Posts Tagged: investigations

‘A Call to Action’: New Research Finds Extremely High Rates of Investigations of Black, Brown and Native Families

Parents at Rise have long documented how the family policing system affects Black and brown people living in low-income areas of NYC. In July, a team of researchers from Duke University and Rutgers University published the study, “Contact with Child Protective Services is pervasive but unequally distributed by race and ethnicity in large US counties.” As its title suggests, the paper finds that the system impacts the lives of far too many Black and brown families.

Dr. Frank Edwards, an assistant professor at Rutgers University’s School of Criminal Justice who studies race and state violence, policing and family separation, was part of the team that worked on this study. Here, he discusses their findings in NYC and nationally, mandated reporting, investigations and why he is an abolitionist. 

How to Access NYC Early Representation: Legal Support for Parents During an Investigation or Family Crisis

If CPS has been called on you or if you are worried a report may be made, you can call these organizations for legal representation during an investigation. All of the parent defense organizations have early defense teams that can assist parents, try to prevent an ACS case, and provide information so parents know their rights and understand the process.

Bronx: The Bronx DefendersIf ACS was called on you, if ACS contacts you, if or you … Read More

Rise Testimony Submitted to the New York City Council Committee on General Welfare, October 31, 2019

This year, Rise has focused our work on examining the harmful impact of child welfare’s culture of surveillance on families, particularly low-income families of color. We are pleased that City Council has taken on this issue, and write in support of the bills introduced by members of the progressive caucus to hold the Administration for Children’s Services accountable for their disproportionate presence in our families’ communities, and to provide parents with crucial legal protections during investigations.