Testimony: Nila Natarajan Associate Director, Policy & Family Defense, in the Family Defense Practice testified on behalf of the Article 10 Family Defense Organizations in New York City to the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Children & Families on the subject of the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment.

"New York State must pass legislation that narrows the front door into this system, limits how family policing investigations can be used as a tool of harassment, ensures that families can make informed decisions about their medical care, and are informed of their rights before, during, and after investigations."

---

"Eliminate the mandate for helping professionals to report alleged child maltreatment to ensure these professionals can build trust with families and provide the support and resources that families need. And:

- Pending the elimination of this mandate:
-- Remove all penalties and fines in the Social Services law which now may apply when a mandated reporter does not report a family.
- -Oppose all efforts to expand categories of mandated reporters.5

- Ensure that employees of the SCR screen out legally deficient reports and reports that are the result of repeated, duplicative, or harassing reports.

- Require that legally deficient reports are not sent to harmful “differential response ”programs, such as “CARES.”

- Pass legislation that will reduce false and harmful reporting and protect families’ rights once they are reported."

You may read the full testimony here.