The Fair Credit Reporting Act (the FCRA) governs the accuracy of criminal background checks prepared by commercial screeners. While there is not much case law holding that the FCRA prohibits commercial screeners from reporting expunged or sealed cases, there is little doubt that it does. Two FCRA provisions apply: Commercial screeners must use “reasonable procedures”…
Young people of color across Pennsylvania are over-criminalized at staggering rates. The consequences for any contact with the juvenile or criminal systems can be severe and long-lasting, while the circumstances that lead to arrest are often minor and may once have been thought of as normal adolescent behavior. The movement to “Ban the Box” on…
Community Legal Services calls for action to preserve affordable housing for low-income tenants. PHILADELPHIA – A report detailing affordable housing at risk of being lost due to owner opt-out was released by the Justice Lab clinic at the Stephen and Sandra Sheller Center for Social Justice at Temple University Beasley School of Law and Community Legal Services…
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a new policy to help youth transitioning out of foster care access Supplemental Security Income (SSI)! Youth transitioning out of foster care are a particularly vulnerable population. Studies have confirmed what advocates in the field know from experience – that youth who age out of foster care are more likely…
The following testimony was delivered by CLS Managing Attorney Kathleen Creamer to Philadelphia City Council on June 14, 2016. Printer-friendly download Good afternoon Chairwoman Bass and members of City Council. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on this very important issue. My name is Kathleen Creamer and I am the managing attorney of the…
Payday loans are an abusive form of lending that traps cash-strapped borrowers into a long-term cycle of debt, which leads to significant harms. Pennsylvania has one of the strongest laws in the country to guard against predatory payday lending, but the law is at risk. The payday lenders are lobbying legislators in Harrisburg to weaken…
For over three decades, the Family Advocacy Unit at Community Legal Services has represented thousands of low-income parents in child welfare cases. We have a unique interdisciplinary practice model and a demonstrated commitment to holistic, high-quality parent representation. In addition to individual representation, Community Legal Services engages in systemic advocacy at the local, state and…
We all know instinctively, and it is borne out in the research, that children do better with their families. Removal from home is a serious intervention into a child’s life, one of the most serious that our society allows. It should only happen for the most important reasons, to ensure a child is safe while…
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) has been failing in its job to protect nursing home residents. Over the past several years, DOH has significantly decreased the issuance of sanctions against nursing homes and has adopted and employed an investigatory strategy that dismisses 92% of the complaints against nursing homes. Additionally, when DOH finds that…
The Barriers to Successful Reunification in Philadelphia: Findings from the Perceptions of Birth Parents & Child Welfare Professionals project was a one-year Stoneleigh Junior Fellowship project by Wanja Ogongi, MSW; a doctoral candidate at the Center for Social Work Education at Widener University. This report presents the findings from this research project and study of…
