child welfare system creates “an unnecessary amount of stress” families