Special Report

Hawaii v. Parental Rights

Legislature Kills Measures To Protect Parental Rights In Child Welfare Cases Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Legislature Kills Measures To Protect Parental Rights In Child Welfare Cases

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Critics say Hawaii's current policy flouts federal precedent and leaves it vulnerable to lawsuits.

Bills Would Force Hawaii To Seek Court Orders In Many Child Welfare Cases Ludwig Laab/Civil Beat/2021

Bills Would Force Hawaii To Seek Court Orders In Many Child Welfare Cases

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The measures would dramatically narrow the rules for when children can be taken from their parents absent a judge's order.

A Gag Order In A Foster Death: When Child Welfare Secrecy Goes Too Far Hawaii News Now

A Gag Order In A Foster Death: When Child Welfare Secrecy Goes Too Far

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The child welfare system is shrouded in secrecy to protect children. Does it also block scrutiny and reform?
Racial Disparities Vex Hawaii’s Child Welfare System. Can They Be Fixed? Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Racial Disparities Vex Hawaii’s Child Welfare System. Can They Be Fixed?

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The causes are complex, but Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander parents are far more likely to have children removed by the state.
Hawaii Sent At Least 10 Foster Children To An Abusive Home At The Center Of A Drug Ring Hawaii News Now

Hawaii Sent At Least 10 Foster Children To An Abusive Home At The Center Of A Drug Ring

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Hawaii Child Welfare Services may have had no reason not to approve Yvonne and Paul Caitano as foster parents. But when did it find out that things had gone wrong?
Hawaii Judges Were Trained To Run Better Child Welfare Hearings. Their Performance Plummeted Ludwig Laab/Civil Beat/2021

Hawaii Judges Were Trained To Run Better Child Welfare Hearings. Their Performance Plummeted

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The hearings can determine whether parents lose their children, but topics that could help avoid that are rarely or never discussed.
‘Just A Number’: Parents Who Face Losing Their Kids Say Court-Appointed Attorneys Don’t Do Enough Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

‘Just A Number’: Parents Who Face Losing Their Kids Say Court-Appointed Attorneys Don’t Do Enough

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A Civil Beat review found that parents almost never win on appeal, and that the appellate court finds procedural flaws in half the cases.
Hawaii Senator Says Changes Are Needed To Curb ‘Illegal, Knee-Jerk’ Child Abuse Investigations Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Hawaii Senator Says Changes Are Needed To Curb ‘Illegal, Knee-Jerk’ Child Abuse Investigations

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Sen. Joy San Buenaventura is considering writing a bill that would likely reduce the number of children taken from their parents without a court order.
‘You Need A Warrant!’: Hawaii’s Dubious Practice Of Taking Children Without A Court Order Courtesy: Jennifer Chapman

‘You Need A Warrant!’: Hawaii’s Dubious Practice Of Taking Children Without A Court Order

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More than 80% of children taken into protective custody in Hawaii are removed from their families without a judge's approval. That's not how it works in many other jurisdictions.