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Articles by Megan Conn
New York Governor Rejects Certain Spending Boosts
Yet after heated debate amid an uptick in crime, juvenile justice reforms remain intact and human service workers will receive a wage increase By Megan Conn and Adilia Watson The recently passed New York state budget did not include funding increases for foster care prevention or Family Court attorneys. Photo by Hiram Alejandro Durán. When Gov.
New York Lawyers Acknowledge Child Welfare’s Harm to Black Families
By Megan Conn and Michael Fitzgerald Halimah Washington at a rally last year to demand legislation that will require ACS and other family regulation agencies to inform parents of their Miranda Rights at the city and state level. Photo by Hiram Alejandro Durán. The bar association representing tens of thousands of New York attorneys has taken a first-ever stance against racism in the child welfare system, endorsing specific calls for change that include revising decades-old federal laws.
'Underpaid and overwhelmed': Funds for family court legal help at stake in NY budget
This story is being co-published with The Imprint, a national news outlet covering child welfare and youth justice issues. In the upstate New York community of Schenectady, the fate of low-income parents who have lost their children to foster care often comes down to a rapid-fire thread of text messages. Last week was no exception. Nine attorneys on the group chat pinged each other with frantic messages looking for back-up in the Family Court.
'Underpaid and overwhelmed': Funds for family court legal help at stake in NY budget
This story is being co-published with The Imprint, a national news outlet covering child welfare and youth justice issues. In the upstate New York community of Schenectady, the fate of low-income parents who have lost their children to foster care often comes down to a rapid-fire thread of text messages. Last week was no exception. Nine attorneys on the group chat pinged each other with frantic messages looking for back-up in the Family Court.
Last-minute budget negotiations between the New York statehouse and governor’s office could result in increasing Family Court attorneys’ pay for the first time in years. Photo by Hiram Alejandro Durán. In the upstate community of Schenectady, New York, the fate of low-income parents who have lost their children to foster care often comes down to a rapid-fire thread of text messages. Last week was no exception.
NY Lawmakers Pitch Ambitious Investments in Child Welfare
New York lawmakers have proposed state spending plans that call for $3 billion in investments in child care, and an increased spending on child welfare. Photo via Wikimedia Commons. When New York lawmakers released their proposed state spending plans late Sunday, one thing quickly became clear: The more than $3 billion investment in child care they sought would be historic, and go well beyond what Gov. Kathy Hochul had initially proposed.
New York Legislature Unites Behind $3 Billion Pitch for Child Care
Sen. Jabari Brisport, left, at a stop on his Child Care Listening Tour last fall. Photo courtesy of Brisport’s office On Friday, the two chambers of the New York State Legislature announced they will press Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul for more than $3 billion in child care funding in the next state budget — a historic investment in working families and early childhood education.
New York Family Caregiver, Advocate, Passes Away
By Megan Conn and Michael Fitzgerald Gloria Woods, center, with her grandson Diquan and great-grandson Daviaan at left, and former New York state Sen. Velmanette Montgomery and her son, Ben Woods, at right. Photo via the New York State Senate. New York has lost a tenacious advocate for relative caregivers, a woman who tirelessly raised four generations of her family. Gloria Woods — a talented songstress who performed as “The Lady with the Champagne Voice” — died in January at 87.
Top New York Judge Calls for Streamlined Courts
New York’s Chief Judge Janet DiFiore recently called for changes to the court system during her State of Our Judiciary address. Photo via nycourts.gov. Last week, New York state’s top judge blasted the court system over which she presides as “the most inefficient, outdated, fragmented and needlessly complex trial court structure in the nation.” And those failings, she asserted, have long denied equal justice to children and parents with the fewest resources.
Proposed New York Budget Boosts Pay for Child Welfare Workers
Governor Kathy Hochul presents the Fiscal Year 2023 Executive Budget in the Red Room at the State Capitol. Photo by Mike Groll/Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul. In her first budget blueprint for New York, which is entering year three of the pandemic newly flush with revenue, Gov. Kathy Hochul has answered a years-long call to increase pay for human service workers. Yet the Democratic governor proposed few changes to existing foster care funding or policies.
