Washington, D.C

DC mothers accused of child neglect to get cash as part of poverty study

Published

2 years ago

April 10, 2024

DC mothers accused of child neglect to get cash as part of poverty study

A group of low-income black mothers living in Washington DC who have been accused of child neglect will receive cash as part of a study to determine whether providing needy moms with extra income could prevent their children from being placed in foster care.

A dozen black mothers randomly selected by researchers from Harvard Law School’s Access to Justice Lab will receive $500 a month through October — and then a lump sum payment of about $3,000, The Washington Post reported.

The women selected have been investigated by the district’s Child and Family Services Agency for alleged child neglect, the report said.

Another 12 mothers will be paid $50 to $60 for participating in a 20-minute survey and up to an hour-long interview with the Mother’s Outreach Network, which is distributing the funds.

The Mother’s Outreach Network will soon start distributing funds to low-income black mothers accused of child neglect in Washington DC. Mother’s Outreach Network

“For this particular problem, folks are in a form of legal jeopardy,” Jim Greiner, the faculty director at Harvard’s Access to Justice Lab, said of parents accused of child neglect.

“There’s a lot of strong feelings on both sides — and what we think should happen in that case is evidence,” he said. “Let’s actually look at what happens when you take steps to alleviate poverty.”

Greiner said the Mother Up program will be limited to black mothers whom the Child and Family Services Agency investigated for child neglect and found the accusations to be substantiated, but still allowed their children to remain in the home.

The Mother Up program is still in the “pre-planning” phase, but will now start enrolling eligible mothers to receive the funds.

Greiner acknowledged there may be backlash to the program from those who think “it’s a terrible idea because it’s going to provide a monetary incentive to neglect children.”

But, he said, others “think that the underlying problem is poverty, in which case, providing money is a fantastic idea because it’ll directly alleviate the problem.”

One such advocate, Clare Anderson, a senior policy research fellow at the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall, said decades of research have proven that when families have less access to money, clothing, housing, food, legal support and health care, they are more likely to face child welfare investigations.

Another study, she said, shows that nearly 85% of families investigated by child welfare agencies have incomes below 200% of the federal poverty line — which was $49,720 for a family of three in 2023.

“There’s this societal narrative that child abuse and neglect is an individual action by an individual doing harm to a child,” Anderson told the Washington Post.

A photo of the outside of The Child and Family Services Agency building in D.C. — The Mother Up program will be limited to black mothers whom the Child and Family Services Agency investigated for child neglect and found the accusations to be substantiated, but still allowed their children to remain in the home. Google Maps

“The evidence shows us that policy choices are contributing significantly to the activation and deployment of CPS in the lives of families.”

Robert Matthews, the director of DC’s Child and Family Services, also said he has “no doubt that poverty plays a huge role in how most of the families come to CFSA’s attention.”

Last year, the department separated 10 children from their families due to neglect — making it the most cited reason a child was removed from their home, the Washington Post reports, citing the agency’s report to the DC city council.

Of the children currently in foster care in DC, a majority are black, it reports.

“The system is penalizing families for being poor,” said Melody Wood, executive director of Mother’s Outreach Network.

“We also want to combat negative narratives about black women, black mothers in particular, whose children are involved in the system,” she noted.

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Washington, D.C

D.C. Police Chief manipulated crime data; new House Oversight report

Published

1 hour ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

D.C. Police Chief manipulated crime data; new House Oversight report

TNND — A new report from the House Oversight Committee alleges former D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith pressured officers to manipulate crime data. The committee released the report on Sunday, less than a week after Smith announced she was stepping down.

You’re lulling people into this false sense of security. They might go places they wouldn’t ordinarily go. They might do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do,” said Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association.

Included in the report were transcribed interviews with the commanders of all seven D.C. patrol districts and the former commander currently on suspended leave. One was asked, “Over the last few years, has there been any internal pressure to simply bring down crime statistics?” Their response, “Yes, I mean extremethere’s always been pressure to keep crime down, but the focus on statistics… has come in with this current administration.”

Every single person who lives, works, or visits the District of Columbia deserves a safe city, yet it’s now clear the American people were deliberately kept in the dark about the true crime rates in our nation’s capital,” House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said in a statement.

“They are going to have to regain the public trust. Again, this is a huge integrity issue,” Brantner Smith said.

