Children’s Rights Project
How We Help:
Our systems must provide children with the services and education they need to reach their potential.
Helping Children Thrive for Years to Come
A healthy childhood and strong education can broaden any child’s horizons. Providing children with the proper supports early in their lives will give them the foundation they need to thrive in their classrooms and communities for years to come. Families and communities have big dreams and high expectations for our children. Our systems must provide children with the services and education they need to reach their potential.
Advocacy Campaigns
As of July 2023, Oregon school districts are required to return students to a full day of school within five days, if parents or guardians object to a shortened school day.
Full School Day
Too frequently, children of color with disabilities are denied the special education supports and services needed to succeed, leading to disparities in discipline and law enforcement involvement.
End the School to Prison Pipeline
All children need to be safe at school. In some schools, children with disabilities are secluded in rooms by themselves away from their classmates or physically restrained.
Restraint and Seclusion
Litigation
Foster Care
The American Academy of Pediatrics identifies mental health and behavioral health as the “greatest unmet health need for children and teens in foster care.” Children who have experienced trauma and mental health issues need services and treatment from the day they enter care so they can begin to heal. This will help curb the revolving door of foster placements and avoid children ending
up in institutions because we've failed to meet their basic healthcare needs. Learn more about our legal advocacy in the Wyatt B. v. Brown case.
Short School Day
Every child needs different supports to thrive in their classroom and develop the skills they need to succeed in life. Yet, hundreds of Oregon children don't attend full days of school for months or even years at a time because the school is incapable of supporting the behavioral, social, and emotional needs of children with disabilities. Some children are removed from school altogether and given an hour or two of tutoring per day. With the right supports, all children can learn in school alongside their classmates.
Disability Rights Oregon is working on behalf of children with disabilities to force the State to play a larger role in making sure that school districts are equipped to support children with disabilities in their classrooms. This struggle is about making sure that children with disabilities can live in our world. Providing them with the proper supports at a crucial moment early in their lives will give them the foundation they need to thrive in their classrooms and communities for years to come. Learn more about our legal Advocacy in the J.N. v. Oregon Department of Education case.
Plaintiff Stories
Success Stories
Media Coverage
Share Your Child’s Story
Stories have the power to change how people think about an issue. While we are unable to respond to every submission individually, the information is very valuable to us. Please share your story or your child’s story using these forms.