New York Lets Adoptive Parents Decide on Birth Parent Visits
The New York County Family Court building in Lower Manhattan. Photo by Hiram Alejandro Durán. Last June, New York lawmakers voted to allow parents who have been stripped of their legal rights due to findings of child maltreatment a chance to remain part of their kids’ lives. A majority of the Legislature approved a bill granting biological parents the right to petition the courts for contact with their children being raised in other families — even when adoptive parents object.
New York Lawmakers Call on Gov. Hochul to Enact Far-Reaching Family Agenda, Including Universal Child Care
State Sen. Jabari Brisport (D), left, and Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi (D), right. (Photos via NYS Senate Media Services and NYS Assembly) Dozens of Democratic legislators in New York are pushing for a major new spending bill that would create a statewide fund for family support services, increase funds for preventing abuse and neglect, and universalize access to child care in the state. For much of former Gov.
New York to Grow Foster Care Prevention with Federal Funds
New York officials are planning to tap newly available federal funds to prevent children from entering foster care — as dozens of other states nationwide have already done — ushering in a far broader approach to avoiding family separation than has ever been attempted. Under the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018, states can receive federal matching funds for providing early interventions such as family therapy or home-visiting programs, before there is any immediate danger to a child.
NY shifts away from group care for foster children under new federal law
This story is being co-published with The Imprint, a national news outlet covering child welfare and youth justice issues. Across New York state, the footprint of group homes for children in foster care has steadily shrunk or disappeared altogether. Back in 2013, the St. Anne Institute, a tidy three-story brick building in Albany, was home to as many as 88 teenage girls, but by last summer, the agency had cut its capacity to just 35.
NY shifts away from group care for foster children under new federal law
This story is being co-published with The Imprint, a national news outlet covering child welfare and youth justice issues. Across New York state, the footprint of group homes for children in foster care has steadily shrunk or disappeared altogether. Back in 2013, the St. Anne Institute, a tidy three-story brick building in Albany, was home to as many as 88 teenage girls, but by last summer, the agency had cut its capacity to just 35.
New York Plans to Reduce Child Poverty by Half
On Dec. 1, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) signed the Child Poverty Reduction Act, which goes into effect immediately and will result in a plan to drastically reduce child poverty in the state in the next decade. Democratic State Senator Jessica Ramos, left, and Assemblymember Harry Bronson (D), sponsored the bill. On her 100th day in office, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law that aims to tackle one of the most persistent sources of stress and trauma for children: Poverty.
New York Shifts Away From Group Care for Foster Children Under New Federal Requirements
The St. Anne Institute, which provides residential care for teenage girls, has reduced its capacity by more than half since 2013. (Photo courtesy of the St. Anne Institute). Across New York state, the footprint of group homes for children in foster care has steadily shrunk or disappeared altogether. Back in 2013, the St. Anne Institute, a tidy three-story brick building in Albany, was home to as many as 88 teenage girls, but by last summer, the agency had cut its capacity to just 35.
Lawsuit Alleges New York's Kin Caregivers are Denied Rights
By Megan Conn, Madison Hunt and Michael Fitzgerald A class-action lawsuit against the city and state of New York claims child welfare officials unfairly prohibit relatives from becoming certified foster parents due to prior criminal offenses or allegations of abuse or neglect, even when investigations did not lead to a conviction. Photo by Hiram Alejandro Durán.
New York City’s “Family Defense” Movement Presses Case Against Child Welfare System
By Michael Fitzgerald and Megan Conn Joyce McMillan testifies at the Assembly Standing Committee on Children and Families hearing on Thursday. Photo by Hiram Durán. Thursday marked a raucous day of hearings in New York City, with parents protesting outside city and state chambers on the overreach of the child welfare system, and lawmakers pledging to make some of their proposed reforms.
St. Lawrence County Social Services Gets Outside Review
The St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators office in Canton, New York. Photo via Google Maps. After months of escalating concerns about its child protection and foster care services, local lawmakers in St. Lawrence County, New York, are bringing in an independent firm to conduct a comprehensive review of the system charged with protecting the rural county’s most vulnerable children.
