Alaska's child welfare system is failing, dangerous and routinely violates the rights of children, asserts a first-of-its-kind class-action lawsuit filed against the state Office of Children's Services in federal court Thursday.
The 90-page complaint alleges that systemic issues have long festered in almost every facet of Alaska's child welfare system, and asks a federal judge to order immediate and sweeping changes.
"There has not, in Alaska, been a comprehensive lawsuit (on this subject)" until now, said Mark Regan, an attorney with the Disability Law Center of Alaska, one of the entities representing the plaintiffs.
