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Parents with Disabilities Face an Uphill Battle to Keep Their Children [psmag.com]

 

Nearly one in 10 children in the United States are at risk of being removed from their home by a child welfare agency simply because their parent has a disability.

In October, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of five parents with disabilities who had their children removed by New York's Administration for Children's Services, alleging widespread discrimination. What happened to these families is not unique or uncommon; rather, their tragic experiences are part of a national phenomenon: Parents with disabilities are disproportionately involved with the child welfare system and once involved are more likely than non-disabled parents to have their parental rights terminated.

For more than four years, Amy Fabbrini and Eric Ziegler have been fighting with the state of Oregon to regain custody of their sons, Christopher and Hunter. Both Fabbrini and Zeigler have intellectual disabilities. "I tend to learn a little slower than others but it in no way affects my abilities to safely care for my kids and has no effect on my day-to-day living," Fabbrini says.

[For more on this story by ROBYN POWELL, go to https://psmag.com/social-justi...-keep-their-children]

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