Issues

Learn about the laws and issues that affect the well-being of children in the District of Columbia. If you have additional questions about how these laws affect a specific child living in the District, please call our helpline at 202.467.4900, option 4.

Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention: Child abuse and neglect can be prevented by lifting families out of poverty and providing support to overwhelmed parents.

Foster Care: What happens when the government suspects a child has been abused or neglected?

Adoption & Guardianship: How can we give children safe and stable homes if their biological parents cannot provide them?

Extended Family Care: Washington, DC has a strong network of grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents and other extended family members raising children.

Custody: Who makes important decisions for a child if his or her parents don’t agree or aren’t available to make the decisions?

Education: Children in foster care, children with special needs and children who misbehave are all at-risk of not succeeding in school. What does the law require?

Mental Health: Children with untreated mental health problems often struggle in school or land in jail or foster care.

Physical Health: Poor children are almost twice as likely as middle-class children to have health problems.

To learn more about how Children’s Law Center is improving the lives of DC children, sign up for our e-newsletter or visit What We Do.