visitation

Accusing Illinois state officials of disregarding the rights of families during the coronavirus pandemic, a top public defender has taken the extraordinary step of fighting for a temporary restraining order against the Department of Children and Family Services, which has barred most family visits.

The coronavirus has dominated headlines across the country as the federal government and state leaders scramble to pull together broad plans of attack for testing, quarantining and treating those with severe symptoms.

Two years ago this month, the Family First Prevention Services Act became law and spurred bold reforms in child welfare. By realigning federal funding, Family First is driving system changes to keep more families safely together as well as improve the quality of foster care for children and youth who cannot remain safely at home.

At first, the children who visit Los Angeles County’s largest women’s jail are confused or even angry. Their mothers can’t hold them or take their hands. A hard glass partition is in the way.

A collective of Los Angeles County-based government agencies, philanthropies, foster family agencies and faith-based organizations have launched an effort to boost the county’s foster care capacity and help more children receive better care, according to a brief released by the group.

After a long night of wiping off seats and sweeping up plastic cups at one of Los Angeles’ largest stadiums, Abraham Gomez rushes home to change his clothes, then hits the open highway just a little after sunrise.

Last week, the Arnall Family Foundation announced a $1 million transportation innovation grant that seeks to improve foster care transportation in Oklahoma. The grant aligns with Arnall Family Foundation’s mission to make transformative improvements to the systems serving at-risk children in Oklahoma.

Los Angeles County’s child welfare agency is betting that improved technology and analysis can make its family visitation process more efficient for kids and parents. The county’s Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) will use a $130,000 contribution from philanthropic partners and $30,000 in county funds to move ahead with a plan to use high-tech mapping to improve court-ordered visitations for the 18,000 children placed in the county’s foster care system.

When I was little I would sit in my room and wonder why my life was not like other children’s. I would see kids with their parents, doing things that my mother would not do with me, like going to the park and shopping.