ABA Center on Children and the Law

12/22/2020

Biden's Child Welfare Focus Should Be Removing Poverty from Neglect

In this op-ed in The Imprint, Diane Redleaf stresses the need for measures that prevent systems from separating families based on poverty. "Instead of built-in hurdles to helping families, we need a system built around an infusion of flexible dollars to be used for families’ concrete needs," she says.
http://ow.ly/URwr50CRZ8D

United Family Advocates co-founder Diane Redleaf suggests a priority for the Biden Administration – help child welfare "narrow" neglect

12/16/2020

The Center is pleased to share "Redefining Judicial Leadership: Stories of Transformative Practice." This new publication, written by the Center in collaboration with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, shares the transformative work of NCJFCJ's Implementation Courts and lead judges as they work to better respond to children and families in the child welfare legal system. http://ow.ly/xgF750CNwdN

12/15/2020

Christine Kiesel - Humanizing Reasonable Efforts

In this new CIP Talk, Christine Kiesel, JD, Child Welfare Specialist for Legal and Judicial Issues, shares strategies for humanizing reasonable efforts and authentically engaging families in child welfare proceedings. http://ow.ly/nPQI50CMtPY

More CIP Talks: http://ow.ly/16dv50CMtPZ

Christine Kiesel, JD, Child Welfare Specialist for Legal and Judicial Issues, shares strategies for humanizing reasonable efforts and authentically engaging ...

12/14/2020

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Families Cannot Wait: Ensuring Judicial Oversight in Child Welfare Proceedings. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

Join the Children's Bureau as well as judicial leaders from state supreme courts and dependency courts across the country for a webinar TOMORROW from 4-5 ET titled "Families Cannot Wait: Ensuring Judicial Oversight in Child Welfare Proceedings" http://ow.ly/ksGb50CL0TH

Please Join the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) and the United States Children’s Bureau (CB) for a discussion of the critical need for continued access to justice and judicial oversight in child welfare proceedings during t...

12/10/2020

The Center is pleased to share "The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018: A Guide for the Legal Community." This new guide helps child law practitioners understand key provisions of the Family First Act, how to use the Act in legal advocacy and judicial decision making, and implementation strategies to better serve children and families. Get your copy today: https://ambar.org/familyfirstguide

12/09/2020

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Emerging Innovative Racial Equity Focused Initiatives for Youth: Spotlight on Los Angeles, CA. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

Join us! Free webinar at 5PM EST today on "Innovative Racial Equity Focused Initiatives for Youth". Capri Maddox, head of the L.A. Commission on Human and Civil Rights will describe racial justice and systemic reform strategies in housing and education. http://ow.ly/BiYm50CGTVy

This webinar will introduce the newly appointed head of the L.A. City Commission on Human and Civil Rights, Capri Maddox, Esq., to discuss strategies she and her team are developing to institute racial justice and systemic reform in housing and education. She will be joined by retired Children's Cou...

12/09/2020

Support for kinship care is an investment that can benefit families and children

"If greater kinship assistance had been available when I went in to foster care, it is possible that my grandparents, who lived on a fixed income, could have raised me and my brothers." Thank you, Andreah Moyer-Stevens, for your call to action. http://ow.ly/jhi450CGebC

If we want families to stay together even when birth parents are unable to raise their children, we must support families like mine.

12/08/2020

Legal Aid Attys Chart Course For 2021 After Spike In Demand - Law360

3 in 4 calls to Southeast Louisiana Legal Services seek help on housing & eviction. In 2020, SLLS had a 300% increase in eviction cases w/ the "overwhelming majority" involving "African American women raising their children" http://ow.ly/t2D050CGf0S; http://ow.ly/6uuv50CGf0R

The coronavirus pandemic and the economic downturn it caused sparked a massive spike in demand for legal aid services from America's most marginalized communities, leaving a field already under-resourced facing even greater strain in 2020.

12/08/2020

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Preparing for 2021 and Beyond: The Outlook for Public Interest Lawyers and Advocacy. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

Join the ABA President on 12/15 from 1-2:15 ET for a special session with public interest law leaders from around the country to look at "The Outlook for Public Interest Lawyers and Advocacy in 2021". http://ow.ly/kCnE50CFTIn

This year has seen systemic issues of race, rights, and access to justice brought to light in new ways through the lens of a global pandemic and a politically divided nation, and attorneys with LSC-funded legal aid programs have been on the frontlines of many of these challenges. Join us for a forwa...

