ICPC Advocacy

Professor Sankaran has worked on reforming the system governing the interstate placement of foster children. Since the early 1960's, this process has been governed by the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), a uniform state law adopted by each state.  The ICPC has been subject to much criticism and recently a national effort has emerged to reform the Compact.  The site provides basic resources to advocates interested in learning more about the Compact, and efforts to reform the process.  If you have updates to this site or have questions regarding the Compact, please contact Professor Sankaran at vss@umich.edu.

You can find more information about the ICPC on the Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children's website.

Articles/Publications:

• Parental Right, Sun News.com published September 26, 2010.
• A Father's Fight / Social Services Breakdown, Sun News.com published September 12, 2010.
• ICPC Resource List
• Waits Plague Transfers of Children to Relatives’ Care, NY Times article by Erik Eckholm, published June 27, 2008.
• John C. Lore, III, Protecting Abused, Neglected and Abandoned Children: A Proposal for Provisional Out-of-State Kinship Placements Pursuant to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, 40 U. Mich. J.L. REFORM 57 (2006)
• Judge Stephen W. Rideout, The Promise of the New Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, 25 ABA CHILD LAW PRACTICE 165 (2007) available at http://icpc.aphsa.org/Home/Doc/Rideout_on_new_ICPC.pdf 
• Vivek S. Sankaran, Navigating the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children: Advocacy Tips for Child Welfare Attorneys, 27 ABA CHILD LAW PRACTICE 33 (2008)
• Vivek S. Sankaran, Out of State and Out of Luck: The Treatment of Non-Custodial Parents Under the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, 25 YALE L. AND POL. REV. 63 (2006)
• Vivek S. Sankaran, Perpetuating the Impermanence of Foster Children: A Critical Analysis of Efforts to Reform the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, 40 FAM. L. QUARTERLY 435 (2006)
• Vivek S. Sankaran, Reform state compact to reunite families, Detroit News Op-Ed, November 5, 2008

• Couple Fights For Abused Grandson, Columbus Times Dispatch Article by Rita Price, published August 17, 2009 

Presentations:
Professor Sankaran recently presented a training on ICPC Advocacy Tips at the ABA Center for Children and the Law Conference in Washington, D.C.  Click here to view his Power Point. 

Professor Sankaran recently conducted a training on how to represent clients when the ICPC is involved for the Michigan State Court Administrative Office. The webcast can be accessed at http://webcast.you-university.com/youtools/companies/ viewArchives.asp?affiliateID=128.

SAMPLE BRIEFS AND MOTIONS
Sample motions for placements of children with birth parents without compliance with the ICPC

• Placement with Parent
• Motion for Direct Custody Order
  

Sample motion for priority ICPC home study

• PB ICPC Priority Placement

Brief -- Washington State -- placement with parent does not require compliance with the ICPC.

• Washington State Appellate Brief #1
• Washington State Appellate Brief #2

 Florida -- best interests of child trumps strict compliance with the ICPC.

• Florida Appellate Brief