Where is the Accountability? In this video, I discuss state and federal child welfare audits, the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA), Title IV-E federal funding, and my concerns about government and congressional accountability. Government audits have documented serious deficiencies in child welfare systems. I believe the public deserves to know what actions were taken after these findings, how taxpayer money is being used, and whether Congress has provided meanin

Parents and children do not lose their constitutional rights merely because Child Protective Services becomes involved with their family. The Fourth Amendment protects people, their homes, and their families against unreasonable government searches and seizures. CPS has authority to investigate legitimate child-safety concerns, but that authority is limited by the United States Constitution. Social workers and law-enforcement officers do not receive unlimited power to enter a

When a child enters foster care already receiving psychiatric treatment and prescribed psychotropic medication, parents should understand who has legal authority to make decisions about that medication. A child’s removal from parental custody does not mean that every social worker, foster-care provider, attorney, or other participant automatically has unrestricted authority to start, continue, substantially change, interrupt, or discontinue the child’s psychotropic medication

Parents do not lose their constitutional rights merely because Child Protective Services becomes involved with their family. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. These protections may include a parent’s right to question a CPS investigation, dispute accusations, report misconduct, request records, contact elected officials, consult an attorney, file grievances, participate in court proceedings, and

Hello, my name is Morris Patrick. Today, I want to discuss an important published precedent from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit: Hardwick v. Vreeken, 844 F.3d 1112 (9th Cir. 2017). Government officials may receive certain immunity protections when they lawfully perform their official duties. However, immunity is not permission to lie, fabricate evidence, use perjured testimony, or maliciously suppress evidence that could protect a family. In Hardwick

When a child-welfare agency asks a juvenile court to remove a child, continue detention, approve medical treatment, restrict visitation, or make another decision that can permanently affect a family, the judge depends heavily upon the factual information presented to the court. If that information is materially false, misleading, or incomplete because responsible government officials deliberately or recklessly distorted or withheld important facts, the problem goes far beyond