News

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.”

June 4, 2019

Providing Parents Multidisciplinary Legal Representation Reduces Children’s Time in Foster Care

“We now know many children are kept in foster care simply because their parents are not afforded appropriate representation. If that isn’t a reason to change, what would be?”

April 30, 2019

CFR Presented with a $10,000 Grant

“Funding from the New York Bar Foundation enables CFR to provide free legal and social work services to vulnerable families whose children are at risk of foster care” said CFR Executive Director, Michele Cortese.

February 25, 2019

The Child Abuse Charge Was Dismissed. But It Can Still Cost You a Job.

“Even when allegations are unfounded, names can stay on the registry until the youngest child in the case turns 28, far longer than in most other states.”

February 25, 2019

The Crime of Parenting While Poor

“A lot of what we do is say, ‘She doesn’t need that right now,’” said Stephenson. “It’s supposedly voluntary, but there’s a lot of undertone that, ‘If you don’t, we’ll be watching.’”

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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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