By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – A federal judge released Alabama from nearly two decades of court control over its child welfare system Tuesday, ruling that the depraved conditions that triggered the litigation no longer exist. U-S District Judge Ira DeMent granted the state's motion to end the case, which began in 1988 with a suit filed on behalf of a child identified only by his initials, R.C. The court found that the child's care and treatment by the Alabama Department of Human Resources was deplorable. Over the years, the suit led to sweeping changes in the state's child welfare system, with a settlement reached in 1991. It set new standards and caseload maximums, required more child welfare workers to be hired and greater agency funding.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)