Thousands of children age out of foster care every year, ASFA was meant to change that. Here's what you need to know.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO:

• What ASFA is and why Congress passed it in 1997
• How ASFA shifted focus from reunification to child safety
• The 15-of-22-month rule and what it means for families
• Grounds for terminating parental rights under ASFA
• Criticisms and unintended consequences of the law
• How ASFA continues to shape child welfare policy today

The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), signed into law in 1997, fundamentally transformed the U.S. child welfare system. Before ASFA, the system prioritized keeping biological families together, sometimes at the expense of a child's safety. ASFA rebalanced that approach by setting firm timelines for permanency decisions. Under the law, if a child has been in foster care for 15 of the previous 22 months, states are generally required to file for termination of parental rights and seek adoptive placement. 

ASFA also defined specific "aggravated circumstances", such as murder or severe abuse of a sibling, that allow states to bypass traditional reunification efforts entirely. While proponents credit ASFA with increasing adoptions and reducing long-term foster care drift, critics argue the law's strict timelines fail to account for systemic barriers like poverty, housing instability, and lack of access to services, disproportionately impacting families of color. Understanding ASFA is essential for foster parents, social workers, attorneys, advocates, and anyone touched by the child welfare system.

Learn more about ASFA The Adoption and Safe Families Act by visiting https://kidlaw.org/2026/02/23/asfa-the-adoption-and-safe-families-act/

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Your job, your health, your family, federal law protects all three. Here's what FMLA means for you.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO

- What the Family and Medical Leave Act covers and who qualifies
- Eligibility rules: hours worked, employer size, and location
- Job protection, intermittent leave, and paid vs. unpaid rules
- How FMLA affects schools, children, and working families
- Key court trends shaping FMLA enforcement and litigation
- How state laws and proposed federal changes are expanding rights

The Family and Medical Leave Act entitles eligible employees to up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for qualifying family and medical reasons, with group health insurance maintained throughout. 

To qualify, you must have worked for your employer at least 12 months, logged 1,250 hours in the past year, and work where the employer has 50 or more employees within 75 miles. 

Covered reasons include a newborn, adoption, foster placement, a serious health condition of the employee or close family member, and military caregiver leave up to 26 weeks. 

Courts are increasingly applying stricter causation standards in retaliation cases, and post-return litigation is rising. States including California, Colorado, and New Jersey now offer broader definitions and paid benefits, and the proposed FAMILY Act could transform FMLA nationally. Advocates continue pushing to lower employer thresholds and expand who counts as "family."

Learn more about FMLA Family and Medical Leave Act by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/02/23/fmla-family-and-medical-leave-act/

The Supreme Court ruling that changed special education forever — what every parent must know.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO

- Why the Supreme Court's Endrew F. ruling was a landmark shift
- What "appropriately ambitious" IEP goals actually means
- How trivial or de minimis progress was rejected as a standard
- Why individualized programming is now a legal requirement
- How courts now scrutinize IEP decisions more deeply
- What the ruling means for school districts and advocacy

In 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District that every IEP must be "reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's circumstances." 

The case involved a student with autism whose parents pulled him from public school, arguing his IEP produced no meaningful growth. The Court rejected the prior de minimis standard as legally insufficient and called the new benchmark "markedly more demanding." 

Districts must now document cogent, evidence-based reasoning for every IEP decision. Goals must be ambitious, behavioral needs must be addressed, and stagnant programming is legally vulnerable. 

The ruling reshaped FAPE under IDEA, and the $1.3 million Endrew settlement underscored the stakes.

Learn more about Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/02/23/endrew-f-v-douglas-county-school-distric/

The 1981 ruling that changed how schools serve English Learners, and gave families the legal power to demand results.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO

- The landmark 1981 case that set federal standards for English Learners
- How the Three-Part Test determines if EL programs are legally compliant
- Why schools must now prove their programs actually work
- How this ruling protects students from discriminatory ability grouping
- What Castaneda means for school administrators and resource allocation
- How advocacy groups use this ruling to fight for students today

Castaneda v. Pickard, decided by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, established that school districts must provide effective, research-based programs for English Learners under the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974. 

The case arose when Mexican-American parents in Raymondville, Texas challenged their district's bilingual programs as inadequate. The court's Three-Part Test requires programs to be grounded in sound educational theory, properly implemented with qualified staff and resources, and proven effective over time, or changed. 

The ruling elevated inadequate language support from a policy failure to a potential civil rights violation, and its standard remains the primary federal benchmark for EL program compliance more than four decades later.

Learn more about Castaneda v. Pickard by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/03/12/castaneda-v-pickard/

Can states fund private schools but block religious ones? The Supreme Court said NO, here's what changed.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO

- What Carson v. Makin is and why it matters 
- How Maine's tuition program sparked a constitutional fight
- Why the Free Exercise Clause was central to the ruling
- The "Status vs. Use" distinction the Court rejected
- How this builds on Trinity Lutheran and Espinoza
- What this means for school choice and public funding

Carson v. Makin (2022) is a landmark Supreme Court ruling that reshaped the relationship between public school funding and religious institutions. In a 6-3 decision, the Court struck down Maine's requirement that tuition-assistance funds could only go to "nonsectarian" private schools. 

The key principle: a state doesn't have to fund private education, but if it does, it cannot exclude religious schools simply because they are religious. This ruling effectively dismantled Blaine Amendments in dozens of states, expanded school choice options for families, especially in rural areas, and opened new legal questions around discrimination, charter schools, and whether neutrality may eventually require states to fund religious education.

