parent representation

A group of newly hired parent advocates in Los Angeles with a past in the child welfare system are providing advice and assistance to others with children placed into foster care.

I opened my inbox to find an email titled, “I can’t take this life anymore.” My heart sank. These were the words of a former client, a young adult who had aged out of foster care after living in more than 10 placements.

We’re counting down 10 of the biggest stories The Imprint published in 2019. Each day, we’ll connect readers with a few links to our coverage on a big story from this past year.

Wyoming is hoping to use newly available federal funds to improve its guarantees of representation to children and parents involved in child welfare proceedings. The two proposals working their way through Wyoming’s Judiciary Committee would move child representation out of the Office of State Public Defenders, and establish a standalone office.

New York City’s brand of wrap-around legal representation may not prevent the removal of children from their families. But they might be getting home much faster, and without any risk to their safety.

On Thursday, scores of attorneys, judges and other child protection professionals descended on Washington, D.C., for the American Bar Association’s National Conference on Parent Representation. The conference’s name is suggestive of the family justice revolution brewing within child welfare law.

During a multi-state forum in 2012, five participating states shared information about parent representation in the child welfare system and learned from national experts about the importance of strong parent representation to achieve reduced lengths of stay in foster care, as well as more stable placements and reunifications.