Publications, Presentations & Testimony
Risks Associated with Parental Use of Phencyclidine (PCP)
May 22, 2016Marla Spindel and Jenny Brody, DCVLP
A Family Right to Care: Charting the Legal Obstacles
December 22, 2016Gerrard Wallace, GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy, 3 (1)
Raising the Children of the Opiod Epidemic: Solutions and Support for Grandfamilies
December 22, 2016Generations United 2016
The Civil Gideon: The Case for a Civil Right to Counsel
January 22, 2017Naomi Biden, Marla Spindel, and Erin Torres, DCVLP
White Paper: In Memory of Baby Trinity Jabore: Ensuring Better Outcomes for D.C.‘s Children and Families
July 21, 2017Now is the Time: Developing a Comprehensive Kinship System of Care
April 26, 2018CWLA 2018 National Conference Washington, DC
Testimony before the DC Council on Expanding the DC Grandparent Caregiver Subsidy
February 21, 2019Testimony before the DC Council Committee on Human Services CFSA Oversight Hearing
February 26, 2019Legal Assistance to Kinship Families: How to Fill the FFPSA Gap in Kinship Navigator Services
April 13, 2019CWLA 2019 National Conference Washington, DC April 9-13, 2019
Testimony before the DC Council Committee on Human Services on the: “Close Relative Caregivers Subsidies Amendment Act of 2019”
April 24, 2019Testimony before the DC Council on Risks to Children from Parental Substance Abuse
September 21, 2019DC KinCare Alliance DC Pro Bono Week’s Coding Justice Event Presentation
October 21, 2019Kinship Diversion in the District of Columbia: A Review of Local Practice to Inform National Policy
December 21, 2019Grandfamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy September 2018
State of Grandfamilies 2018, Love Without Borders (Grandfamilies and Immigration)
December 22, 2019Generations United
Testimony before the DC Council Committee on Human Services on Homeless Prevention Services
January 29, 2020Testimony before the DC Council Committee on Human Services on Access to TANF Benefits
January 29, 2020Testimony before the DC Council Committee on Human Services Performance Oversight Hearing for the Child and Family Services Agency
February 12, 2020Child Welfare League of America 2020 Annual Conference: Expansion of Standby Guardianship in the District of Columbia
March 15, 2020American Bar Association: Addressing Hidden Foster Care: The Human Impact and Ideas for Solutions
March 31, 2020Can 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
Child Welfare Monitor DC: Advocacy Group Files Unprecedented Lawsuit Challenging Kinship Diversion in DC
March 31, 2020DC KinCare Alliance files federal lawsuit against DC’s kinship diversion practice alleging violations of state and federal laws. By Marie Cohen
Federal and Local COVID Emergency Legislation April 21, 2020 Update Webinar
April 20, 2020Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan discusses how to make sure you receive your Federal Stimulus Payments and avoid getting scammed.
Executive Director Marla Spindel Testifies at DC Council Budget Oversight Hearing (May 22, 2020)
May 22, 2020Ms. 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.
Connecting Caregivers: Supports for Grandparents and Children
August 10, 2020Marla 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
Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan Testifies Before DC Council Department of Human Services Roundtable on CFSA COVID Response (November 4, 2020)
November 4, 2020Petition To Repeal Suspension of FOIA Responses During the Public Health Emergency
November 12, 2020DC 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 Presentation for the DC Family Success Centers Legal Services Panel
January 14, 2021We 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.
Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan Testifies Before the DC Council Committee on Human Services Performance Oversight Hearing
February 25, 2021Stephanie 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.
Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan Testifies at DC Department of Human Services Oversight Hearing
March 1, 2021Stephanie testifies on the significant barriers to access TANF benefits for kinship families.
Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan Testifies Before DC Council On Child Fatalities
March 11, 2021Stephanie 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 Stephanie McClellan Testifies Before the DC Council Committee of the Whole on Funding an Independent Ombudsperson for Children
June 7, 2021Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan Testifies Before the DC Council Committee on Human Services on Funding an Independent Ombudsperson for Children
June 10, 2021Testimony Regarding the Revised DC Criminal Code Act of 2021
December 2, 2021Deputy 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.
Testimony In Support of Amendments to Grandparent and Close Relative Caregiver Programs
December 9, 2021Deputy 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 Supports DC Bill B24-0489: Expanding Fee Waivers for Low-Income Litigants Act of 2021
January 6, 2022DC KinCare supports efforts to make access to justice for equitable for DC residents.
Committee on Human Services Performance Oversight Hearing for CFSA
February 17, 2022Marla Spindel testified before the DC Council Human Services Committee about the performance of the DC Child and Family Services Agency over the past year.
Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan Testifies on DC Housing Authority Discriminatory Practices
February 23, 2022Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan Testifies on Barriers to Access TANF Benefits For Relative Caregivers
February 23, 2022Executive Director Marla Spindel Testifies About Barrier to Access the DC Child Care Subsidy
March 2, 2022Executive Director Marla Spindel Testifies Before DC Council FY 2023 CFSA Budget Hearing Advocating For Funding For DC Ombudsperson for Children
March 24, 2022DC KinCare Alliance Testimony on the DC Department of Human Services FY 2023 Budget
March 31, 2022Staff Attorney Raquel Wollaston Testifies Before the DC Council Committee of the Whole on Funding the DC Ombudsperson for Children
April 8, 2022DC KinCare Alliance Testimony In Support of First Ombudsperson for Children–Shalonda Cawthon
June 30, 2022DC KinCare Testimony on the POCKETT Act
September 22, 2022Ms. 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 On Educator Background Check Streamlining Amendment Act of 2022
November 2, 2022Staff 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 Additional Written Testimony On Educator Background Check Streamlining Amendment Act of 2022
November 16, 2022In 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.