New York City’s child welfare agency illegally took a 6-day-old baby away from his father, according to a recent decision from a federal appeals court that legal experts say could affect families across the city.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled last month that the Administration for Children’s Services violated the baby’s constitutional rights when one of its caseworkers removed him without first seeking permission from a judge, prompting a nearly three-year ordeal to reunite parent and child.
The recent ruling could curb a practice that Administration for Children’s Services data shows caseworkers regularly use when parents are accused of abusing or neglecting their kids: taking children from their homes without a court order. It comes as several parents are suing the agency in federal court, alleging that caseworkers unlawfully took their children through similar tactics…