A Separate System With Special Rules

A lower threshold for judgment, different standards of evidence, a shift in the burden of proof and no Fifth Amendment protection—these and other features of Family Court set it apart from the rest of the legal system.

New Child Welfare Head Faces Mountain of Challenges

Ronald Richter just got what the mayor calls a “thankless” job—running the Administration for Children’s Services. We asked ACS’s sometime allies and frequent critics in the advocacy world what Richter’s chief challenges will be.

Human Factor Looms Large In ACS System

The recent indictment of two ACS workers in a little girl’s death has focused new attention on the city’s child protection regime. In this interview, City Limits’ Helen Zelon explains how legal process and human nature interact in the child welfare system.