12/03/2020

www.americanbar.org

@ABAPresident calls for eviction prevention relief for landlords & renters. The impact on children is long term and community health effects are clear. COVID spreads faster and causes higher mortality in relation to evictions. http://ow.ly/ksJx50CANeF http://ow.ly/J7xE50CAO1g

12/02/2020

www.americanbar.org

@ABAPresident calls on Congress for financial relief for landlords and renters to prevent eviction. The impact on children is long term and community health effects are clear. COVID spreads faster and causes higher mortality in relation to eviction rates. http://ow.ly/7LdJ50CANeG

12/02/2020

The Case for a Centralized Office for Legal Representation in Child Welfare Cases

Legal representation of children and parents is strengthened when there is a centralized office that offers attorneys support and oversight to ensure consistent representation across a jurisdiction. This new CLP Today article reviews benefits of centralized legal offices and key elements of successful programs, and shares several existing models. http://ow.ly/JUzC50CALBR

Legal representation of children and parents is strengthened when there is a centralized office that offers attorneys support and oversight to ensure consistent representation across a jurisdiction. This article reviews benefits of centralized legal offices and key elements of successful programs, a...

12/02/2020

COVID-19

GAO just released a report on the effects of COVID-19, including a section on child welfare impact that identifies court delays, maltreatment reporting, housing instability, visitation and agency budget constraints as issues requiring immediate attention. http://ow.ly/rvsv50CAE1p

Urgent Actions Needed to Better Ensure an Effective Federal Response

12/01/2020

Join us today, 2-3 pm ET. Details/register: https://americanbar.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Bp60oYKITyWPPEmooNsudw

11/30/2020

I'm a former foster child and Florida's system needs to be overhauled | Guestview

"I wish they’d asked 12-year-old me what would have kept me safe, secure and stable." Thank you, Japheth Kariuki, for your article calling for child welfare design that centers youth voice and family interests in every decision. http://ow.ly/94r150CykrM.

The biggest issue in Florida’s foster care system is that policies lack an emphasis on prevention.

11/30/2020

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Building Partnerships Between Parents and Caregivers: A Community-based Multidisciplinary Approach to Strengthening Families. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the...

Join us tomorrow from 2:00-3:30 PM EDT to learn about Building Partnerships Between Parents and Caregivers: A
Community-Based Multidisciplinary Approach to Strengthening Families. Please share broadly and register in advance at
http://ow.ly/ZCGW50CyhOt.

Join Birth Parent National Network leaders and lawyers who work as part of interdisciplinary teams to learn about the new Birth and Foster Parent Partnership Tools, the importance of parents and caregivers working together to achieve positive outcomes for children and how the legal team can support....

11/20/2020

www.americanbar.org

Candidates for the Center on Children and the Law's Associate Director position are encouraged to submit a resume and cover letter by Nov. 25. All interviews will be held remotely after that date. We look forward to learning about your vision for promoting access to justice for children and families! http://ow.ly/3LpX50Cqckm

11/18/2020

NYC Will End Practice Of Drug Testing Pregnant Patients Without Written Consent

NYC public hospitals will end drug testing pregnant patients w/o explicit written consent. Professor Sarah Roberts explained "the problem is not actually the testing itself. The problem is what happens in response.” If a positive test led to the provision of a night nurse, free childcare or other support to help family stability after birth then the effect on children and parents would be different. Do you agree? http://ow.ly/DjjT50CofIN

Under the previous policy, medical staff did not need to provide pregnant patients with any written information on a toxicology test or obtain their signatures to perform one.

11/16/2020

60 years ago today, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges walked to school and showed how even first graders can be trailblazers

Exactly 60 years ago, Ruby Bridges showed us that 1st Graders can be trailblazers. Thank you to Ms. Bridges and her parents for all they have taught us about children, the law, and the power of a family's efforts to bring about change in the world. http://ow.ly/f1qT50ClFWF

Sixty years ago, Ruby Bridges walked to school escorted by four federal marshals as a White mob hurled insults at her.

11/13/2020

www.americanbar.org

Save the date! Tues., Dec. 1, 2020, 2-3:30 PM EST: "Building Partnerships Between Parents and Caregivers: A Community-Based Multidisciplinary Approach to Strengthening Families."
Join Birth Parent National Network leaders and lawyers who work as part of interdisciplinary legal representation teams to learn about the new Birth and Foster Parent Partnership Tools, the importance of parents and caregivers working together to achieve positive outcomes for children, and how the legal team can support the relationships between parents and caregivers.

Learn more/register: http://ow.ly/WaoA50Ck7JK

11/09/2020

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: How the Child Protection Ombudsman Helps Children and Families Navigate COVID-19. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

What is the role of a Child Welfare Ombudsman Office during the pandemic? Join the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution on November 12 from 2-3 p.m. ET to learn more. http://ow.ly/65jf50CfyuD.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted child welfare systems across the country. Child protection ombudsman have been at the forefront of this pandemic helping children and families navigate this crisis. Come learn how child safety and well-being has been impacted and how ombudsman are workin...

