Fighting for our Rights is about parents’ legal rights and representation, as well as related legislation.
NYC parent LaQuana Chappelle explains how and why she sued ACS.
LaQuana Chappelle’s children were removed by ACS illegally following an accident. After she got her kids back, she got a lawyer and sued the system. The case was settled with the City of New York paying damages to LaQuana and her children.
Here, LaQuana discusses her experience, the importance of knowing your rights and her advice for other parents who are considering suing.
Attorney David Lansner explains how children and parents can sue the child welfare system
By Sarah Harris, Shakira Paige, Careena Farmer, Cynthia Zizola and Genesis Pagan, Rise Contributors, and Keyna Franklin, Rise Parent Leader
Many parents feel that what we experienced at
the hands of child welfare was unjust but that there’s nothing we can do about
it. We wanted to find out if that was true, so we interviewed David Lansner, a
family court lawyer in New York City … Read More
Parent advocates have an essential impactful role in providing effective legal representation to protect parents’ rights, prevent family separation and support parents involved with the child welfare system. Here, Iesha Hammons, the Parent Ally at Legal Services of New Jersey, explains how she supports parents, why she does this work, the challenges of being a Parent Ally and how she takes care of herself in the role.
Parents struggling to provide for their children are often surprised to learn that gaps in basic care caused by poverty can result in allegations of neglect and child removal. Parents struggling with lack of adequate housing or poverty need access to resources and support, not an intrusive child welfare investigation, mandated services, or separation.
The coronavirus shutdown is putting stress on families and is negatively impacting families with child welfare involvement: Courts are closed, hearings are delayed and in-person visits and services are canceled. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Children’s Bureau has issued guidance to child welfare agencies.
Here, Jerry Milner, the Associate Commissioner of the U.S. Children’s Bureau, and David Kelly, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, explain parents’ rights and protections during the pandemic. They also discuss their guidance to child welfare agencies and courts and their vision for child welfare reform.
