Presentations, Articles, Rulings and Other Current Information for Adoption, Family and Foster Care Law, Child Welfare and Social Work
(Please see our Links page for helpful websites to visit)

 

Examples of Presentations at Seminars

Avoiding and Defending Against Allegations (DC) (pdf)

Legal Rights of Foster Children, Siblings, Foster Parents and Others (DC) (pdf)

Confidentiality and Minors - Latin American Youth Center(pdf)

Confidentiality and Minors Scenarios(pdf)

Avoiding and Defending Against
Allegations Of Child Maltreatment (pdf)

Legal Rights of Foster Children, Siblings, Relatives,
Grandparents and Foster Parents (pdf)

The Adoption Process in the District of Columbia (pdf)

Legal Issues Facing Foster Parents (pdf)

Collaborative Materials

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Collaborative Material 2


Collaborative Material 3


Collaborative Material 4

 

Interesting Cases and Materials (click here for more)

Helpful and Interesting Cases and Materials Relating to Children, Foster Care, Child Maltreatment and Adoption

Federal court finds that social workers are absolutely immune for verified statements in petitions filed in child abuse and neglect (dependency) proceedings.

Adoption Petitioners asked the Court to grant nunc pro tunc (retroactive effect) to their adoption.(pdf)

Case Regarding the reporting and investigation of child abuse (pdf)

Competing adoption case in the DC Superior Court appeal (pdf)

"Judicial determination of reasonable efforts" in obtaining federal reimbursement for foster care maintanance payments (pdf)

Sexual crimes case appealed on sentencing to a two-level enchancement

Case regarding difficulty with inter-country adoptions (pdf)

Actions of alleged "indicated" child abuser are rules to be accidental and unforeseeable.  Finding is reduced to "ruled out".  Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings.

Adoption Tax Identification Number (ATIN) (pdf)

Prospective adopters may apply for a ATIN before their adoption is finalized.  An ATIN can be used for tax purposes until the adoption is final and the adoptee receives a permanant social security number.

Left Alone

Parents and others who has a legal duty to care for children, such as teachers and day care workers, run the risk of being accused of "inadequate supervision," sometimes referred to as a "left alone case."  Most often, a decision finding that a caretaker "neglected" the child or, worse was criminally liable for what is sometimes called "reckless endangerment" turns on the particular facts and circumstances.

Some of the factors:

• Age/Maturity of the child at issue
• Age/Maturity of any child providing supervision
• Child's readiness for "self care"
• Preperation of the child
• Accessibility to child by phone or in person by an adult
• Was the child in danger?

Resource: Stephanie Armagots, CURRENT PUBLIC LAW AND POLICY ISSUES: An Innocent Mistake or Criminal Conduct: Children Dying of Hyperthermia in Hot Vehicles, 23 Hamline Journal of Public Law and Policy 109 (Fall 2001).

How To Obtain a Child Protection Register Check from D.C. (pdf)

 Post Adoption Contact (pdf)

 

Maryland Foster Parents Rights (pdf)

 

Ruling

Idaho Supreme Court rules that the public agency responsible for investigating child abuse reports can be liable if it fails to conduct a competent investigation.(pdf)

The Supreme Court decides that the search of a 13-year-old school girl's underwear by school employees violated the Fourth Amendment. (pdf)

 

Article

The Journal of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts - Special Issue: Adoption and Foster Care
Ethical and Legal Dilemmas in Adoption Social Work -
Harvey Schweitzer and Daniel Pollack

Julie E. Gendel, Comment: Playing Games With Girls’ Health: Why It Is Too Soon to Mandate the HPV Vaccine for Pre-Teen Girls as a Prerequisite to School Entry, 39 Seton Hall L. Rev. 265 (2009).

Department of Health and Human Services
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

State Standards and Capacity to Track Frequency of Caseworker Visits With Children In Foster Care (pdf)

State Standards and Practices for Content of Caseworker Visits With Children In Foster Care (pdf)

 Child Welfare League of America

Child Maltreatment in Foster Care
CWLA Best Practice Guildelines (pdf)

 

Foster & Adoptive Parent Advocacy Center (FAPAC)

FAPAC's “National Treasure Award” letter (pdf)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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