Learn more about Carson v. Makin (2022) by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/03/26/carson-v-makin-2022/

Can schools deny your child proper education without consequence? Burlington v. DOE 1985 changed everything.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO

- What the Burlington v. DOE 1985 Supreme Court case decided
- How parents can win tuition reimbursement for private school
- Why unilateral private placement carries financial risk for parents
- How the "stay-put" provision protects students during disputes
- What Burlington means for IEP quality and school accountability
- How Burlington shaped decades of special education law under IDEA

In 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in School Committee of Burlington v. Department of Education of Massachusetts that parents have the right to be reimbursed for private school tuition when a public school fails to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). 

The Court held that courts may order districts to pay for private placements if the public IEP is found inappropriate. 

This landmark ruling shifted accountability to school districts, strengthened parental rights in the IEP process, expanded equitable remedies under the Education of the Handicapped Act (now IDEA), and launched the Burlington-Carter doctrine that continues to shape special education litigation today.

Learn more about Burlington v. Department of Education of Massachusetts 1985 by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/03/26/burlington-v-department-of-education-of-massachusetts-1985/

The Supreme Court ruling that gutted civil rights enforcement, and why it still affects kids today.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO

- What Alexander v. Sandoval (2001) decided and why it matters
- Why Martha Sandoval sued Alabama over its English-only driver's exam
- How the Court eliminated private disparate-impact lawsuits under Title VI
- What the ruling means for minority, immigrant, and disabled students
- How schools and administrators were affected by the decision
- What advocacy groups and Congress are doing to restore lost rights

Alexander v. Sandoval is a landmark 2001 Supreme Court case that dramatically narrowed civil rights enforcement. 

In a 5-4 ruling, Justice Scalia held that private individuals cannot sue to enforce disparate-impact regulations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, victims must now prove intentional discrimination or rely on federal agencies. 

The case arose when Martha Sandoval challenged Alabama's English-only driver's license exam policy. 

The ruling hit children hard, eliminating legal tools used to protect minority, immigrant, and disabled students from unintentionally discriminatory school policies. Advocacy groups have since shifted toward administrative complaints and are pressing Congress to restore private rights of action.

Learn more about Alexander v. Sandoval by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/03/09/alexander-v-sandoval/

The Supreme Court just changed the rules for disabled students, unanimously. Here's what every parent and school needs to know.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO

- Why the Supreme Court's 9-0 ruling in A.J.T. v. Osseo matters
- What the old "bad faith" standard was and why it was unfair
- What "deliberate indifference" means for students now
- How this ruling affects school districts and IEP/504 plans
- What disability rights advocates are pushing for next
- How this case fits a growing trend of stronger student protections

A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools (2025) is a landmark Supreme Court decision that levels the playing field for students with disabilities. The case centered on Ava, a student with severe epilepsy whose school refused to provide evening instruction to accommodate her condition. When her family pursued ADA and Section 504 claims for monetary damages, lower courts dismissed them — demanding proof of "bad faith or gross misjudgment," a standard no other disability discrimination plaintiff faced. 

The Supreme Court unanimously struck that standard down, replacing it with the same "deliberate indifference" test applied in workplaces and public accommodations. Schools can no longer dismiss accommodation requests carelessly without legal risk. Documentation, individualized review, and staff training are now essential. For students and families, the path to justice just got significantly clearer.

Learn more about A.J.T. v. Osseo by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/03/06/a-j-t-v-osseo/

Did you know WIC can connect you to doctors, mental health services, dental care, and more? Here's everything you need to know. PART 6 of 6 - WIC Q&A - HEALTH & COMMUNITY REFERRALS - more info

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO

- How WIC connects you to doctors and healthcare providers
- Community services WIC can refer you to, from food to housing
- How WIC helps you enroll in Medicaid and CHIP coverage
- WIC referrals for children's dental care and oral health
- WIC's role in immunization screening and vaccination referrals
- How WIC supports mental health, including postpartum depression

WIC is more than food, it's a gateway to critical health and community support. In this final installment of our six-part WIC Q&A series, we cover Health & Community Referrals, answering your top questions about how WIC connects low-income families to medical providers, insurance programs, food banks, mental health resources, and more. 

We also address additional eligibility questions, including coverage for foster children, grandparent caregivers, breastfeeding women, and how long infants and children can remain enrolled. WIC policies vary by state, so always check with your local office.

Learn more about WIC Q&A by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/05/20/wic-qa/

Get WIC breastfeeding support, breast pumps, lactation help & nutrition education answers, all in one place. PART 5 of 6 - WIC Q&A - BREASTFEEDING & NUTRITION EDUCATION

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO

• How WIC supports and incentivizes breastfeeding mothers
• What breastfeeding counseling and peer support WIC provides
• Whether WIC can help you get a breast pump
• How WIC lactation consultants and peer counselors work
• Why nutrition education is required, and why it's a benefit
• How WIC helps with picky eaters, food allergies & meal planning

WIC's Breastfeeding & Nutrition Education program goes far beyond handing out food packages. Breastfeeding mothers receive enhanced food benefits, access to trained peer counselors, lactation consultants, and breast pumps based on need and availability. 

Nutrition education, delivered in person, by phone, or online, is a required part of WIC participation and covers infant feeding, child nutrition, healthy eating, and budget cooking. WIC nutritionists also help with picky eaters, food allergies, and meal planning. 

This is Part Five of a six-part series answering 100+ common WIC questions

Learn more about WIC Q&A by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/05/20/wic-qa/