Kaye Scholer Initiates Class Action Litigation Against Oklahoma's Child Welfare System

Kaye Scholer LLP, in its capacity as co-counsel with Children's Rights, Inc. and four local Oklahoma law firms, has recently instituted class action litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma against the State of Oklahoma's Department of Human Services seeking the reform of Oklahoma's child welfare system on behalf of the more than 10,000 children placed in its care. For the past five years, Oklahoma's rate of maltreatment of children in foster care has been one of the three worst in the nation — and in the last two years, it was the worst.

Children's Rights is a national watchdog organization that advocates on behalf of abused and neglected foster children throughout the United States. Since 1995, the organization has sought improvement of the most basic needs such as medical care for foster children, the screening and training of foster parents and additional social work resources. Children's Rights has used legal action and policy initiatives to reform the state child welfare systems in several states, including New York, New Jersey, Mississippi, Missouri, Georgia, New Mexico and Rhode Island.

Phillip A. Geraci (Partner, Litigation, Securities & Derivatives Litigation, New York Office), led the Kaye Scholer team.