Among the reports findings, Smith’s alleged pressured campaign against staff led to inaccurate crime data. Smith punished or removed officers for reporting accurate crime numbers. Smith fostered a toxic culture and President Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in D.C. is working.

While Smith has not yet publicly responded to the report, she’s previously denied allegations of manipulating crime data, saying the investigation did not play a factor into her decision to step down at the end of the year.

My decision was not factored into anything with respect to, other than the fact that it’s time. I’ve had 28 years in law enforcement. I’ve had some time to think with my family,” Smith said earlier this month.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also released a statement Monday, writing in part that “the interim report betrays its bias from the outset, admitting that it was rushed to release.”

According to crime stats from the Metropolitan Police Department, since the federal law enforcement surge started in August, total violent crime is down 26%. Homicides are down 12% and carjackings 37%.

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Washington, D.C

National Menorah Lighting in DC dedicated to Bondi Beach victims

Published

14 hours ago

December 15, 2025

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National Menorah Lighting in DC dedicated to Bondi Beach victims

The first candle lit on the National Menorah near the White House in Washington, D.C., marked the first night of Hanukkah — and solemnly honored victims of the Bondi Beach shooting.

The National Menorah Lighting was held Sunday night, hours after gunmen opened fire on a crowd celebrating the beginning of Hanukkah at Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach. Fifteen people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor, and over three dozen others were being treated at hospitals.

Authorities in Australia said it was a terrorist attack targeting Jewish people.

Organizers behind the National Menorah Lighting said the news from Australia, along with the bitter cold, forced them to consider whether or not to hold the annual event.

After consulting with local law enforcement, National Menorah Lighting organizers decided to hold the event and honor the victims.

Several D.C.-area police departments issued statements confirming there are no known threats to local communities, but are monitoring just in case.

Montgomery County Executive Mark Elrich condemned the attack and said community safety is a priority.

“Acts of antisemitism, especially those meant to intimidate families and communities during moments of gathering and celebration, must be called out clearly and condemned without hesitation,” Elrich said. “I have heard directly from members of Montgomery County’s Jewish community who are shaken and concerned, and I want them to know that their safety is a priority.”

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Washington, D.C

READ: Report accuses DC Police Chief Pamela Smith of ‘fear, intimidation, threats’

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

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READ: Report accuses DC Police Chief Pamela Smith of ‘fear, intimidation, threats’

WASHINGTON (7News) — Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith is facing yet another scathing report accusing her of manipulating crime data in the city.

The 22-page document from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform comes less than a week after a separate draft report from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and days after Chief Smith turned in her resignation.

The main difference between the Congressional report and the DOJ report is that this new one, released on December 14, contains transcribed interviews directly with commanders from all seven MPD patrol districts.

RELATED | DC Police settles with former employee over claims that crime numbers were manipulated

The testimony reveals how Chief Smith chastised and, in some cases, publicly humiliated staff in crime briefings.

“The Committee’s investigation heard consistent testimony about frustration and exhaustion among MPD commanders and the manifestation of a culture of fear, intimidation, threats, and retaliation by Chief Smith. Often, these manifestations were triggered whenever the Chief was presented with what she considers ‘bad news,’ particularly when that news pertained to any rise in public crime statistics. Chief Smith, according to testimonies, regularly took action against her subordinates who failed to aid in the preservation of her public image,” the report states on page two.

RELATED | Trump announces probe into DC police for inflating crime stats amid safety claims

The committee launched the investigation in August when whistleblowers came forward with concerns about data manipulation.

One line of questioning in the report states:

Question: Over the last few years, has there been any internal pressure to simply bring down crime statistics?

Answer: Yes, I mean extreme… there’s always been pressure to keep crime down, but the focus on statistics… has come in with this current administration or regime, and you know, that has manifested publicly.

7News reached out to Mayor Bowser’s Office for a comment in response to the report. A spokesperson provided the following statement:

The men and women of the Metropolitan Police Department run towards danger every day to reduce homicides, carjackings, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and more. The precipitous decline in crime in our city is attributable to their hard work and dedication and Chief Smith’s leadership.

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I thank Chief Smith for her commitment to the safety of D.C. residents and for holding the Metropolitan Police Department to an exacting standard, and I expect no less from our next Chief of Police.

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