September 2024 Newsletter

CCA’s systemic change advocacy is guided by the current lived experiences of children and youth. When CCA provides legal representation, the child and family share experiences with barriers to educational opportunities allowing CCA to identify when those barriers point to systemic problems. In Fairfield County, 90% of CCA’s children and youth clients are Black or Latine, which supports our extensive insight into the ways systems fail to meet the education-related needs of Black and Latine children and youth. In addition, during CCA’s legal rights trainings for youth, parents, and healthcare and social service providers, participants share on-the-ground information about barriers to services and engage in conversation with one another and CCA’s attorneys to identify systemic barriers.

Preventing the Closure of a Special Education Program in Bridgeport

CCA attorneys Ilana Ofgang and Kathryn Scheinberg-Meyer worked tirelessly to ensure the Bridgeport Learning Center, a special education facility, remained open for the 2024-2025 school year. Several schools, including the Bridgeport Learning Center, faced closing due to poor building conditions. According to Attorney Ilana Ofgang, “Many kids who were placed at Bridgeport Learning Center had already experienced the self-contained classroom in general education and really struggled.” Several CCA clients were enrolled in the Bridgeport Learning Center and many families around Bridgeport rallied together in support of keeping the center open for students with special education needs. CCA filed a letter that outlined not only the potential harm that students would face if removed from their program but also the fact that the change violated state and federal law. CCA attorney Ilana Ofgang will continue meeting regularly with the Bridgeport Superintendent and administration to ensure the rights of children with special education needs are met. Click here to read an article on CCA’s advocacy in Bridgeport. For more information, contact attorney Ilana Ofgang. 

Advocacy for Pre-School Children

CCA’s Medical-Legal Partnership at the Yale Child Study Center has partnered with the CT Project Action Fund to support our work in legislative advocacy to implement systemic reforms regarding the change in the age at which children can start kindergarten. This partnership and advocacy ensures families can access affordable child care and preschool, and children have educational services that prepare them to enter kindergarten ready to learn. For more information on CCA’s advocacy surrounding the changes made in the kindergarten start age, contact attorney Kathryn Scheinberg-Meyer. 

September Education Access Webinar Series

CCA Attorney and Director of CCA’s Disability Rights Project, Bonnie Roswig, held two webinars covering educational access for students with developmental disabilities. For part one of the series, Attorney Roswig was joined by Dr. Robert Keder, the Medical-Legal Partnership Director with Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, which focused on educational needs for school-aged children. For part two of the series, United States Assistant Attorney, Stewart Dearing, joined Attorney Roswig on an ADA training for college-aged students with developmental disabilities. For more information contact, attorney Bonnie Roswig. To watch the webinar recordings and view the slides, click here. 

Youth-Led Collaboration and Advocacy

CCA’s Speak Up! youth group and the Jr. Peace Builders from COMPASS Youth Collaborative held a “teen talk” to discuss accomplishments in their advocacy groups and brainstorm ideas for a collaborative advocacy project. The most common concern was violence in their neighborhoods, so they dreamed up three ideas: a community clean-up event, collaboration with Blue Hills Civic Association (BHCA) on their S.A.F.E.T.Y campaign, and peer Restorative Justice circles to address violence in schools. For more information on CCA’s Speak Up! youth group, contact Stella Rose Dugue.

In Conversation with Martha Stone

Connecticut Solicitor General, Joshua Perry, engaged in a captivating live discussion with Martha Stone, CCA’s Founder and Executive Director, after reading from his debut novel, Seraphim at Beth El-Keser Israel Synogogue. Joshua Perry and Martha Stone held a thought-provoking exploration of the justice system, its impact on individuals and communities, and the potential for positive change.

American Academy of Pediatrics Conference

CCA Attorney and Director of CCA’s Yale New Haven Hospital Medical-Legal Partnership, Sarah Mervine, presented at the 2024 AAP National Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida. Attorney Mervine’s presentation, “Understanding and Advocating for the Disability Rights of Immigrant Children” covered recognizing the rights of all children with disabilities regardless of immigration status, and how medical professionals can spot issues and enforce children’s rights and incorporate these advocacy strategies into their daily practice. For more information, contact attorney Sarah Mervine.