District Briefing

CITY GOVERNMENT

Mayor to Court: End Monitor For Child Welfare Agency

The city wants to end 20 years of federal court oversight of its child welfare agency.

In a brief filed Tuesday, District lawyers proposed terminating a case that resulted in a court monitor for the Child and Family Services Agency.

"Today our local child welfare system is functional, not dysfunctional -- and imperfect but still very effective and getting better," Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) said in a statement. "We are looking forward to continuing that progress and shedding court oversight as quickly as possible."

Child advocates behind the lawsuit say the agency has not improved significantly, and they want the city held in contempt. The city wants to confer with the court monitor about reforms but not have to get the monitor's approval.

-- Petula Dvorak

Whitman-Walker Clinic Asked to Return Grant Funds

D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) demanded yesterday that Whitman-Walker Clinic reimburse the city more than $396,000 for improvements to a facility that the clinic will close in March because of budget shortfalls.

The clinic received a city grant for the Bridge Back Program, housed on Arkansas Avenue NW, in 2005. The clinic has closed offices, laid off employees and cut services.