The North Carolina Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has released its report, Examining the Implementation of Rylan’s Law and Disparate Impact in North Carolina. Rylan’s Law (Ch. S.L. 2017-42 (H.B. 630)) outlines several provisions to reform the state welfare system through organizational restructuring, enhancing state oversight and accountability, and requiring mandatory supervised observations and court approval before parental reunification.
The Committee gathered testimony from subject-matter experts and stakeholders, including researchers, academics, advocates, government officials, and impacted individuals, through a series of public briefings conducted between the Summer and Fall of 2024. Among the findings identified in the testimony, the Committee determined that Rylan’s Law has not been fully implemented due to state and local budgetary constraints. Therefore, geographic disparities and unequal protections continue within North Carolina’s child welfare system. Additionally, Rylan’s Law has not improved visitations requirements and has led to further delays in parental reunification for children in the child welfare system.
The report offers the Committee’s recommendations for corrective action directed to stakeholders including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the North Carolina General Assembly and the North Carolina Governor, the Supreme Court of North Carolina, Chief District Court Judges throughout North Carolina, and the North Carolina Administrative Office to the Court, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Key recommendations include conducting an inquiry to determine why the provisions of Rylan's Law have not been fully implemented and what can be done to ensure that those provisions are successfully enforced as quickly as possible. In addition, the Committee recommends fully funding the regional support model outlined in the statute and improving court timelines to hear Rylan’s Law visitation cases.
The Committee Chair, Olga Morgan Wright, said: "We thank all panelists and members of the public for their contributions and the opportunity to study this complex topic relating to the implications of Rylan’s Law since its enactment. Their testimony enabled us to gain a better understanding of North Carolina’s role in the history of child protective services in the United States, as well as to highlight key findings and recommendations within the report. We are looking forward to sharing this insight, as duly charged, with the full Commission on Civil Rights to share with local, state, and federal entities identified in the final report.”
afortes@usccr.gov