Children's Law Center/Health Access Project at Children's National Medical Center

Thirteen-year-old Haji Conteh had all the irritating symptoms of seasonal allergies when her father took her to see a pediatrician at a D.C. clinic last summer. But when the doctor questioned Haji and her father, she began to suspect there might be a cause other than pollen for the girl's sneezing and itchy eyes: the rats and mold in the family's Northwest Washington apartment.

Dr. Alsan Bellard, Medical Director of Children’s Health Centers of Southeast DC, and Judith Sandalow, Executive Director of Children’s Law Center, testified before the DC Council Committee on Housing and Workforce Development in support of the Tenant Access to Justice Reform Act.

Jane, a CLC client, is a devoted mother trying to make the best life possible for her children. Her eleven year-old, hearing-impaired daughter Grace lives with cerebral palsy. Jane told Grace's pediatrician she was concerned her daughter's struggles in school were due to a lack of special support. The pediatrician referred Jane to Children's Law Center to help Grace get the equipment and resources she needed for her special health and education challenges....