Client Rights

When providing services to children, youth, and families, agencies must ensure the protection of client rights, most commonly in the following areas: nondiscrimination, acceptance or refusal of services, ethical treatment, confidentiality, and grievance procedures. Use the following resources to learn more about client rights in child welfare.

State and local examples

Changing the Paradigm: A Bill of Rights for Children and Youth (PDF - 101 KB)
Bunnett (2010)
Discusses cities and counties across the United States that have made children's rights a priority in their policy agendas.

Child Maltreatment and the Law: Returning to First Principles
Levesque (2009)
View Abstract
Examines legal regulations involved in child protection and family life, including an introduction to the legal and political justifications for the rights of parents, an exploration of State intervention in families, and a discussion of Supreme Court cases dealing with protecting parenting rights.

Children and the Dark Side of Human Experience: Confronting Global Realities and Rethinking Child Development
Garbarino (2008)
View Abstract
Explores the experiences of children around the world and strategies for protecting their human rights, addressing issues such as the environment, child abuse, poverty, war and political violence, gender equality, and more.

Children's Ombudsman Offices
National Conference of State Legislatures (2008)
Provides information on States that have an ombudsman office and reviews the role of these offices in overseeing State children's services.

Children's Rights: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Participation and Protection
O'Neill & Zinga (2008)
View Abstract
Examines how different countries are applying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in their efforts to protect children, including information on a child's right to family, participation rights in school, and the protection of youth with developmental disabilities.

The Court System and Child Protection (PDF - 2048 KB)
In Working with the Courts in Child Protection
Children's Bureau (HHS) User Manual Series (2006)
Includes the rights of parents and children in child maltreatment cases.

From Complaint to Resolution: Understanding the Child Welfare Grievance Process

Series Title	Factsheets for Families
Author(s)	Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability	View Download (PDF - 554KB) Order (Free)
Year Published	2016

Provides parents (birth, foster, and adoptive) and other caregivers with information about the best way to resolve their differences with a service provider or other child welfare professional. Since child welfare agency policies and procedures are State-specific, this factsheet presents information from a national perspective and points to additional resources about where to find information related to a particular State. The information and resources provided in this factsheet address the majority of complaints associated with the CPS system.

The Relationship Rights of Children
Dwyer (2006)
View Abstract
Analyzes children's rights in connection with State decision-making about children's personal relationships in numerous aspects of family law, including paternity, adoption, custody and visitation, termination of parental rights, and grandparent visitation.

Rights of Children in Foster Care (PDF - 112 KB)
Dougherty (2005)
Presents information on several States' efforts to develop a bill of rights for foster children.

Standards for the Custody, Placement and Care, Legal Representation, and Adjudication of Unaccompanied Alien Children in the United States (PDF - 503 KB)
American Bar Association Commission on Immigration (2004)
Sets standards for the legal representation, custody, and placement of unaccompanied alien minors in the United States that adhere to certain fundamental principles, including dignity, respect, nondiscrimination, personal safety, privacy, and participation in decision-making.