Fighting for our Rights is about parents’ legal rights and representation, as well as related legislation.
Source: US Department of State
September 15 – October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. Beginning in 1968 as a week-long celebration, it was expanded in 1988 to coincide with key Independence Days such as Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Chile, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Another holiday, Día de la Raza, also known as Columbus Day on October 12th, also falls within this month, although Columbus Day has received criticism due to being associated with … Read More
At the start of 2022, legislation went into effect that changes how New York State’s Statewide Central Registry (SCR) operates. The legislation was developed and pushed forward by parent activists and allies to reduce the harm and scope of the SCR, which particularly impacts Black and Latinx families and communities.
Here, Chris Gottlieb, Co-Director of NYU Law School’s Family Defense Clinic, details what has changed, how the legislation will be implemented, parents’ rights related to the SCR and how to prepare for a fair hearing. NYU Law School’s Family Defense Clinic partners with parent activists and legal defense organizations on legislative advocacy to push the family defense movement forward.
Two new bills related to child welfare have been proposed in the NY State Senate, sponsored by Senator Velmanette Montgomery (now retired). The passage of these bills would help to reduce some of the harm of the child welfare system in New York.
Throughout our 2020 series, Fighting for Our Rights, Rise has highlighted information about parents’ legal rights and representation — both to prevent child welfare system involvement and to protect your family if ACS does become involved.
Parental designation is a legal option in New York that allows a parent to designate someone you trust to temporarily take care of your child, while maintaining your parental rights and without ACS becoming involved.
Here, Jessica Prince, Policy Counsel … Read More
States track records of parents who have been investigated by child protective services and accused of neglecting or abusing their children. A parent can be “indicated” for maltreatment even if they have never been charged with a crime or faced a judge. Nationwide, millions of parents – disproportionately Black and Latinx parents – experience employment barriers due to a child abuse registry record, even when there is no child safety concern.
Here, Washcarina Martinez Alonzo and Jeanette Vega explain how these records impact hundreds of thousands of Black and brown parents—and how you can get your record sealed and amended so it is not a barrier to employment.
