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Witnesses urge family-court and CPS reforms, call for task force after years of reported harms
Summary
Survivors, advocates and legislators told the Senate Human Services Committee multiple examples of systemic failures when family court and child-protective systems intersect, urging a task force, trauma-informed judicial training and oversight of CPS and family-court interactions.
Lawmakers and several witnesses used the Senate Committee on Human Services' Sept. 30 informational hearing to press for systemic changes where family court and child-protective services intersect.
Senator Suzanne Weber framed the legislative approach and said she introduced Senate Bill 710 to require trauma-informed, education-focused materials for judges. "This cannot continue or stand," Weber said, urging investigation and training for family-court professionals.
Several people with personal and professional experience described long, harmful interactions with the system. "Too often when CPS intersects with family court, the result is not safety for children, but the opposite," Anne Samuelson told the committee, and she urged a task force on family-court reform with CPS oversight.
Stephanie Driscoll described procedural problems in which she said DHS findings and court determinations can create circular reliance that is difficult for parents to contest. "ODHS is acting as the accuser, the judge, and the reviewer of their own conduct," Driscoll said, arguing for independent review.
Wesley Rolfson recounted a family case he witnessed and urged trauma-informed practices and accountability: "We must stop punishing protective parents when children disclose abuse," he stated, and asked the committee to form a joint task force spanning courts and CPS to address record integrity and training.
A written testimony read on behalf of Lauren Ryan described a case in which the author said she had not seen her child for nearly two years after emergency orders and contested hearings; the reader emphasized differing judicial outcomes in similar fact patterns.
Committee members discussed jurisdictional complexity (cases held in counties where families no longer reside), limits on access to DHS files until a case is closed, and the tension when protective orders and custody directions collide. Legislators asked staff to explore options for bringing key judicial-department participants into small working groups to sort jurisdictional and process questions.
No vote or formal action was taken at the hearing; senators said they would pursue follow-up meetings and invited stakeholders to provide written materials and evidence for consideration.
