View the Summary of In Re Termination of DR and AR, NO. 84132-2, Order Dismissing Review by the Supreme Court of Washington

First Star strives to promote accountability among child protection and foster care systems, challenging the federal and state legislatures to adopt best practices via evidence-based policy. There is a critical need to educate lawmakers on:

• The importance of improving the representation of children in the courts with qualified legal counsel
• Ways to promote accountability among child protection systems
• Ways of ensuring that foster children's best interests (both long-and short-term) are considered and protected.

The following sections provide information on the current child protection and foster care systems as well as pending legislative reform:

• Legal Representation for Children
• Confidentiality & System Accountability
• First Star Right to Counsel Principles
• First Star Confidentiality Principles
• Legislative Updates
• Federal Child Welfare Policy
• Federal Child Welfare Oversight
• Federal Funding