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Advocates tell U.S. Commission advisory panel Ryland’s Law implementation is delaying reunifications and worsening disparities in North Carolina
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Summary
Panelists at the North Carolina advisory committee hearing told the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights that inconsistent implementation of Ryland’s Law, technology failures and weak county oversight have slowed reunifications, disproportionately harmed Black families and people with disabilities, and left children waiting in institutional settings.
Panelists testifying July 24 before the North Carolina Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights said implementation of Ryland’s Law has, in many counties, delayed reunification and exacerbated racial and disability disparities in the state’s child-welfare system.
Gail Osborne, executive director of Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina and a longtime foster parent, said the state is ‘‘in a foster parent crisis’’ and that placements are ‘‘23% lower than we were just 5½ years ago.” She described repeated incidents where required Ryland/Rollins visits were not completed, instances of retaliation against foster parents who complained, and county-level decisions that left caregivers fearful of reporting problems. "We have some very documented cases in North Carolina where children are being moved from homes due to the race of the child not matching the race of the foster parent," Osborne said in her testimony.
Parents with lived experience delivered the most personal accounts. Jatoya (Toya) Potts, an organizer with Emancipate NC, described years-long separations: "Do you know I haven't seen Mensa since 09/09/2019?" She told the committee that Durham County’s median time to reunification is 677 days and that ‘‘7 out of 10 children are still in custody after 720 days,’’ arguing that supervised, short visits and extended supervision periods under Rollins/Ryland framework can limit opportunities to rebuild parent–child bonds.
Speakers linked lengthy case timelines to systemic problems, including high turnover among caseworkers and attorneys, delays in kinship paperwork and court scheduling, and insufficient oversight of county social-services offices. Ashley Albert, a survivor and advocate with Repeal ASFA, said disproportionate outcomes are clear: "Black children make up 20% of the child population, but over 33% of the foster care system," and she urged reconsideration of federal and state incentives she said encourage separation.
Panelists also raised education and disability concerns. Several witnesses said children with disabilities are being kept out of school or have delayed IEPs; Cori Dunn of Disability Rights North Carolina warned that policies and practice raise the risk of institutionalization for children with complex medical or behavioral needs and urged that ADA/Olmstead principles be applied in case planning.
The committee did not take formal votes. Members asked for written follow-up from panelists and for documentation of statistics and sources. The advisory committee will hold a subsequent panel on Aug. 7 focused on government and policy perspectives; the public may submit written testimony to lschiller@usccr.gov by Sept. 23, 2024.
The testimony, according to multiple speakers, documents gaps between Ryland’s Law as written and how counties apply its requirements, producing concerns about transparency, disparate impacts on protected classes and the need for both technological and oversight reforms.
