Please Note: We are a nonprofit, charitable legal services organization. We are not affiliated with the DC Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) or CFSA's Kinship Navigator.

Publications, Presentations & Testimony

Relevant Publications of Other Organizations

Risks Associated with Parental Use of Phencyclidine (PCP)

May 22, 2016

Marla Spindel and Jenny Brody, DCVLP

Relevant Publications of Other Organizations

A Family Right to Care: Charting the Legal Obstacles

December 22, 2016

Gerrard Wallace, GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy, 3 (1)

Relevant Publications of Other Organizations

Raising the Children of the Opiod Epidemic: Solutions and Support for Grandfamilies

December 22, 2016

Generations United 2016

Relevant Publications of Other Organizations

The Civil Gideon: The Case for a Civil Right to Counsel

January 22, 2017

Naomi Biden, Marla Spindel, and Erin Torres, DCVLP

DC KinCare Alliance Presentations

Now is the Time: Developing a Comprehensive Kinship System of Care

April 26, 2018

CWLA 2018 National Conference Washington, DC

DC KinCare Alliance Presentations

Legal Assistance to Kinship Families: How to Fill the FFPSA Gap in Kinship Navigator Services

April 13, 2019

CWLA 2019 National Conference Washington, DC April 9-13, 2019

DC KinCare Alliance Presentations

DC KinCare Alliance DC Pro Bono Week’s Coding Justice Event Presentation

October 21, 2019
DC KinCare Alliance Policy Papers

Kinship Diversion in the District of Columbia: A Review of Local Practice to Inform National Policy

December 21, 2019

Grandfamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy September 2018

Relevant Publications of Other Organizations

State of Grandfamilies 2018, Love Without Borders (Grandfamilies and Immigration)

December 22, 2019

Generations United

Relevant Publications of Other Organizations

GRANDFACTS DC

December 22, 2019

Grandfamilies.org

Relevant Publications of Other Organizations

American Bar Association: Addressing Hidden Foster Care: The Human Impact and Ideas for Solutions

March 31, 2020

Can the separation of a parent and child, without a court review or due process and often without a plan for reunification, after the insistence and involvement of a child welfare agency ever be truly “voluntarily”? By Angie Schwartz and Cathy Krebs

Relevant Publications of Other Organizations

Child Welfare Monitor DC: Advocacy Group Files Unprecedented Lawsuit Challenging Kinship Diversion in DC

March 31, 2020

DC KinCare Alliance files federal lawsuit against DC’s kinship diversion practice alleging violations of state and federal laws. By Marie Cohen

DC KinCare Alliance Presentations

Federal and Local COVID Emergency Legislation April 21, 2020 Update Webinar

April 20, 2020

Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan discusses how to make sure you receive your Federal Stimulus Payments and avoid getting scammed.

DC KinCare Alliance Testimony

Executive Director Marla Spindel Testifies at DC Council Budget Oversight Hearing (May 22, 2020)

May 22, 2020

Ms. Spindel warns of the detrimental impacts to children from the DC Child and Family Services Agency FY 2021 budget cuts to essential child protection programs and services, including the DC Grandparent Caregiver Program and Prevention Services.

DC KinCare Alliance Presentations

Connecting Caregivers: Supports for Grandparents and Children

August 10, 2020

Marla and Stephanie provide an online training for DC Volunteer Lawyers Project Attorneys on benefits available to relatives caring for children in DC.  Access the training video here:  https://vimeo.com/446513878/135800742c

DC KinCare Alliance Policy Papers

Petition To Repeal Suspension of FOIA Responses During the Public Health Emergency

November 12, 2020

DC Council arbitrarily suspended requirements for DC gov’t to respond to FOIA requests during the public health emergency.   We drafted a Petition to the DC Council to repeal the suspension with over 100 sign-ons.  In response to our Petition, the DC Council unanimously voted in favor of the FOIA Tolling Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 […]

DC KinCare Alliance Presentations

DC KinCare Alliance Presentation for the DC Family Success Centers Legal Services Panel

January 14, 2021

We enjoyed presenting to the 10 DC Family Success Centers with Bread for the City, DC Volunteer Lawyers Project, First Shift Justice, Legal Counsel for the Elderly, and Tzedek DC.

DC KinCare Alliance Testimony

Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan Testifies Before the DC Council Committee on Human Services Performance Oversight Hearing

February 25, 2021

Stephanie testifies about the DC Child and Family Services Agency’s illegal and discriminatory diversion practices, as well as the increase in DC child maltreatment fatalities.

DC KinCare Alliance Testimony

Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan Testifies at DC Department of Human Services Oversight Hearing

March 1, 2021

Stephanie testifies on the significant barriers to access TANF benefits for kinship families.

DC KinCare Alliance Testimony

Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan Testifies Before DC Council On Child Fatalities

March 11, 2021

Stephanie testifies about the failures of the DC Child Fatality Review Committee to timely review child fatalities and report meaningful information to reduce fatalities in the future.  She also recommends that the law require the Committee to review cases of near child fatalities.

DC KinCare Alliance Testimony

Testimony Regarding the Revised DC Criminal Code Act of 2021

December 2, 2021

Deputy Director McClellan submitted testimony raising concerns that this reform of DC’s criminal laws would result in the unintended consequence of reducing successful prosecution of child abusers.

DC KinCare Alliance Testimony

Testimony In Support of Amendments to Grandparent and Close Relative Caregiver Programs

December 9, 2021

Deputy Director McClellan testified in support of the amendments to the Grandparent and Close Relative Caregiver Programs, which would (1) eliminate the six-month period relatives must wait to apply for the subsidies, and (2) permit relatives to apply if a disabled parent resides in the home.  McClellan also advocated for the subsidies to include godparents.

DC KinCare Alliance Testimony

DC KinCare Alliance Supports DC Bill B24-0489: Expanding Fee Waivers for Low-Income Litigants Act of 2021

January 6, 2022

DC KinCare supports efforts to make access to justice for equitable for DC residents.

DC KinCare Alliance Testimony

Committee on Human Services Performance Oversight Hearing for CFSA

February 17, 2022

Marla Spindel testified before the DC Council Human Services Committee about the performance of the DC Child and Family Services Agency over the past year.

DC KinCare Alliance Testimony

DC KinCare Testimony on the POCKETT Act

September 22, 2022

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 KinCare Alliance Testimony

DC KinCare Alliance Testimony On Educator Background Check Streamlining Amendment Act of 2022

November 2, 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.

DC KinCare Alliance Testimony

DC KinCare Alliance Additional Written Testimony On Educator Background Check Streamlining Amendment Act of 2022

November 16, 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.