The New Republic: The Crime of Parenting While Poor


“The whole existence of ACS lets us pretend that we’re protecting children.”

Emma Ketteringham, our managing director of the Family Defense Practice, comments on how parents of color living in poverty are more likely to be overpoliced and criminalized just for parenting. Statistics show that parents living in poverty are unfairly scrutinized by the Administration of Children’s Services, often causing children to be removed under frivolous reasons.

“But if child protection was at the center of our priorities, that would require the government to rethink its relationship vis-a-vis children.”

Read more here.