Lexi, ICWA and A Failing Child Welfare System

It is not often that we see California dependency cases playing out in the press but this past weekend local Southern California T.V. stations reported on Lexi, a six year old L.A. County foster child and her imminent move to Utah to be placed with extended family members. The reporting spotlights the complex Indian Child…

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Giving a Nine-Month Old Girl and her Grandmother a Voice in the Court System

A grandmother called Advokids’ hotline today asking for help advocating for her infant granddaughter who is in her care. The grandmother obtained a temporary guardianship in probate court when the case was referred to the county child welfare department because of issues of possible parental neglect—including domestic violence, drugs, and anger issues. From this point…

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IT IS TIME TO STOP WAREHOUSING KIDS IN GROUP HOMES

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) recently held Senate hearings on group home foster care placements. He is quoted as saying, “No one would support allowing states to use federal taxpayer dollars to buy cigarettes for foster youth. …Continuing to use these scarce taxpayer dollars to fund long-term placements in group homes is ultimately just as destructive.”…

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