Newsletters

Juvenile Litigation with Respect to Institutional Confinement Facilities

There are many juveniles that are confined to public and private institutions. Many of the institutions have deplorable conditions. Juveniles are often held in dingy cells or small, dark rooms and are confined for hours, days, or weeks. Often times juveniles are deprived of exercise, recreational activities and schooling. Sometimes juveniles are even supervised by untrained or inadequate staff as well.

Adoption Assistance & Child Welfare Act

The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (Act) was passed by Congress in 1980. Lawmakers were concerned that many children were being removed from their homes unnecessarily and that, once they entered foster care, inadequate efforts were made to either reunify them with their biological families or place them with adoptive families. The Act was passed to correct or alleviate problems in the foster care system and to promote permanency rather than multiple foster placements. An additional goal of the Act was to encourage social workers to work toward reunification of the family and to avoid long-term foster care for the children if possible. If the child could not be returned to the family, another plan was to be sought such as adoption, long-term foster care, or some other resolution.

Foster Care

Foster care is defined as the temporary placement of a child outside of her family. The child is removed from the family due to abuse or neglect issues. The child may be removed due to physical or sexual abuse by a parent or someone residing in the household. The goal of foster care is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for the child.

Child Support Enforcement and Paternity Issues

At common law, a putative or alleged father of a child produced out of wedlock had no duty to support that child. However, the statutory law changed the common law and required both parents to support the child.

Types of School Discipline

There are numerous types of school discipline that may be imposed if a student engages in improper conduct.