As a public defender, we provide our clients with free legal representation and social work services built on more than two decades of experience fighting the child welfare system, or what we call the family policing system. We work with primarily low-income Black and Brown parents facing an ACS investigation or prosecution and minors who have been arrested.
Our nationally recognized model pairs each client with an attorney and a social worker, with support from a parent advocate who has been through the system themselves.
We work in partnership with you every step of the way, listening deeply to your unique needs in order to achieve the outcomes you seek for your family.
Our goal is to defend and protect your rights, reduce the harm inflicted by the family policing system, and prevent or minimize the time your children spend in the foster system.
Learn more about the common terms we use at CFR and why we choose to use certain language like the family policing system instead of the child welfare system in order to accurately reflect the reality that thousands of Black and Brown families experience every day.
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Your donation helps us expand our services and support while we continue to defend thousands of Black and Brown families in New York City targeted by the family policing system.