The Problem
Quick Stats
2-3x
Disproportionate Removal Rate
Black & Brown children face removals 2–3x more than white children, exposing deep inequities in child welfare.
70+
Preventable Deaths
More than 70 children died despite prior CPS warnings, revealing urgent failures in protection.
20,000+
Children Permanently Separated
In the last decade, over 20,000 California children were unjustly separated from their families.
Systemic Failures
The child protection system is failing on both fronts: children are left in dangerous situations, while thousands of families are torn apart without just cause. What should be a shield for the vulnerable has become a weapon that harms the very people it was built to protect.
Biased Risk Tools
Families are often punished for being poor, not abusive. Outdated algorithms flag parents for unstable housing, low income, or seeking medical help — turning ordinary struggles into “evidence” of neglect.
Courts Without Standards
Child protection courts frequently operate without the same evidence rules as criminal courts. Hearsay and assumptions replace proof. Judges rarely challenge CPS decisions, leading to rubber-stamped removals.
Incentives to Remove, Not Reunify
Caseworkers face systemic pressure to remove children quickly rather than work toward reunification. Federal funding streams reward foster placements, creating perverse incentives.
Lack of Oversight
Families navigating CPS have almost no appeals process or independent oversight. Once a removal happens, it’s nearly impossible to fight — even if the evidence is weak or flawed.
Racial Disparities
Black and Brown families face disproportionate removals and longer separations. Generational trauma is compounded when communities already over-policed are also over-surveilled in their homes.
Why This Matters
Every child deserves safety. Every family deserves dignity. Yet today, the system offers neither — leaving children to die in dangerous situations while needlessly destroying families who love and care for their kids.
Without urgent reform, these failures will continue. Children will keep slipping through the cracks. Families will keep being torn apart. Trust in the system will erode further.