Publication: The Human Rights of Foster Children
“My statement is not meant to disparage the individual case managers and other professionals working for Georgia DFCS who are protecting children in Georgia. However, DFCS’s overarching structure, internal policies, and administrative barriers obstruct their good work, and when this happens, our clients experience extreme harm.”
On Wednesday, October 25, CEASE Clinic Director Emma Hetherington testified at a hearing convened by U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law Chairman John Ossoff and Ranking Member Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) as part of the Subcommittee’s ongoing investigation into the treatment of foster children in the United States.
Professor Hetherington testified as an attorney, expert in child welfare law, and advocate for children in foster care who have been sexually abused, exploited, and trafficked. She provided examples of the abuse and neglect CEASE clients have experienced while in the care of Georgia DFCS, answered subcommittee questions, and (with permission) shared the personal testimony of one of our clients, in their own words.
You can watch the full hearing, and read Professor Hetherington’s testimony, here: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-activity/hearings/the-human-rights-of-foster-children