Press Releases

Washington, DC, March 16, 2011 – States across the country regularly confiscate the assets of foster children, including Social Security survivor and disability benefits - all but ensuring these youths’ failure as they “age out” of the foster care system at age 18, according to a new report released today.

In addition, many foster children are becoming the victims of identity theft, as their social security numbers pass through the hands of numerous agencies and individuals throughout their time in the system, according to the report.

(Washington, D.C.) On January 25, 2008, the North Carolina Supreme Court denied a state appeal request in the John G. case, reaffirming that the state does not have the legal authority to divert the Social Security benefits of foster children to reimburse itself for the cost of their foster care when it is not in the best interest of the child. This decision signals the final chapter in a case that began to wind its way through the courts three years ago, bringing national attention to the plight of now 17-year-old John G.

Model Act Would Prompt States to Adopt Uniform Protections for Children in Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Proceedings

WHAT: The American Bar Association’s policy-making House of Delegates will vote on the ABA Model Act Governing the Representation of Children in Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Proceedings at its Annual Meeting in Chicago. The Model Law represents a significant step forward in the representation of children in dependency hearings.

(Washington, D.C.) On January 11, 2008, the U.S. District Court of Central California declared that immigrant children seeking protection from abuse and neglect should not be barred from access to state courts. In making its decision, the Court took into account an amici curae brief filed by Columbia University Law School’s Child Advocacy and Immigration Clinic on behalf of First Star and the Children’s Advocacy Institute.

New York, NY (October 18, 2006) – A Host of celebrity child advocates have donated one-of-a-kind Build-ABear® stuffed animals bearing their official signature to First Star, which will be auctioned on www.CharityFolks.com beginning on October 18, 2006. Pierce Brosnan, Robert Townsend, Sela Ward, Judge Reinhold, Malcolm David Kelley, Anne Heche, Macy Gray, Alexandra Rieger, Star Jones Reynolds, U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez, Kathy Naimy, and others have participated in the auction. The ears were donated for the celebrity auction by Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. ®, which hosted the 2006 First Star Celebration for Children Rights. Proceeds from the online auction benefit First Star, a 501(c)(3) public charity whose programs aid child victims of abuse and neglect

Second Edition State-By-State Report Card Shows Improving Grades in Some States;
Most Leave Children’s Voices Muted in Legal Proceedings That Decide Their Fate
Stronger State/Federal Laws Needed

WASHINGTON, October 15, 2009 – Most U.S. states do not adequately protect the rights of abused and
neglected children, leaving our most vulnerable citizens exposed to the vagaries of the juvenile court system
without adequate legal representation, according to a state-by-state study conducted by two national child
advocacy organizations.

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New Book Calls for Immediate Systemic Changes to Child Welfare Systems
To End Epidemic of Child Abuse

WASHINGTON DC (Nov.18, 2008) – A sobering new book, Childhood Denied: Ending the Nightmare of Child Abuse and Neglect, presents an urgent new agenda for the next President, the new Congress, and statehouses across the country to remedy the appalling problem of child abuse and neglect. Every year in America, nearly one million children are victims of abuse and neglect and more than 1,500 of them die – the result of a child welfare system that is in dire need of reform.

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Two National Child Advocacy Groups and Congressional Leaders Advocate for Greater Transparency

WASHINGTON DC, April 29, 2008 – The majority of U.S. states fail to release adequate information
about fatal and life-threatening child abuse cases, adhering to misguided and secretive policies that place
confidentiality above the welfare of children and prevent public scrutiny that would lead to systemic
reforms, according to a report released today by First Star and the University of San Diego School of
Law’s Children’s Advocacy Institute (CAI), two leading national child advocacy groups.

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First Star to Launch National Campaign to Strengthen State and
Federal Laws Protecting Abused and Neglected Children

WASHINGTON , April 24, 2007 - Nearly half of U.S. states fail to provide legal representation
for abused and neglected foster children, leaving them without a voice during judicial
proceedings that profoundly impact their futures, a new study found. The peer-reviewed study -
A Child's Right to Counsel: First Star's National Report Card on Legal Representation for
Children - was released today by First Star, a leading national child advocacy organization.

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