New York Lawmakers Clash with Courts over Congregate Care Rule
New York Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks said the new rule requiring greater oversight of congregate care placements was “absolutely essential” for the state to continue to receive federal reimbursement for foster youth placed in congregate care.
Cash Assistance Window Closing for Some of New York's Former Foster Youth
And end of moratorium on aging out could impact dozens still in the system Jonathan DeJesus knows firsthand how pandemic relief in the form of cash assistance has helped former foster youth in their 20s. Photo courtesy of DeJesus. As long as he was employed, Jonathan DeJesus always felt secure that he was on track to support himself when he aged out of foster care.
New York Intensifies Court Oversight of Group Care for Foster Youth
The main campus of MercyFirst, a nonprofit, residential care facility for unaccompanied minors, in Syosset, New York. Child welfare experts have long known how critical it is for kids to be raised in a family home. Children raised in institutions and group facilities struggle to be seen and heard, and face more difficulty later in life.
Expedientes judiciales revelan el costo psicológico del COVID-19 entre jóvenes encarcelados en Puerto Rico
El COVID ha hecho que la vida sea emocionalmente difícil para los jóvenes encarcelados en Puerto Rico. Illustration by Christine Ongjoco. En los dos centros de reclusión de menores de Puerto Rico cerca de la costa sur de la isla, el aislamiento de los detenidos —y la escasez temporal de personal capacitado para tratarlos— ha provocado un preocupante aumento en la cantidad de jóvenes que contemplan o intentan lesionarse a sí mismos, según los informes.
COVID-19’s Psychological Toll on Puerto Rico’s Incarcerated Youth
As Pandemic Lockdowns Dragged On, Youth in Lockups Sought to Harm Themselves By Michael Fitzgerald, Megan Conn and Luis Joel Méndez González Illustration by Christine Ongjoco At Puerto Rico’s two juvenile lockups near the island’s southern coast, isolation among detained youth — and temporary shortages among the staff trained to deal with it — have led to a worrisome spike in the number of youths contemplating or attempting to injure themselves, reports say.
In New York, There's Hope the New Governor Will Address Child Welfare
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul delivers an address to New Yorkers on Aug. 24. Photo via Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul. Three days into her new role as governor of New York, Kathy Hochul has yet to mention how she will serve the 16,686 children in foster care across the state. Yet leaders of the nonprofit sector who serve foster youth are hopeful that Democratic Gov. Hochul will take a more active interest in supporting the state’s most vulnerable families than former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).
With Cuomo Resignation, Kathy Hochul Will Be New York’s First Woman Governor
By Megan Conn and Michael Fitzgerald Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, left, with Sheila Poole, commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services, and New York State Assembly Member Patricia Fahy (D). Photo courtesy of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will soon take over as New York’s first female governor, following the Tuesday resignation of disgraced Gov.
Give Me the Kid That's in Trouble, They Need the Love
A Q&A with Foster Care Alum, Advocate and Adoptive Mom Anni Keane-Riley Anni Keane-Riley, center, with her adoptive mother Mary Keane, right, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. As a kid in foster care in New York City, Anni Keane-Riley never really expected she’d find a family of her own. Now, she can’t imagine what her life would be like without one — and she’s spent the last 17 years helping other teens and young adults find a parent who will make an “unconditional” commitment to them.
Cuomo Harassment Condemned by Head of New York’s Agency for Children and Families
In an email to staff, Sheila Poole said she’s “appalled and angry” By Megan Conn and Michael Fitzgerald New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing calls to resign after a report by the Attorney General’s office found that he had harassed at least 11 women. Sheila Poole, commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services, said the governor had caused “deep and powerful harm” in an email to her staff.
To Serve Foster Youth, States Create Ombuds Offices
Illustration by Christine Ongjoco. Over two years working at foster care agencies in Columbus, Ohio, it became clear to Jaye Turner just how alone the young people she cared for often were. And when they raised a problem, the professionals in their lives were often dismissive, discouraging them fromfiling a formal grievance or reporting their treatment — and saying no one would believe them anyway.
