An Affiliated Project of the Institute to Transform Child Protection at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law
OUR PURPOSE
The Coalition aims to raise awareness of the harms of hidden foster care and advocates for policy reform to protect children, parents, and relative caregivers from those harms. The Coalition is actively engaged in efforts to educate the public regarding the dangers of hidden foster care, collect data on the real-life impact of hidden foster care on families across the nation, and promote national and state legislative and regulatory measures that will protect families.
Following a very successful Congressional Briefing hosted by the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth on July 20, 2023, the Coalition has been expanding its bipartisan work with members of Congress and the Administration, and has consulted with state leaders about how to limit hidden foster care practices at the state and local level.
The Coalition to End Hidden Foster Care is an affiliated project of the Institute to Transform Child Protection at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
OUR MISSION
The Coalition to End Hidden Foster Care works to remedy unregulated practices of child protection systems that separate children from their parents in the absence of due process of law or the supports necessary for kinship caregivers to ensure child safety and stability.
OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Josh Gupta-Kagan, Co-Convener
Clinical Professor, Columbia Law School
Angela Burton, Model Law Chair
Convener, RepealCAPTA Workgroup
Jed Dews, Membership Chair
Executive Director, HALOS (SC)
Emilie Cook
Preventive Legal Advocacy Fellow
Barton Child Law & Policy Center
Aubrey Edwards-Luce
Executive Director, Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts
Allison Green
Legal Director, National Association of
Counsel for Children
Valerie L'Herrou
Deputy Director, Virginia Policy Law Center
Center for Family Advocacy
Sylvia V. Long
Supervising Attorney, Maryland Office of the Public Defender (Parental Defense)
Anjana Samant
Women's Rights Project Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU
Fallon J. Speaker, Esq.
Director, Youth Justice Program of the Legal Aid Justice Center; Co-Founder, Virginia Family Preservation Project
Melissa Staas*
Supervisory Attorney, Legal Aid Chicago
Diane Redleaf, Co-Convener
Director, Family Defense Consulting
Sharon Balmer Cartagena, Media Chair
Directing Attorney, Public Counsel
Children's Rights Project
Andrew Brown
Associate Vice President of Policy, Texas Public Policy Foundation
Kathleen Creamer
Managing Attorney, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia
Aditi Fruitwala
Staff Attorney, ACLU
Cathy Krebs*
Director, American Bar Association Litigation Section Children's Rights Litigation Committee
Vania Leveille
Senior Legislative Counsel, ACLU, National Political Advocacy Department
Michael Ramey
President, Parental Rights Foundation
Dr. Stef Sloan
Professor and Research/Evaluation Consultant, University of Kansas School of Social Welfare
Marla Spindel
Executive Director, DC KinCare Alliance
Melody Webb
Executive Director, Mother’s Outreach Network
Organizational affiliation is listed for identification purposes only.
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*Individual does not engage in any lobbying for legislation on behalf of the coalition except in their individual non-affiliated role.
OUR MEMBERS
The Coalition to End Foster Care is a broad national group comprised of advocates for children, parents, and kinship caregivers, and includes persons with lived experience with hidden foster care. The Coalition currently has 61 active members, representing 24 states and territories where members are engaged in efforts to mitigate the harmful practice of hidden foster care. Individuals who are aligned with our principles—and have lived or professional experience related to hidden foster care—may apply to join the coalition.