Resource: Braam v. State of Washington

This case was originally filed by thirteen current and former foster children against the State of Washington, the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), and the Secretary of DSHS seeking damages for injuries plaintiffs suffered as a result of the state’s practice of shuttling them from one foster facility to another. In March 2000, the court approved the filing of a Second Amended Complaint in which plaintiffs added class action claims on behalf of a class of foster children who had experienced three or more placements while in state custody. Plaintiffs alleged in their complaint that federal statutes require that whenever a foster child’s placement is changed (1) the child be afforded procedural safeguards and (2) the child’s case plan be amended to reflect the reasons for the change and how the new placement meets the child’s needs. The class sought relief under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and numerous state statutes and regulations.