PHILADELPHIA, PA – On August 10 parents, caregivers, and community organizations filed suit in the case of A.W. v. Commonwealth to challenge Pennsylvania’s ChildLine Registry as unconstitutional. The suit, filed in Commonwealth Court, alleges that parents and caregivers are listed on the Registry and labeled as “child abusers” without first having a chance to defend…
You can now get live help every weekday at Community Legal Services! We are open for live in-person intake at our Center City and North Philadelphia offices as well as live telephone intake. CLS provides bilingual help or interpreters at no cost as needed. For a detailed list of issues we can help with, visit…
Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law authorizes the Department of Human Services to maintain a statewide database known as the Childline Registry. People can be placed on the registry when reports of child abuse or neglect are “indicated” by a caseworker. There is no right to a hearing before being placed on the registry for life.…
In a landmark ruling, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has held that Fourth Amendment protections extend to home inspections conducted by child welfare agencies investigating anonymous hotline calls, and that child welfare agencies may not search family homes without first demonstrating probable cause under the law. This case has broad-ranging racial justice implications for Black and…
Every year thousands of Pennsylvanians are placed on the child abuse registry for alleged child abuse or neglect, without first having an opportunity to challenge the allegations against them. These Pennsylvanians suffer devastating economic consequences, often for life, and the harm falls disproportionately on low-wage workers, workers of color, and their children. As the job…
Effective August 31, 2020, In-Person Visits Between Parents and their Children in Philadelphia DHS Custody are RESTARTED Download the flyer with this information here What Parents Need to Know All visits may now be in person. If you have overnight visits, those will be daytime visits for now. Your current court order will tell you…
CLS applauds H.R. 7976, the Protecting Families in the Time of COVID-19 Act, which was recently introduced in Congress by Representative Gwen Moore. This federal legislation will ensure that families separated by child welfare have the support and time they need to reunify during this public health crisis. Contact your federal legislator today to let…
With many bipartisan allies, Rep. Gwen Moore (D. Milwaukee) is calling for child and family allies to prevent a looming tragedy of permanent family destruction—the lifelong termination of the legal parent-child relationship. Families are fearful that the national and state public health crises brought about by COVID 19 has created nearly insurmountable obstacles to maintaining…
CLS contributed to a big victory for Pennsylvania families! On June 16, 2020 the PA Supreme Court unanimously held that Children & Youth agencies cannot force a parent to submit a drug screen in the context of a child welfare investigation. This case was brought after a child welfare agency attempted to compel a parent…
CLS staff attorney Caroline Buck won a victory for families in an important new Pennsylvania Supreme Court case, In re N.B.-A.. The court clarified that parents should not be punished for child abuse perpetrated by others in cases where the parent did not know, and could not have known, that their child was in danger…
