The First Star Congressional Forum is an opportunity for Congressional Members and their staffs to learn about and review the latest report cards relating to child abuse and neglect issued by First Star and the Children’s Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego Law School. The sessions focus on well-researched topics of policy and legislation that can make a tangible difference for children in dependency courts, foster care and child protective services.

How does it work?
At each Forum session, First Star invites Congressional Members and experts in the field to participate in a discussion of the individual report and provide guidance and feedback on the pertinent policy areas. 

Current key issues include:

• A Child’s Right to Counsel: Ensuring that children have a trained lawyer to represent them during abuse, neglect and dependency court hearings. Although CAPTA provisions call for states to provide individuals representing children with “training appropriate to the role,” the de facto definition of appropriate varies widely by jurisdiction.
• Confidentiality and System Accountability: Reversing the presumption of secrecy while preserving the judge's prerogative to impose it, with the priority of protecting the child. Currently, only 14 states have open courts (with judicial discretion to close).
• Identity Theft in the Foster System: Ensuring that protective agencies monitor a child’s credit report and take steps to ensure that it is accurate; to provide a credit report prior to emancipation.

What is the constituency served?
The Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF),U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that in 2009, 6 million children were referred to Child Protective Services (CPS) and 3.3 million children were investigated for maltreatment by CPS (825,000 children were determined to be victims of abuse or neglect).

Children under the age of one were 50% more likely to be victims of abuse and neglect

There are an estimated 1,770 child fatality victims per year due to maltreatment in the U.S., an average of 34 children per week.