11/02/2020

The U.S. Supreme Court on C-SPAN | Video | C-SPAN.org

The S. Ct will hear Fulton v. City of Phil. on Nov. 4. The ABA amicus brief w/ Ropes & Gray supports the City and argues that private agencies who voluntarily contract with the government may not dictate to whom they provide public foster care services. Such an entitlement would elevate contractor viewpoints above children’s interests and subject children, parents, kin, and foster parents to publicly funded discrimination. http://ow.ly/6S5H50C9kTL. Watch live at 10am EST. http://ow.ly/9KnO50C9kTI

10/29/2020

Webinar: What Makes a Good Hearing?

Last chance: Nov. 5, 2020, 1 pm ET. “What Makes a Good Hearing? Understanding the Role of Court and Legal Professionals in Improving Hearing Quality and Judicial Decision-Making.” Information to participate: http://ow.ly/NN0o50C6wIT

Judicial Hearing Quality webinar announcement and related information

10/29/2020

Disrupting the addiction cycle - North Carolina Health News

“I [don’t] want him to grow up and look at me and be like ‘you picked drugs over me.'" Our House supports NC moms through a residential rehabilitation program with their babies. http://ow.ly/c6JL50C69SQ. For options in your area http://ow.ly/LBfs50C69SR

A Robeson County program for pregnant and postpartum women and their infants helps mothers grow their recovery skills while growing a life.

10/27/2020

How the Texas UTEP/CASA Program Benefits Students, Children and Families, and the Legal Profession

How the Texas UTEP/CASA Program Benefits Students, Children and Families, and the Legal Profession - https://mailchi.mp/dc8759a56c55/announcing-clp-today-3313958

  “The UTEP/CASA Collaborative experience has given me a newfound appreciation for the work attorneys do and has buttressed my decision to go to law school and pursue a career in the law no matter how challenging it will be."

10/22/2020

Webinar: What Makes a Good Hearing?

Don’t miss this webinar: Nov. 5, 2020, 1-2 pm ET. “What Makes a Good Hearing? Understanding the Role of Court and Legal Professionals in Improving Hearing Quality and Judicial Decision-Making.” Information to participate: http://ow.ly/opd650BYNU6

Judicial Hearing Quality webinar announcement and related information

10/20/2020

Eviction’s long reach

In a country where 15% of all children will experience an eviction by age 15, and 10% of all entries into foster care are attributable to unstable housing, should affordable shelter be a right or a commodity for families? http://ow.ly/n82B50BWRC7

A “scarlet E” can be the catalyst for a chain reaction of calamities, and Covid-19 piles on

10/16/2020

I've Studied How People Build Their Families for Decades

What family composition is best for kids? Research shows family structure doesn't matter. "What matters most is the quality of relationships within it, the support of their wider community and the attitudes of the society in which they live." http://ow.ly/BYid50BTKT4

Here's what I've learned matters most

10/16/2020

Grandfamilies: Facing A Pandemic While Living Together

A survey of kin caregivers found:
38% are unable to pay or worried about paying mortgage or rent
43% fear leaving home for food
32% get to food pick up sites after they have run out of food
30% have no caregiving plan in the event of death or disability

Facing a Pandemic: Grandfamilies Living Together During COVID-19 and Thriving Beyond By Ana Beltran and Jaia Peterson Lent “I think …

10/15/2020

Perspective | She will ‘age out’ of foster care in two months. Her hope: That lawmakers will make sure young people like her aren’t pushed out during the pandemic.

Youth in foster care seeking support to prevent aging out during COVID express to leaders ‘You took us from our families. We are now your kids." http://ow.ly/4URj50BTK0l

Deshala Royster was 16 when she ended up in D.C.’s foster care system.

10/12/2020

Page Cannot be Found

American Academy of Pediatrics & others filed an amicus brief supporting the CDC eviction moratorium explaining renters with children are at highest risk of losing their homes because "The single greatest predictor of eviction is the presence of a child." http://ow.ly/gjgh50BQfr0

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10/08/2020

Webinar: What Makes a Good Hearing?

Join @abaccl, @JBA, and @opre_acf Nov. 5, 2020, 1pm ET for a 1-hour interactive webinar, What Makes a Good Hearing? Understanding the Role of Court and Legal Professionals in Improving Hearing Quality and Judicial Decision-Making. Learn about research on judicial decision-making and hearing quality in child welfare cases and how court and legal professionals can use research to build an evidence base and improve courtroom practice. Learn more: http://ow.ly/6Q3w50BLqNw

Judicial Hearing Quality webinar announcement and related information

10/07/2020

Why Civil Legal Aid Is Essential for Economic Recovery - Clarksville, TN Online

According to ABA past President Judy Perry Martinez, “a tidal wave of legal needs is coming, and we need to do everything we can to respond.” Read how Tennessee is preparing with legal services for low-income families in housing court. https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2020/10/05/why-civil-legal-aid-is-essential-for-economic-recovery/

Nashville, TN - The COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic has sent Middle Tennesseans into a tailspin. It is becoming evident that the long-term effects will be