Advocacy
Resource Center
After More Than Three Years Of Hard Work, The DC Office of Ombudsperson for Children is a Reality!
Thank you Mayor Bowser for recognizing the importance of this critical Office and funding it in your FY 2024 Budget!
Managing Attorney Vicky Taplin Testifies Before the DC Council on Barriers for Caregivers to Access the Child Care Subsidy
Ms. Taplin testified that the DC State Superintendent of Schools that administers the DC child care subsidy program restricts access to caregivers who have a custody order, thereby excluding caregivers who are acting “in loco parentis” to children, as permitted by federal law.
Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan Testifies at 2023 DC Ombudsperson for Children Oversight Hearing
Ms. McClellan testified about the importance of the Office and how it can be most successful in helping to ensure the safety and security of DC children and families.
Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan Testifies at 2023 CFSA Performance Oversight Hearing
Ms. McClellan testified about the DC caregivers subsidies and ways to make them more equitable.
Executive Director Marla Spindel Testifies at CFSA 2023 Performance Oversight Hearing
Ms. Spindel testified about the CFSA kinship navigator program, kinship diversion (also known as hidden foster care), and child fatalities and near fatalities.
Managing Attorney Victoria Taplin Testifies at Metropolitan Police Department 2023 Performance Oversight Hearing
Ms. Taplin testified about MPD’s failure to investigate allegations of child abuse or neglect, and the fact that MPD does not have any guidance on how or why a determination is made not to investigate such an allegation, nor any requirement for a rationale to be provided for same.
DC KinCare Alliance Testifies at the DC Council Committee on Human Services Roundtable on CFSA’s Implementation of Safety and Family Planning Arrangements
DC KinCare Alliance testified about DC’s discriminatory and harmful practice of kinship diversion also known as hidden foster care.
DC KinCare Alliance Signs On To Letter Urging Congress to Reinstate the Expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
DC KinCare Alliance, along with more than 550 national, state and community-based organizations, urge Congress to take this historic opportunity to address hunger and improve the nutrition, health, and well-being of our nation’s children.
Executive Director Marla Spindel Submits Additional Written Testimony Regarding Educator Background Check Streamlining Amendment Act of 2022
In her testimony, Ms. Spindel raises concerns about DC’s failure to implement the safeguards of the School Safety Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 to ensure sexual predators are not hired by DC public schools.
DC KinCare Alliance Testifies on Educator Background Check Streamlining Amendment Act of 2022
Staff Attorney Caylyn Keller addresses concerns regarding proposal to provide for expungements of substantiated allegations of child abuse in as few as three years.
Executive Director Marla Spindel Testifies at Roundtable on POCKETT Act
Ms. Spindel testified regarding recommended improvements to the subsidy programs, including a timeframe for processing applications, advance notice of program termination, increasing the subsidy amounts, increasing the income limits for eligibility, as well as payment of the subsidy retroactive to the date of application.
DC Council Appoints First Ombudsperson for Children–Shalonda Cawthon
In a huge win for DC’s children and families, DC now has an official Ombudsperson for Children!