Opinion: Open Child Welfare Hearings in Washington DC

Occasionally, we will link to media opinions on aspects of adoption and child welfare. This opinion piece discusses the failings of the Washington DC child welfare system and references the California effort to open hearings to the public.

Judith Sandalow, the executive director of the Children’s Law Center testified before the DC City Council on February 3, 2011. Her testimony can be read here .

“Although CFSA has a court-appointed monitor, much of the agency’s business—the family-court hearings, investigations, foster-care placements, etc.—are done in secret. ”

Showing the scope of the problem, there has been a 20-year-old class action case against CFSA.

Should Child Welfare Hearings Be Public?

[Washington City Paper 3/3/11 by Jason Cherkis]

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