Petition Garners Thousands of Signatures: Close to 4,000 individuals have added their names to a petition urging the reopening of foster homes suspended by the Department of Human Resources (DHR) during the summer.
Madison-based non-profit Kids to Love, which manages foster care facilities and serves as a private child placement agency, had placements to their homes halted in June by the state agency due to identified “serious violations” of standards for child placement agencies.
However, Kids to Love founder Lee Marshall claims that DHR has not been transparent about the alleged violations and has not provided the organization with the necessary information to address any concerns.
In response, DHR attempted to remove children from Kids to Love’s homes. A temporary restraining order was granted in September to prevent the agency from doing so without evidence of harm or unsafe conditions. The Alabama Supreme Court upheld the restraining order last month after a DHR appeal.
Despite the ongoing legal battle, Kids to Love still holds its license to operate, and a recent DHR audit found zero deficiencies in the non-profit’s operations.
The change.org petition, with a goal of 5,000 signatures, calls on the Alabama Department of Human Resources to restore Kids to Love’s licensed foster families into its statewide database. The petition argues that, amid a shortage of foster homes, DHR’s decision has left children without placements despite the availability of caring, licensed foster families associated with Kids to Love.
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While litigation continues, Kids to Love founder Marshall addressed an open letter to Governor Kay Ivey on October 17, advocating for changes in leadership at DHR, specifically targeting Commissioner Nancy Buckner. The letter urged the governor to rescind the current suspension on placements and highlighted concerns about leadership contributing to a crisis in the state, resulting in significant financial costs and, more importantly, putting children’s lives at risk.
In an October statement regarding the court’s ruling, DHR mentioned, There is ongoing litigation and another side of the story to tell.
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Our Reader’s Queries
What petition has the most signatures?
Justice for George Floyd has garnered 19.6 million signatures, showing widespread support for the cause. The petition for Breonna Taylor has received 11.4 million signatures and is still ongoing. Another petition advocating for the innocence of Julius Jones has accumulated 6.6 million signatures, also in progress. Furthermore, the call for justice for Elijah McClain has gathered 5.6 million signatures and is ongoing as well.
How many signatures does a petition need to get noticed?
In order for a petition to be found on WhiteHouse.gov, it needs to gather 150 signatures within 30 days. If it wants to be taken seriously and receive a response, it must reach 100,000 signatures within the same time frame.
What happens if a petition gets enough signatures?
Once a petition garners a substantial number of online signatures, policy experts will assess it and provide an official response. Throughout our nation’s history, Americans have employed petitions as a means to unite over causes close to their hearts. We the People modernizes this distinctly American tradition for the 21st century.
What is the world’s largest petition?
The quest for justice for George Floyd continued into the summer, with a 15-year-old girl leading the charge. Her petition, which garnered over 19 million signatures, became the largest in history, according to Change.org. The movement demanded justice for George Floyd and his family.