Alabama Youth Ranch Celebrates Children Killed in Fiery Traffic Crash
By Megan Conn, Jacob Powell, Sara Tiano and Aaliya Rashad A photo of girls from the Alabama Sheriffs Girls Ranch, taking during a beach trip in mid-June. Photo courtesy of the Alabama Sheriffs’ Girls Ranch. Eight children killed in a 17-car pileup on a slick Alabama highway a month ago were celebrated Thursday by hundreds of mourners who lined the pews of a megachurch and watched doves released into the open sky.
One-time Pandemic Assistance Now Available to Foster Youth in New York
Aysha Schomburg, who took the helm of the U.S. Children’s Bureau in March, joined advocate Sixto Cancel on Thursday to urge foster youth to apply for pandemic relief — and to urge everyone working in child welfare to inform youth about the opportunity. (Photo via YouTube). Sixteen long, grueling months after the pandemic upended daily life in New York, young people who were in foster care after their 14th birthday can now apply to the state for one-time direct cash assistance.
New York's Legislative Moves on Child Welfare, Youth Justice and Child Care
By Megan Conn and Michael Fitzgerald After a year of pandemic-prompted shutdowns and widespread protests against racism and police brutality, the New York Legislature closed its session this month with notable reforms to the child welfare, youth justice and child care systems. What follows is a roundup slideshow of key pieces of legislation that passed both Houses and await a decision by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). The list also includes significant pieces of legislation that came up short.
NY Legislature Passes Bill Allowing Parent-Child Contact
Proposals to Protect Parents’ Rights At Foster Care’s ‘Front Door’ Deferred to Next Session Prominent New York City advocate Joyce McMillan was encouraged by the passage of the bill allowing biological parents to maintain contact with children after termination of legal rights. The Imprint file photo by Megan Conn. The New York Legislature has moved a bill to Gov.
With Jails Mired in ‘Culture of Violence,’ New York City Taps Juvenile Justice Reformer
Mayor Bill de Blasio first toured the Rikers Island detention complex in 2014 with his first Corrections Commissioner, Joseph Ponte. Photo by Mayoral Photography Office. A federal monitor issued a stinging report this week decrying the “pervasive level of disorder and chaos” across New York City’s jails and documenting alarming use of force by guards on the youngest people in detention.
New York Child Welfare Adapts to Legal Marijuana
Illustration by Christine Ongjoco For generations of New York parents, smoking a joint on the stoop or tucking some weed into a pocket has always come with the risk of not only a criminal charge, but the threat of being reported to child protective services. People of color and families living in poverty have long been the overwhelming majority of those tested for marijuana use, arrested and reported to child welfare agencies.
“We Should Not be Here Today:” Ma’Khia Bryant Mourned & Celebrated
Bishop Timothy Clarke opens the funeral for Ma’Khia Bryant at the First Church of God in Columbus, Ohio. Photo via Facebook. Clergy and leaders from across the country joined the family of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant at her funeral Friday to honor the teen’s “vibrant” spirit, grieve her unfinished life, and call for communities to better protect vulnerable young people — particularly other Black girls and foster children.
Family of Ma’Khia Bryant Wants Federal Investigation of Ohio Foster Care
On the steps of Columbus City Hall, Myron Hammonds and Paula Bryant called for an investigation into the police killing of their daughter Ma’Khia Bryant, along with their attorney Michelle Martin (right). Photo via Youtube.
Police Killing of Foster Child in Ohio Wrenches Youth, Allies
Ma’Khia Bryant dances in a video she posted to the TikTok app. (Photo via Twitter) By Megan Conn and Michael Fitzgerald Foster youth across Ohio and nationwide, along with top officials in the Biden administration, are speaking out in horror this week about the police killing of a Black teenager in front of her foster home in Columbus, Ohio.
