Center for Children's Advocacy

08/21/2026

Protecting immigrant children takes all of us. 💙

CCA is deeply grateful to the partners who have stood with us alongside immigrant children and families during an extraordinarily difficult time.

Our pro bono partners at Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, PC have worked alongside CCA attorneys to challenge the federal government’s prolonged detention of children in federal court, while the vital work of our partners at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) on behalf of children in federal custody has shone a light on the need for legal support by organizations like CCA.

We are also grateful to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Senator Richard Blumenthal, and other elected leaders, and to the advocates, clinicians, community organizations, and journalists who have helped bring these children's experiences into the public conversation and pushed for change.

This work demonstrates what is possible when people come together around a shared commitment: protecting children's rights and wellbeing.

Thank you for standing with Connecticut's immigrant children and families.

08/20/2026

“What we're seeing is family separation 2.0.”

Senator Richard Blumenthal recently joined CCA Board Member and Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, PC attorney Chris Mattei and Emily Norman of Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) to call for a federal investigation into the extended detention of immigrant children.

The press conference brought together leaders who have been working directly on this issue as children spend months in federal custody waiting to reunite with family. Over the past year, CCA and our partners at Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder have partnered to file four habeas cases in federal court that resulted in the reunification of children, who had been detained for prolonged periods in federal custody in Connecticut, with their families.

As Senator Blumenthal shares in this clip, what is happening in Connecticut is part of a much larger national problem—and greater federal scrutiny and accountability are urgently needed.

CCA is grateful to Senator Blumenthal for continuing to bring attention to the experiences of these children and to our partners working alongside us to protect their rights.

08/19/2026

Healthcare decisions belong to families and healthcare providers—not politicians.

CCA strongly condemns the federal government’s decision to end Medicaid and CHIP funding for healthcare for transgender youth.

This policy does not prohibit providers from offering transition-related care. Instead, it puts medically necessary healthcare out of reach for many transgender and gender-diverse young people whose families rely on Medicaid and CHIP—making access increasingly dependent on a family’s ability to pay.

Through CCA’s LGBTQ+ Youth Advocacy Project, the only project in the state providing focused legal services to transgender and gender-diverse youth, we see firsthand how critical access to affirming healthcare is for young people. We will continue working alongside healthcare providers, advocates, community partners, and state leaders to protect access to medically necessary care for transgender and gender-diverse youth and ensure that youth can access necessary care, free from discrimination as codified in Connecticut law.

Healthcare is a fundamental right. A child’s ability to receive medically necessary care should never depend on their family’s income.

Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/4gkv9dw

08/19/2026

CCA was proud to join the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut’s (EFCT) Bright Futures Family Day this weekend!

CCA attorneys Ilana Ofgang and Bonnie Roswig connected with families at the Middletown event to answer questions and share resources on disability rights and accommodations, Seizure Action Plans, transitions to school and college, emergency medications, supports for students with complex medical needs, and more. CCA’s services at the Family Day were funded by the Elizabeth Swaim Middletown Fund, Edmund T. and Barbara S. Delaney Fund, and Whelen Family Fund at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County.

It was a great afternoon of learning and connection alongside families, caregivers, school professionals, Connecticut Children's, and community partners—all focused on helping children with epilepsy have a safe and successful school year.

Thank you to EFCT for bringing everyone together!

08/17/2026

Immigrant children are spending months in federal custody while waiting to reunite with their families.

Recent reporting has brought increased attention to the experiences of immigrant children detained in Connecticut, including children as young as five, and the devastating impact extended separation can have on their well-being.

CCA's latest blog takes a deeper look at what's happening: the stories of children held for 118, 143, 167, and even 505 days; why children are remaining in federal custody for so long; how legal advocacy has helped reunite families; and the actions and policy changes needed to better protect children.

Through CCA's Immigrant Children's Justice Project, our attorneys are working alongside partners to challenge unnecessary delays in reunification, bring children safely home to safe family members, and advocate for systemic change.

