9-27 Joint Defender Release on Mandatory Reporting Testimony
For Immediate Release September 27, 2023 Ahead of State Assembly Hearing, Families, Advocates, and Mandated Reporters Call for an [...]
Oct
2023
Nov
2022
Advocates and Impacted Families Renew Call for Family Miranda Rights Legislation After Uncovered ACS Report Reveals It Knew of Its Own Discriminatory Practices
Advocates and Impacted Families Renew Call for Family Miranda Rights Legislation After Uncovered ACS Report Reveals It Knew of [...]
Oct
2021
NDS’ Zainab Akbar Testifies On the Family Regulation System Before NYS Assembly
Zainab Akbar, Managing Attorney of NDS Harlem's Family Defense Practice, testified before the New York State Assembly on the [...]
Apr
2021
Joint Statement in Response to Reports that NYC Family Court Clerk Used Racial Slurs to Refer to 15-Year-Old
Joint Statement in Response to Reports that NYC Family Court Clerk Used Racial Slurs to Refer to 15-Year-Old (NEW [...]
Oct
2020
NDS’ Helen Montalvan on Racism in the Family Regulation System
New York City Council's Committee on General Welfare hosted a hearing on "Racism in the Child Welfare System." NDS' Helen Montalvan testified on the white supremacist roots of the system, and why the title of "child welfare system" obfuscates the function and history of ACS and other agencies.
Sep
2020
NDS Harlem’s Sara Wolkensdorfer Testifies Before City Council on Ending the Discriminatory Use of Background Checks in Public Housing
This week, NDS Harlem's Sara Wolkensdorfer submitted written testimony to the New York City Council on the need to end discriminatory background checks in public housing.
Nov
2019
NDS’ Ayami Hatanaka Testifies to City Council on Representation at SCR Hearings
NDS Parent Advocate Ayami Hatanaka testified before the Progessive Caucus of City Council last week on the impact of [...]
Sep
2019
Unjust, Coercive Police Interviews Are Traumatizing Children of Color
By Amanda Anger, Social Worker, NDS Originally Published by Truthout My client’s 4-year-old son was locked away from her, [...]
May
2019
NDS Staff Travels to Albany to Fight for Harlem Families
Last week, NDS traveled to Albany to fight for families alongside fellow defenders, activists and the people of our communities. [...]
Apr
2019
NDS Testifies to Unjust Role Marijuana Plays in Child Welfare Investigations
As New York considers legalizing marijuana, the City Council is beginning to reckon with the widespread damage done by the [...]
Sep
2018
Michelle Burrell Testifies at the Commission on Parental Legal Representation
NDS' Michelle Burrell on what public defenders need in order to ensure that families are reunified.