AARP Declares ‘Crisis’ for Kin Caregivers in New York
Elvira Northington’s granddaughter practices doing her auntie’s hair at home. (Photo courtesy of Elvira Northington) Older New Yorkers who care for relatives’ children outside of the formal foster care system are in “crisis,” according to a new report by the state chapter of the nation’s most prominent advocacy group for senior citizens. Extended family members and kin caring for nearly 200,000 children statewide are facing acute emotional stress and financial burden, the AARP reportedlast month.
Manhattan Court Clerk Suspended For Aiming Racial Slur At Black Teen
A quote from the novelist James Baldwin inside New York County Family Court in lower Manhattan. Credit: Hiram Alejandro Durán By Megan Conn and Michael Fitzgerald A Manhattan Family Court clerk has been suspended without pay pending an investigation into allegations she used a racial slur describing a Black 15-year-old in a court hearing Thursday.
New York Enacts ‘Extraordinary’ Expansion of Child Care and Pre-K
Enrollment at the Chautauqua Lake Child Care Center has recovered to about 85% of capacity, after plunging as low as 25% when the pandemic began last spring (Photo courtesy of Beth Sparks) New York will launch a historic expansion of child care and pre-K capacity, a change made possible by a massive influx of federal aid, new state taxes and a push by lawmakers newly empowered to challenge the scandal-plagued Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).
N.Y. Lawmakers Mount Last-Minute Effort to Expand State Child Tax Credit
State Sen. Jeremy Cooney of Rochester introduced a bill to expand the Empire State Child Tax Credit, including to children younger than 4. Photo via Twitter By expanding the federal child tax credit in the recent stimulus package, Congress offered American parents unprecedented financial support: up to $3,600 for each child younger than age 6, payable monthly, and up to $3,000 for each older child.
With Federal Aid, New York Poised to Avoid Cuts to Children’s Services
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. With the recent federal stimulus sending a historic $12.6 billion in aid to New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is signaling that he will not push forward with previously proposed budget cuts. That will likely spare several child welfare programs whose funding was at risk, most notably a preventive services program designed to stabilize struggling families and keep children from entering foster care.
Foster Parents Vaccine Battle Won in California
California’s Yolo County held a drive-through vaccine clinic to serve 500 child care workers and foster parents, who were invited via phone calls from county child welfare workers. Photo courtesy of First 5 Yolo The Battle Continues in New York For 12 long months, foster parents have had to make wrenching decisions about how to keep vulnerable children connected to family, school and social services, all while avoiding the insidious spread of a virus that thrives in extended networks.
Biden Drops Trump Policy on Sponsors for Unaccompanied Minors
In a reversal of Trump administration policy, Biden federal immigration officials will no longer collect information from the Department of Health and Human Services that could lead to the deportation of parents or other possible caregivers who step forward to care for children who cross the border unaccompanied seeking asylum.
California Foster Parents Win Vaccine Eligibility, New York...Not Yet
A Bay Area foster parent shared a celebratory selfie after receiving a vaccine to protect against the coronavirus. Photo courtesy of California Alliance of Caregivers For 12 long months, foster parents have had to make wrenching decisions about how to keep vulnerable children connected to family, school and social services, all while avoiding the insidious spread of a virus that thrives in extended networks.
Pandemic Support for Foster Youth Delayed, Months After Federal Action
Illustration by Christine Ongjoco Over the past year, tens of thousands of young adults in foster care faced a distressing prospect: Once they turned 21, in all but a few states, they would lose the money they counted on for housing and basic living expenses — even as the pandemic slashed entry-level jobs and shuttered college dorms. Finally, just before New Year’s, it seemed federal help would soon be on the way.
Medicaid Waiver Approved for California School Testing
Photo credit: iStock.com/FatCamera Gov. Gavin Newsom of California – not to mention frustrated students and exhausted parents – got some good news Wednesday on the school-reopening front.
California Considers Universal Basic Income for Former Foster Youth
Sen. Dave Cortese announcing the Santa Clara County foster youth UBI program. Photo courtesy of the office of Dave Cortese Former foster youth in California would receive $1,000 a month for their basic needs, under a new piece of legislation now being considered by state lawmakers grappling with widespread economic devastation during the pandemic. Under Senate Bill 739 – introduced Feb. 19 by state Sen.
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