Resource: A.A. v. Buckner

Children’s Rights, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, and the Southern Poverty Law Center filed A.A. v. Buckner against the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) on behalf of children in foster care living with mental health impairments who are held in psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTFs)—a population that is disproportionately Black youth. The case targets the state’s failure to place children in the least restrictive environment where they can access support while enjoying the same activities as peers and thrive into adulthood. Instead, they are often shuffled from one facility to another, further isolating them from their families and communities.