By: Joshua Finley
Darcy Olsen, Founder and CEO of The Center for the Rights of Abused Children, is redefining child advocacy in America. Her journey, marked by fostering ten children and adopting four, is both deeply personal and powerfully public. Through her nonprofit’s groundbreaking legal and legislative work, Olsen has emerged as a transformative leader in ensuring every child has the safety they deserve.
Olsen’s commitment began in a courtroom, where she witnessed a tragic reality: abused and neglected children often lack the legal representation that should be their lifeline. Despite the state appointing attorneys for parents, agencies and the criminally accused, the abused child stands unrepresented. This gap, she realized, perpetuates the cycle of neglect and abuse. Without an attorney, children’s basic constitutional rights to life, family, and education are a dead letter.
In response, Olsen founded The Center for the Rights of Abused Children in 2017. The organization has since built a national reputation for championing children’s constitutional rights. Its flagship initiative, a pro bono Children’s Law Clinic, provides critical legal advocacy to abused children. The Center has made a significant impact on children nationwide by driving systemic reforms and delivering life-saving outcomes.
One of the clinic’s compelling cases involved Anna, an eight-year-old girl hospitalized with injuries and scars from severe sexual abuse. Despite her history, state officials intended to return Anna to her abusive caregivers. Terrified, Anna wet herself during visits to her abusers. Her aunt, with whom she was temporarily living, sought help from The Center. The clinic intervened, asserting Anna’s constitutional rights and securing her placement with her loving aunt—a safe haven where she could heal and thrive.
The urgent need for systemic reform is underscored by grim statistics. In Arizona, half of the children who die from abuse were already known to child welfare authorities; in Colorado, the figure has reached an alarming 82 percent. Survivors often fare little better, with over 50% suffering re-abuse within three years of returning home. Even in foster care, children face a bleak reality: 61 children disappear daily, running or taken, and thousands age out into homelessness.
Photo Courtesy: Darcy Olsen
“We have the power to stop this violence against children,” Olsen says. “No child should live in fear.”
Olsen has made it her mission to fix the broken child protection system so every child has a safe and loving home. In addition to direct legal advocacy, her organization spearheads legislative efforts to secure lasting protections for abused children. Over seven years, they have driven dozens of protective laws, including Arizona’s model statute guaranteeing every abused child an attorney in court. Another milestone was ending a practice where the government seized children’s survivors’ and disability benefits, allowing abused children to retain the financial resources they need to rebuild their lives.
Two of the significant policy wins for abused children came in 2019 and 2023 when federal matching funds were authorized for attorneys representing children and parents in abuse and neglect cases. These funds enable more states to prioritize legal representation for abused children, a crucial step toward improving outcomes for children in state care.
“Children with attorneys exit foster care three times faster than those without,” Olsen explains. “Ensuring basic due process for children, like an attorney to represent their rights, changes their futures.”
Olsen’s advocacy extends beyond the courtroom. Her broader vision includes transforming public perception of children in care and addressing systemic failures at their root. “Children have suffered in silence for years, unseen by the public and overlooked by policymakers. But when we bring their struggles to light and deliver real solutions to protect them, we give these children the chance to thrive with the same opportunities and outcomes as any child in America.”
Photo Courtesy: Darcy Olsen
Her groundbreaking work has earned widespread recognition, including the Angel in Adoption award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) and the Humanitarian Award from Vizient. These honors reflect her commitment to elevating the voices of abused children and changing systems that fail to protect them.
Olsen’s passion for advocacy is not new. As a champion for patients’ rights, she led the Right to Try movement, which became national law and allowed terminally ill patients access to experimental treatments. This background in constitutional rights fuels her unrelenting drive to secure justice for children.
At its core, the Center for the Rights of Abused Children is about recognizing that every child’s life matters. “When we make these children visible and create just laws, we give them the chance to live normal lives and have the same opportunities and outcomes as any child in America.”
Looking ahead, Olsen is unwavering in her mission. “Every child deserves a chance to grow up in a safe and loving home,” she says. “Our work is far from over, but with every law we pass, every case we win, and every child we help, we’re one step closer to that vision.”
To learn more about Darcy Olsen and The Center for the Rights of Abused Children, visit thecenterforchildren.org or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
Published by Emma N.
