This Social Worker Wants To Help Kids With Special Needs. Louisiana Won't Let Her.
Ursula Newell-Davis, a social worker in Louisiana, has been blocked from helping children with special needs due to state regulations requiring proof of business necessity. Despite her qualifications and experience, Louisiana's bureaucrats have denied her application for respite work, citing a lack of evidence that her services are needed. Newell-Davis is now pursuing legal action to challenge these regulations while also operating a restaurant to support individuals with special needs.
- ▪Ursula Newell-Davis has a master's degree and two decades of experience helping children with special needs.
- ▪Louisiana requires individuals to prove their business is 'needed' before they can operate, which has hindered Newell-Davis's ability to provide services.
- ▪The state has a high rejection rate for applications, turning down 75 percent of applicants in the year Newell-Davis applied.
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Small Business This Social Worker Wants To Help Kids With Special Needs. Louisiana Won't Let Her. The state requires that people prove certain businesses are needed. How to do that is another question entirely. John Stossel | 6.3.2026 12:25 PM Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google Media Contact & Reprint Requests <img src="https://d2eehagpk5cl65.cloudfront.net/img/c800x450-w800-q80/uploads/2026/06/john-stossel-louisiana-bureaucrats-800x450.png" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto" width="1200" height="675" title="John Stossel is seen next to photos of Ursula Newell-Davis" alt="John Stossel is seen next to photos of Ursula Newell-Davis | Stossel TV" /> (Stossel TV) Is your business "needed"? Bizarrely, in many…
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