Crystal Baker-Burr is a lawyer for the Bronx Defenders. But
before that, she worked for the Legal Aid Society Juvenile Rights Project representing
children in child welfare cases.
In a
post for an outstanding blog called Rethinking Foster Care, she writes about
some of the cases she’s seen – particularly cases involving when New York City's Administration for Children's Services abuses its
“emergency" removal power.
Here's how her column begins:
"Can
I have that quarter?" Anita asked me, pointing to the change she found in
the chair in the courthouse interview room. I asked her what she needed it for.
"I am saving all the change I find on the ground and keeping it with me,”
she said. “If they ever kidnap me and my brothers again, I can take a cab back
home to mommy."
(And while you're there, you can click on the icon in the upper left corner to subscribe to get posts from Rethinking Foster Care by email.)
