DOJ: Alabama foster care program discriminates against students with disabilities

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – The U.S. Division of Justice says Alabama’s foster care program has discriminated in opposition to kids with disabilities in state psychiatric services.

The federal authorities says Alabama’s foster program has illegally positioned lots of of scholars with disabilities into “segregated and inferior instructional packages”. The DOJ says that’s a direct violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Act.

The Justice Division says the state’s foster care system should present college students with a high quality schooling, however some college students positioned in psychiatric residential remedy services don’t all the time obtain ample instruction and are denied entry to libraries, science labs and gymnasiums.

“It’s a large number throughout,” Birmingham legal professional Tommy James stated.

Native legal professional Tommy James has 10 instances involving alleged abuse and neglect inside these psychiatric services across the state. James isn’t stunned on the DOJ’s findings.

“It principally confirms what my shoppers have been telling me for years. There’s little to no schooling within the services,” James stated.

James tells us these kids are already traumatized going into these services.

“It’s said all through the report that these kids, primarily based on what the state is doing and what operators of the services are doing, they’re establishing these kids to fail. These are our most weak kids we’re speaking about,” James stated.

State schooling leaders saying Thursday they’re working with Alabama DHR management to rectify the state of affairs and convey Alabama into compliance.

“We’re dedicated to each baby getting a high-quality schooling, that features kids who’re in psychiatric care. It contains all kids who’ve particular wants. And so we wish to know what DOJ instructed and we’ll take a look at these adjustments and I’m positive there will probably be some adjustments down the street, however I can’t touch upon what particularly they may be but,” State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey stated.

A spokesperson for the governor says state schooling and DHR have been working proactively since 2018 to deal with the wants of our specialised remedy facilities. The assertion goes onto say a prime precedence of the Ivey administration is to make sure each Alabama pupil has the power to obtain a high quality schooling.

You possibly can learn extra concerning the DOJ’s findings right here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-alabama-s-foster-care-system-violates-americans-disabilities-act

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