executive director marla spindel testifies before the DC Council Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety

Marla Spindel testified about the critical role Access to Justice Initiative funding plays in stabilizing kinship families across the District. She highlighted the organization’s impact—serving more than 1,100 caregivers and 1,500 children, advancing systemic policy reforms, and launching innovative programs like Project ADOPT and Project STAY—while emphasizing that legal access strengthens economic security, improves child outcomes, and enhances public safety. Her testimony underscored that sustained ATJ funding is essential to ensuring relative caregivers can secure custody, access benefits, and provide safe, permanent homes for vulnerable children.