About

Child Welfare Monitor DC is the blog of Marie K. Cohen (MPA, MSW). Marie is a child advocate, researcher, and policy analyst. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Harvard University, a Masters in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Maryland. After a career as a policy analyst and researcher, Marie obtained her Masters in Social Work in 2009. She worked as social worker in the District of Columbia’s child welfare system for five years. She left in January 2015 in despair at how the system seems to have many priorities that are higher than the welfare of children. She decided to start a blog to write about these problems.

This blog eventually became Child Welfare Monitor and its purpose is to advocate for a system that prioritizes the needs of the child over and above other values. Marie also became a member of the District of Columbia Citizen Review Panel and Child Fatality Review Commission and a mentor to a foster youth through the BEST Kids program. She is now in her fifth year as a mentor to a wonderful young lady who is now eighteen years old. When Marie decided not to continue participating on the Citizen Review Panel as of December 31, 2019, she revolved to continue her oversight of child welfare in the District through a new blog, Child Welfare Monitor DC.