Appearing in Family Court is a difficult experience for many caregivers. MFY’s new guide, Family Court 101: What Caregivers Should Know before Going to Family Court, provides practical advice on how to prepare for the appearance, navigate the court system, and understand the language of the law. It is especially useful for kinship caregivers seeking …
After three children ran away from their adoptive parent, their older brother took them in and secured legal guardianship. But the city kept paying a subsidy to the adoptive parent. The Bronx Family Court ordered the adoptive parent the pay back and ongoing support to the older brother, who was struggling to provide for his …
MFY Legal Services urged the Federal Communications Commission to set reasonable limits on the high costs of telephone calls from inmates to their families, showing how high costs often prevent an inmate from having contact with children, potentially jeopardizing the inmate’s parental rights and harming children.
A new MFY report shows how young people raised by relatives are virtually shut out of higher education because financial aid forms require information they cannot provide. Long-Term Consequences of Kinship Care: Overcoming Obstacles to Higher Education Funding examines the root of the problem and offers recommendations to end the inequity.
Barbara Graves-Poller, Supervising Attorney of MFY Legal Services’ Kinship Caregiver Law Project, testified before a joint hearing of the New York City Council’s General Welfare and Aging committees on the legal challenges facing grandparents and others who care for related children outside of the foster care system.
MFY’s Kinship Caregiver Law Project finds that grandparents provide 60% of informal kinship care, providing a caring home for children who otherwise would be placed in formal foster care. Yet they face formidable obstacles in navigating Family Court and getting the resources they need to provide for the children in their care.
MFY supports amendments to Domestic Relations Law 72 to give relative caregivers (e.g. aunts, uncles, older siblings, etc.) the same rights as grandparents when seeking legal guardianship or custody of a related child who has been in their care for two years or more.
MFY Legal Services’ Kinship Caregiver Law Project is working with child welfare advocates across the state to urge the state legislature to amend Domestic Relations Law 72 to give relative caregivers (e.g. aunts, uncles, older siblings, etc.) the same rights as grandparents when seeking legal guardianship or custody of a related child who has been …
MOBILIZATION FOR JUSTICE
Mobilization for Justice’s (MFJ) mission is to achieve justice for all. We prioritize the needs of people who are low-income, disenfranchised, or have disabilities as they struggle to overcome the effects of social injustice and systemic racism. We provide the highest-quality free, direct civil legal assistance, conduct community education and build partnerships, engage in policy advocacy, and bring impact litigation. MFJ also promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace, and understands the need to eliminate all racial disparities to achieve justice for all.
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Masthead photo by Cindy Knoke.
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