Learn what's happening, why it matters, and what needs to change:
https://cca-ct.org/immigrant-children-detained-in-connecticut/

08/14/2026

Children shouldn't spend months—or even more than a year—waiting to be reunited with their families.

At a recent press conference, Rep. Rosa DeLauro joined advocates, attorneys, physicians, and child development experts to call for an end to the prolonged detention of immigrant children.

As she shares in this clip, children can be protected without enduring months of unnecessary separation from the people who love them.

CCA is proud to stand alongside partners across Connecticut, like Congresswoman DeLauro, who are advocating for policies that put children's safety, well-being, and best interests first.

▶️ Watch the full clip.

08/12/2026

Parents know their children best. Their voices should help shape the systems that serve them.

With the support of generous grants from the Rotary Club of Bridgeport and Westport Rotary Club, CCA’s new Parent Cabinet brings Bridgeport-area parents together to learn their legal rights, build practical advocacy skills, support one another, and help identify broader issues affecting children and families.

Through monthly meetings and trainings with CCA staff and attorneys, participants will gain tools to advocate more confidently in school meetings and other child-serving systems. Just as importantly, CCA will learn directly from parents’ lived experiences and work alongside them to pursue meaningful solutions.

The Parent Cabinet reflects a simple but powerful idea: When parents have information, support, and a community behind them, they can become even stronger advocates for their children and help other families do the same.

We are grateful to the Rotary Club of Bridgeport and Westport Rotary Club for sponsoring CCA's new Parent Cabinet and making this work possible.

Learn more about the Parent Cabinet: https://cca-ct.org/parent-advocacy-in-connecticut-cca-launches-new-parent-cabinet/

Parents interested in participating can contact Janet Ortiz at 203-335-0719, ext. 201.

08/07/2026

The Center for Children’s Advocacy continues to provide direct utility assistance for clients who are having problems navigating enrollment in affordable utility payment plans.

Given the increase in electric and gas bills, the need is greater than ever as many families are facing termination of service.

Please share this post across your own platforms to help more families learn of CCA's utility services AND contact CCA Senior Attorney Bonnie Roswig to learn more. She can be reached at [email protected] or (860) 545 – 8581.

You can also download your own copies of these flyers and help spread the word! https://cca-ct.org/utility-assistance-2026/

08/06/2026

Legal representation can mean the difference between a child remaining in detention for months—or finally going home.

Connecticut Public recently highlighted growing concerns that immigrant children in federal custody may lose access to the attorneys who help protect their rights and advocate for their release.

Through CCA's Immigrant Children's Justice Project, our attorneys work alongside partners like Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) and Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, PC to advocate for children experiencing prolonged detention and to help reunite families whenever possible.

Children should never have to face the immigration system alone.

Read the full story below.

A contract between the federal government and Acacia, a nonprofit legal services provider which provided aid for undocumented children, expired July 31. Acacia says the government attempted to coerce it into providing private information on child detainees.

08/05/2026

The Trump administration has rolled back another key federal civil rights protection in schools.

A new CT Mirror article examines the decision to end federal "disparate impact" enforcement in K-12 education—a longstanding civil rights tool used to challenge school policies that disproportionately harm students of color, even when those policies appear neutral on their face.

As CCA attorneys Kathryn Meyer and Zoe Masters explain, this change removes an important mechanism for holding schools accountable and is part of a broader erosion of federal civil rights enforcement.

Connecticut has long been a leader in protecting children's rights, but there is more work to do. As federal oversight continues to diminish, our state must strengthen its own capacity to enforce civil rights laws, respond to complaints in a timely manner, and ensure every child has equal access to educational opportunity.

CCA will continue working alongside families, partners, advocates, educators, and policymakers to ensure Connecticut remains a bulwark for children's civil rights.

For decades, schools that disproportionately disciplined or suspended students of color risked federal investigation. Not anymore.