Executive director Judith Sandalow testified before the DC Council's Committee on Human Services regarding the proposed budget for the Child and Family Services Agency.

Executive director Judith Sandalow raised concerns about potential cuts to special education funding at a DC Council hearing on the mayor's proposed budget for fiscal year 2013.

Policy director Sharra Greer testified before the DC Council's Committee on Human Services regarding the Foster Youth Employment Amendment Act, which would give a hiring preference to young adults currently in or emancipated from foster care.

Policy director Sharra Greer testified today in front of the DC Council Committee on Human Services at a hearing focused on two measures impacting the District's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Policy director Sharra Greer testified before the DC Council Committee on Human Services at a public roundtable discussion of a resolution to confirm Brenda Donald as director of DC's Child and Family Services Agency.

Children's Law Center's Judith Sandalow testified before the DC Council's Judiciary Committee at a public hearing for Committee Chairman Phil Mendelson's Child Sexual Abuse Reporting Act, B19-0647.

Judith Sandalow, executive director of Children's Law Center, testified before the DC Council at a hearing to review the performance of the Department of Mental Health.

Children's Law Center testified before the DC Council's Committee on Human Services at a hearing to review the performance of the Department of Human Services.

Judith Sandalow, executive director of Children's Law Center, testified before the DC Council's Committee on Human Services at a hearing to review the performance of the Child and Family Services Agency.

Judith Sandalow, executive director of Children's Law Center, testified before the DC Council at an oversight hearing focused on education agencies. Her testimony focused on observations and concerns regarding DCPS and OSSE.

Judith Sandalow, executive director of Children's Law Center, testified before the DC Council's Committee on Human Services at the public hearing of Bill 19-466, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Amendment Act.

While a revised set of amendments to regulations governing the licensing of foster homes take some positive steps, Children's Law Center recommends further steps to achieve broader reform and encourage placement with kin.

Children's Law Center urges additions to proposed regulations on the licensing of foster homes to achieve broader reform and encourage placement with kin.

CLC urged the DC Council to restore funding for homeless services and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in the proposed Fiscal Year 2012 budget, warning that failure to do so will worsen child poverty and lead to more children placed in foster care.

CLC supported a proposal to increase funding for special education services so more District children can succeed in their neighborhood schools, but cautioned that proposed cuts to safety net programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and children’s mental health services threaten to undermine this investment.

In written comments on proposed "Certificates of Approval for Nonpublic Special Education Schools and Programs Serving Students with Disabilities funded by the District of Columbia" submitted to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), CLC suggested several changes to rules proposed by OSSE regarding nonpublic school placements of special needs children who cannot be adequately served by neighborhood schools.

Though the proposed Fiscal Year 2012 budget for the Child and Family Services Agency protects two crucial programs – Rapid Housing and the Grandparent Caregiver Program – CLC testified it also contains extremely troubling cuts to essential services such as mental health care for foster children.

CLC warned that proposed cuts to the Department of Mental Health Budget will cause harm to District children and lead to inferior care for children and families, costing the District more money than the cuts will save.

CLC warned that proposed cuts to services that help impoverished children and families will have a devastating impact on children’s wellbeing, harming their ability to succeed academically and creating a need for additional services within the District’s public schools.

CLC testified that in order to effectively address school truancy, the District must implement better intervention strategies and consider the complex and varied factors that lead to truancy, such as children’s unmet mental health needs.