News

April 3, 2020

NY Limits Access to Parents’ Names on Child Abuse And Neglect Registry

“When I was younger I wanted to be a guidance counselor for middle school students, but I couldn’t go in because I knew I had this history,” said Hope Lyzette Newton, Parent Advocate at CFR, who once had her name on the register.

March 30, 2020

COVID-19 Creates Deep Uncertainty in NYC’s Child-Welfare System

“Even clients who were having unsupervised day visits or overnight visits have seen their contact changed in pretty significant ways.”

March 1, 2020

Backfire: When Reporting Domestic Violence Means You Get Investigated for Child Abuse

"Lawyers who represent parents in New York City Family Courts often argue that ACS practices would not be tolerated in communities with money or political influence...It’s a one-size-fits-all, bullying approach."

December 14, 2019

Poor and at risk of losing their kids: Moms and dads under ACS investigation deserve more legal help

“Poor New Yorkers of color aren’t receiving the same access to justice that wealthy families do, and the city agency charged with supporting families, the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), wants it to stay that way.”

November 1, 2019

Hope Newton to City Council: “All parents NEED legal counsel at the very beginning of an investigation”

“If ACS has the right to come into my home and remove children, I should have the right to legal counsel to guide e through the process during the investigate phase of the case. As someone who successfully cleared their name through the State Central Registry, I know it would have changed the outcome.”

October 31, 2019

ACS chief says city bill guaranteeing lawyers could endanger children

“It often feels as though ACS takes advantage of the fact that low-income black and brown families that they investigate do not know that they can refuse to answer [ACS’s] questions.”

September 30, 2019

This 23-Year-Old’s Newborn Was Taken by the Government. Here’s How She Got Her Back.

“In our cases, a parent meets an attorney and a social work staff member on the very first day the case is in court. The client has two team members assisting simultaneously.”

July 14, 2019

Why An Attorney May Not Be Enough In Child Welfare Cases

“Some critics were potentially saying, ‘Are those kids as safe? If kids come home fast, is there a chance they’re coming home too fast?’” Cortese said. “This study … indicated that our clients’ children come home faster than when parents are represented by a solo practitioner, and there’s no increased repeat maltreatment.”

June 5, 2019

NY Child Welfare Advocates Want Parents to Have Representation When Their Children Removed

“It’s the rare situation where the need to protect a child means their interest is distinct from their parents,” she said. “This dialogue should be about families. Especially when we’re talking about poor people, we feel that supporting the sanctity of the family is worth going the distance.”

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Common Terms We Use

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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Common Terms We Use

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