This is Rob and Kathey Raskin of Las Vegas, and today we have good news for foster children in the state of Arizona, where a judge has granted class-action status to a lawsuit that, if successful, will improve conditions. This federal lawsuit against the foster care system was originally filed over two years ago, and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System is also named. The point of the suit is to ensure the children in the system will have their needs met, because unfortunately the way things are now, being in the system is putting these children at greater harm than if they were still with their parents. As we know all too well, this is often the case across the country.

Details of the Case
This case was changed to a class-action suit because it was the only way the specific children involved in the case will not need to be identified by name. The reason this was necessary is because of the original ten kids involved in the case, most have been adopted, but the verdict in the case could still protect the rest of the kids who are caught in the corrupt system. According to Arizona’s latest reports, the state had approximately 17,000 children in foster care as of March 31 of this year. All of these children, as well as children who enter into the system in the future, will be affected by this case, and they are being represented by the Phoenix law firm Perkins Coie and two non-profit child advocacy groups.

The trial is expected to begin in the spring of 2018, and we, Rob and Kathey Raskin, hope these kids get justice.