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We believe every child deserves a safe and loving home. When asked by lawmakers across the country for the single reform that will help protect the most abused children in foster care, our answer is always the same — attorney representation for children. The graphic below shows which states guarantee the appointment of client directed attorneys for all children.

By: Darcy Olsen and Ann Tredway

If a little kid showed up at your door looking hungry and cold, would you let them in? Absolutely! You'd give them warm blankets, make them lots of hot chocolate, and do everything you could to make sure they're safe and comfortable.

Nationally, over 90% of children in foster care leave the child welfare system via reunification with biological parents, guardianship, kinship placements, or adoption. The remaining children – approximately 9% of teens and young adults – “age out” of the child welfare system without a permanent family.

Phoenix, Ariz - Center for the Rights of Abused Children Releases a Model Executive Order Protecting Social Security, Disability, and Survivor Benefits for Children in Foster Care.

An order prohibiting the state department of child safety (department) from taking rightful federal benefits away from a child in foster care and requiring the department to preserve the child’s benefits in the best interests of the child.

Denver, Colo. – The Colorado legislature has passed a landmark reform strengthening core legal protections for children in the foster care system.

Phoenix, Ariz. – Today, the Arizona legislature unanimously passed House Bill 2486, allowing courts to consider the restoration of the parent-children relationship.

Phoenix, Ariz. – Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed a groundbreaking reform
created by the Center for the Rights of Abused Children to improve transparency and oversight of the Department of Child Safety (DCS).

Phoenix, Ariz. – House Bill 2645, adopted unanimously on April 2, 2024, will improve educational outcomes for children in foster care.

Washington, DC – A bipartisan coalition of federal lawmakers on both the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance and the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.

February 29, 2024 - The Center for the Rights of Abused Children releases a toolkit aimed at enforcing the rights of youth in foster care.

March 8, 2024 - Join VP of Policy, Kendall Seal for a discussion on the ten states that have passed client-directed counsel for all children.