Example Advocacy

2025 Distinguished Advocate for Children Award, National Support Center for Child Advocates.

Formal Comments submitted to Commissioner of the Social Security Administration and to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Docket No. SSA-2024-0038 - Request for Information: Use and Conservation of Social Security Benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Payments that Representative Payees Receive for Beneficiaries Residing in Foster Care, Nov. 30, 2024 (this regulatory process resulted directly from my scholarship and advocacy).

U.S. House of Representatives Joint Social Security and Work & Welfare Subcommittee, Statement for the Record (protecting foster children’s Social Security benefits), submitted for Hearing with The Commissioner of Social Security, Martin O’Malley, Submitted April 2, 2024

U.S. Senate, Committee on Finance, Statement for the Record (regarding protection of foster children’s Social Security  benefits), submitted for the hearing on The President’s 2025 Social Security Administration Budget, Submitted April 2, 2024

Congressional Press Release, Reps. Davis and Raskin Champion Bill to Protect Foster Youth Assets and Benefits, Dec. 23, 2024 (quotes me and cites and highlights my research that spurred the legislation)

NYC Administration for Children’s Services, Comments to draft proposed ACS policy, Social Security Benefit Referrals for Children in Foster Care, April 6, 2024.

Congressional Press Release, Reps. Davis, Bacon, and Raskin Join National Child Advocates in Thanking the Social Security Administration and Children’s Bureau for Taking an Important Step to Protecting the Federal Benefits of Foster Youth, Nov. 1, 2024 (quotes me and cites and highlights my research that led to federal legislation and advocacy efforts with the federal agencies). 

Senator Elizabeth Warren’s office – For multiple years, I have provided expertise and support to the senator’s staff regarding investigations into the use of private contractors in work requirements for public benefits.

Continuing for multiple years, as a result of my research and pro bono advocacy, now over twenty-five states and multiple cities have passed or are working on legislation to protect foster children’s resources. This is resulting in millions of dollars each year being conserved directly for the foster youth as a direct result of my scholarship and advocacy.

I served as a lead amici in case argued before the Alaska Supreme Court, Z.C. v. State of Alaska, raising constitutional violations harming foster youth. I also reviewed multiple draft briefs and participated in numerous moots. The case is directly based on my scholarship. https://www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/state-of-alaska-v-z-c-2023051003/?eventID=2023051003

Based significantly on my scholarship, the federal Administration of Children and Families issued new guidance regarding child support enforcement practices in child welfare cases – guidance that will help lead to crucially needed policy changes across the country.

Member, Child Welfare Litigation Advisory Committee, Justice Catalyst and Redlich Horwitz Foundation, 2024 to present. (This litigation fund includes efforts based substantially on my research and in furthering nationwide advocacy that initiated with my scholarship regarding preserving foster children’s resources).

Community Advisory Board Member, Appalachian Justice Research Center, University of Tennessee School of Law, (I became a founding community advisory board member for this Center that started in 2024).

Testimony, Maryland General Assembly, in support of Renters Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024.

Memorandum, Maryland DHS legislative proposals for 2024 (I prepared suggested legislative proposals for the Maryland Department of Human Services).

Testimony and Advocacy Support for multiple Maryland General Assembly bills, two of which passed and were sent to the Governor for signing (a bill to reduce harmful driver’s license suspensions to low-income individuals due to child support debts, and a bill to pass through 100 percent of child support collections in welfare cases to the custodial parents). For another bill, I agreed to testify along with the Secretary of Human Services. These and other bills have been a multiple year effort and I continue to work with advocates in drafting and supporting multiple bills, including on a bill for which I drafted language to reduce garnishments on low-income individuals.

Trainer/presenter, Pennsylvania Statewide Training on Social Security Benefits for Foster Youth, April 5, 2024.

Testimony, Massachusetts Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities, Sept. 26, 2023 (I assisted in drafting the state bill and submitted testimony in support, to protect foster children’s resources).

Amicus Brief, Supreme Court of the United States, Health and Hospital Corporation v. Talevski, 2022 (an amicus brief was submitted on my behalf, based on my scholarship, in support of respondent defending rights of vulnerable nursing home residents under federal law).

After multiple meetings with leadership at SSA and the Administration of Children and Families over the past two years, encouraging the agencies to better protect foster children’s Social Security benefits (and I prepared and provide them with research/policy arguments), the agencies (ACF and SSA) issued a combined formal policy guidance on August 17, 2023 incorporating some of my suggestions and encouraging states to stop taking assets from foster youth.

Significant assistance to congressional staff for Rep’s Danny Davis and Jamie Raskin with finalizing federal legislation, H.R. 9654, that was newly introduced in late 2022, based on my scholarship – to protect foster children’s resources.

Research, drafted, and submitted legal memoranda and suggested new guidance language for the Administration of Children and Families, Sept. 5, 2022, – with goal of changing national policy to protect foster youth’s resources.

My research, scholarship and advocacy continues to receive nationa media coverage, including a series of stories on NPR and the Marshal Project. The series is based on my research and was selected as a finalist for the Pulitzer.  

Met with Congressman Jamie Raskin and his staff about ways in which his office can assist in the effort to improve practices regarding vulnerable youth.

Testimony, Council of the District of Columbia, bill to protect foster children's resources, 2022 (I also helped to draft the bill)

Testimony, Philadelphia City Council, bill protect foster children's resources (I also helped to draft the bill and drafted a legal memorandum in support of the bill for the committee chair)

Congressional Testimony: My book, the Poverty Industry, and my advocacy, are discussed in cited by two members of Congress in their testimony to a Congressional committee on Veteran's Affairs, 2021.

