This article provides an overview of the DOJ/HHS findings and their anticipated wide-ranging impact on parents with disabilities in the child welfare system. It briefly discusses the investigation and findings, and the expected impact of the Departments’ involvement as it relates to parents with disabilities, and provides information on how to file similar complaints.

This article, an adaption of the Rocking the Cradle report, provides readers with an understanding of this largely overlooked civil rights issue inherent in the discrimination faced by parents with disabilities, focusing on the legal and policy considerations. The first section provides a historical context on the parenting rights of people with disabilities. The following sections examine the four key areas wherein parents and prospective parents with disabilities face discrimination: child welfare, family law, adoption, and assisted reproductive technologies. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion on what Massachusetts is doing to remedy this unjust phenomenon and provides a call to action to Massachusetts advocates and policymakers.

Overview of the current state of rights for parents with disabilities and advice for attorneys.

In light of the recent discussions on national health reform, which so far have not focused on people with disabilities, this article serves as a call to action for the legal community to join in the local efforts to ensure that the civil rights of people with disabilities do not continue to be violated resulting in gross health disparities. This article provides readers with an understanding of a largely overlooked health care crisis through the lens of the disability rights movement.