In New York City, children in foster care on average spend more than twice as much time in state custody as children in other U.S. foster care systems, according to child advocates.

Advocates say New York takes longer to return children in foster care to their parents, and longer for a foster child to be adopted.

The nonprofit A Better Childhood is suing the city, alleging that it doesn’t sufficiently oversee its child welfare system, and as a result, “devastates and permanently damages the children in its care.”

It is seeking class action status and recently won a round in court when a federal appeals court reversed a lower court ruling, denying that status.

NY1 spoke to Marcia Lowry on Tuesday, who is representing the plaintiffs, to discuss the case and the city child welfare system.