Opinion: The Harmful Impact Of Invasive Child Welfare Investigations

2024-03-25T15:59:23-04:00March 18th, 2024|

City Limits

"Earlier this month, the NYC Family Policy Project released a bombshell report demonstrating, in no uncertain terms, that New York investigates far too many children and families for suspected abuse or neglect."

NY State Child Abuse Hotline Shortfalls Lead To Unnecessary Investigations: Report

2024-03-11T12:46:53-04:00March 7th, 2024|

NY Daily News

"Advocates at the New York City Family Policy Project [part of UJC's 2022-2024 Social Justice Accelerator cohort] are pushing agents who field the calls to ask more questions before putting a family through a traumatic investigation."

New York Child Protection Hotline Accepts Maltreatment Allegations At Far Higher Rates Than Other States, New Study Shows

2024-03-11T12:52:33-04:00March 6th, 2024|

The Intercept

“The consequences are serious,” the report by The New York City Family Policy Project [part of UJC's Social Justice Accelerator 2022-2024 cohort] states. “Families under investigation endure two months of inspections of their homes and bodies, demands for medical and school records, and intrusive interviews with their neighbors, doctors and teachers that can damage their reputation, all while holding their breath, not knowing if their children may be taken.” 

5 South Asian Platforms Breaking The Abortion Stigma

2024-03-04T13:18:00-05:00March 1st, 2024|

Desi Blitz

"Following the decline of Roe v. Wade...SOAR [part of the UJC Social Justice Accelerator ‘24 cohort] established South Asians for Abortion, an online platform mobilising South Asians in support of abortion rights, reproductive justice, and bodily autonomy."

ACS Routinely Violates NYC Families’ Rights During Child Welfare Investigations: Lawsuit

2024-02-26T15:53:37-05:00February 26th, 2024|

NY Daily News

“ACS has been operating for decades with a no harm, no foul mentality. That when they conduct an investigation, and the caseworkers don’t find anything concerning, ‘Well, we did our job,'” said David Shalleck-Klein, an attorney for the plaintiffs and the founder and executive director of the Family Justice Law Center [part of our 2022-2024 Social Justice Accelerator cohort]. “What families that have been impacted have been saying — for years now — is that there is harm, and there is foul.”

Mother Files Lawsuit Against New York Hospital, Fights To Bring Her Baby Home

2024-02-26T15:50:05-05:00February 26th, 2024|

19th News

“They are abused by their partners, and then they are abused by the system which is supposed to help them.” - David Shalleck-Klein, executive director and founder of the Family Justice Law Center [part of our 2022-2024 Social Justice Accelerator cohort].

Legal News Roundup: Lawsuit Over ACS Practices

2024-02-26T15:56:36-05:00February 22nd, 2024|

WNYC

David Shalleck-Klein, founder and executive director of the Family Justice Law Center at the Urban Justice Center, discusses the class-action lawsuit charging the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) uses coercion, traumatizing families, and is joined by Shalonda Curtis-Hackett, a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Class-action Lawsuit Filed Against City’s Administration For Children’s Services

2024-02-26T15:45:47-05:00February 21st, 2024|

Spectrum News

Shalonda Curtis-Hackett, one of the named plaintiffs, and David Shalleck-Klein, executive director and founder of Family Justice Law Center [part of UJC's Social Justice Accelerator '24 cohort] joined NY1 political anchor Errol Louis on “Inside City Hall” Wednesday to discuss the suit.

Parents Are Suing New York City Over Coercive, Traumatizing Home Searches

2024-02-26T15:41:02-05:00February 21st, 2024|

Mother Jones

"Parents are left humiliated and “unable to protect their children in their own homes,” says David Shalleck-Klein, executive director of the Family Justice Law Center [part of our 2022-2024 Social Justice Accelerator cohort]...He noted that ACS should be able to search families’ homes—but only when they follow legal procedures."

NYC Child Welfare Investigators Coerce, Traumatize Families, Class-action Lawsuit Claims

2024-02-26T15:33:37-05:00February 21st, 2024|

Gothamist

“ACS leaves in their wake real fear, real trauma, and real consequences that need to be accounted for,” said David Shalleck-Klein, an attorney for the nine families bringing the suit and the founder and director of the Family Justice Law Center [part of our 2022-2024 Social Justice Accelerator cohort]."