Can we sue our way to a better child-welfare system? Yes, according to Children's Rights, a watchdog group that grew out of the ACLU and has filed class actions in almost half the states. The group's mission is to “hold governments accountable for keeping kids safe and healthy” by pursuing “relentless strategic advocacy and legal action,” and it has won its share of battles. But whether children are safer or healthier as a result remains open to question.
In 2014, Children's Rights sued Arizona, arguing that the state's child-welfare system was undermining the health and safety of foster kids. The group noted that the state had “only 5,669 spaces in licensed foster homes available for 9,418 foster children who were not placed with relatives.” As a result of the shortage, many children had to “sleep in DCS offices because homes aren't available.”
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