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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Staff Attorney Caylyn Keller addresses concerns regarding proposal to provide for expungements of substantiated allegations of child abuse in as few as three years.

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.