Worked with NBC journalists and producers to help provide them with the background expertise as they produced a documentary about concerns with for-profit group homes, and I was interviewed and appeared in the documentary that aired on national news, Children that Pay, 2021.

I was asked to serve with interdisciplinary experts from around the country on a committee with the American Academy of Arts in Sciences to work on needed improvements for access to justice in legal matters/court procedures impacting low income families, 2021.

Testimony, Maryland General Assembly, bill to reduce harmful driver’s license suspensions due to debts, 2021 and 2022.

Prince George's County Circuit Court training/presentation regarding entitlement benefits for foster youth, March 2019

I am a named Amici, along with Voices for America's Children, National Association of Counsel for Children, Juvenile Law Society, Fostering Imagination, Juvenile Rights Project, and Professor Barbara B. Woodhouse, in a case that was in the  9th Circuit Court of Appeals.  The issue in the case is that “ plaintiff foster children appeal the dismissal of their class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, in which they allege that the caseloads of the Sacramento County Dependency Court and court-appointed attorneys are so excessive as to violate federal and state constitutional and statutory provisions.” E.T. v. Cantil-Sakauye, 2012 WL 2883219 (Appellate Petition, Motion and Filing) (U.S. July 11, 2012), Petition for a Writ of Certiorari, (No. 12-56.)

Drafted state legislation and testified in 2012 before the Maryland General Assembly in support of HB 651 (“Child Support-Incarcerated Obligors-Suspension of Payment and Accrual of Arrearages.”). The bill passed by a close vote and was signed by the governor, making Maryland one of the first states to enact this important legislation to help low income families. 

One of my law review articles (Poverty Revenue) is cited and quoted times in a recent appellate brief in the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, Foster v. Dept. of Human Resources, 2011 WL 3602334 (Appellate Brief) (Md.App. February 28, 2011), Brief of Appellant, (No. 740.)

Member, Policy Advisory Council, First Star (national child advocacy organization), 2008 – 2011. 

Editorial Board Member, Canadian Journal of Poverty Law, 2011 – 2013.

Maryland Department of Human Resources, Special Advisory Group to Improve Child Support Collections, 2012. 

Maryland Child Support Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2008 - 2009

Treasurer and Board Member, Homeless Persons Representation Project, 2007-2010.

Member, Maryland Access to Justice Commission, Self-Represented Litigants Committee, 2009 - present.

Chair, Maryland Access to Justice Commission, Public Input Subcommittee, 2009.

Member, National Foster Care Coalition, Financial Security for Foster Youth Work Group, March 2009 to 2011.

Award Recipient, Benjamin L. Cardin Distinguished Service Award, Maryland Legal Service Corporation, December 8, 2008

Received congressional request to draft federal legislation to implement the recommendations in my law review article titled Foster Children Paying for Foster Care.  The legislation was introduced on February 15, 2007 as H.R. 1104, the Foster Children Self-Support Act.  Since that time, I have received numerous congressional requests to support similar legislative efforts from 2007 to present.

Congressional Briefing on "The Fleecing of Foster Children: How We Confiscate Their Assets and Undermine Their Financial Security," March 16, 2011, press release available at http://www.caichildlaw.org/Fleecing.htm.

Congressional Briefing on the Foster Children Self-Support Act, February 16, 2007, press release available at http://www.firststar.org/news/SSIbriefing.asp.

Invited Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Human Resources, “Hearing to Review Proposals to Improve Child Protective Services,” May 23, 2006.  Testimony addressed the concerns and recommendations in my law review article, Foster Children Paying for Foster Care, and my legislative proposal to implement the article’s recommendations. 

Steering Committee Member, Coalition to Protect Maryland’s Children, 2007.

Drafted legislation and testified in Support of HB 263 and SB 154 before the Maryland General Assembly, the Child Support Payment Incentive Program

At the request of the Md. Secretary of Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation, met with the Secretary and his transition team in November of 2007 to discuss and plan needed unemployment insurance reforms.  Engaged clinic student and supervised the student’s work in preparing a legal and policy summary to be submitted to the Secretary.  As a result, the Secretary has supported the expansion of unemployment insurance to part time workers, along with other possible reforms.

Participated in amicus brief in support of appeal before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals addressing the process of Medicaid decisions and administrative review.  Albert S. v. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 166 Md.App. 726 (2006). 

Testimony in Support of HB 654 (addressing child support arrearages upon family reunification), before the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on March 28, 2006 and before the House Judiciary Committee on February 23, 2006 (I drafted the legislation, which passed and was signed by the Governor)

Testimony in Support of HB 453 (ensuring children’s best interests are considered in decisions regarding child support arrearages), before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on March 28, 2006 and before the House Judiciary Committee on February 16, 2006 (I drafted the legislation, which passed and was signed by the Governor). 

Member, Job Opportunities Task Force, Public Policy Committee, 2002 to 2006.

Advisory Board Member, Legal Aid Bureau Child Support Project, 2005 - 2007.

Testimony before the Maryland General Assembly’s Unemployment Insurance Funding Task Force, in order to educate the Task Force on needed unemployment insurance reform for low-wage workers, September 14, 2004.

Invited Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Government Reform, Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, “H.R. 866, the Subsidy Termination for Overdue Payments Act of 2001,” June 6, 2001.

Statement for the Record before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Human Resources, “Hearing on Child Support and Fatherhood Proposals,” June 28, 2001. 

Drafted legislation and provided Testimony before the Maryland General Assembly on several bills. Topics of the legislation have included unemployment insurance reform, increasing access to food stamps, improving child support policies, and reducing barriers to successful prisoner reentry.  Several of the bills have been enacted.

Testimony before the Baltimore Advisory Council on Offender Employment Coordination, “Hearing on Improving Offender Employment Opportunities,” June 19, 2002.