Justice for Kids’ Post

You may have seen the terms "formal" and "informal" used in our social media posts before. Let's talk about what we mean when we use those terms! Formal refers to circumstances when children are in the care of a relative or non-related extended family member and are in the custody of a public child welfare agency. These families will have a foster care worker. Informal refers to circumstances when children live with grandparents or other relatives and are not in the custody of a public child welfare agency. These families will not have a foster care worker but may have had contact with Child Protective Services. Informal families might have no legal relationship to the children in their care, or they might have Power of Attorney (POA), guardianship, or another legal relationship. For more information, contact the Kinship Care Resource Center at kinship@msu.edu or 800-535-1218. #KinshipCare #Caregiver #KCRC #KinshipCareResourceCenter #MSU #MichiganState #MichiganStateUniversity #Michigan #Training #Support #SupportGroup #Grandparents #Grandchildren

How could an older foster child's life outcomes potentially improve if they had their own attorney representing what they want in court? Child Advocates had that conversation this week on the radio with Tina Cosby on the "Community Connection" show airing on 1310 AM "The Light." Our new CEO, Phyllis Armstrong, and the Director of our Direct Representation program, Rachel Vilensky, discussed the launch of our groundbreaking research on the impact of counsel (attorneys) for kids versus no counsel for kids. Child Advocates is the only organization that offers free, in-house attorneys for older children in the child welfare system. That is why Notre Dame's LEO (Lab for Economic Opportunities) project chose Child Advocates to conduct the nation's first-ever randomized controlled trial on the impact of attorneys for children. We launched the research at the end of last year. Hear how it is going, how long it will last, and what it could mean to vulnerable children's future. Our conversation starts 1 hour and four minutes (1:04:00) into the show: https://ow.ly/Hf8650QSnte #childwelfare #attorneys #counselforkids #fosterchildren #childadvocacy #justice #equity #childresearch

Who should receive social security benefits for youth in foster care? 💡 Casey Family Programs, the Children's Bureau, and Lived Experience (LEx) Leaders shined a light on a social security benefits issue in a webinar hosted by American Public Human Services Association - APHSA. 💡 LEx Leader Myla Garcia’s (age 28, PA) closing observation resonated throughout the audience: “People in child welfare forget children grow up.” 💡 Read about the webinar: https://lnkd.in/gKpnQJ48

Navigating child custody in North Carolina? 🏡👶 Here’s what to know: 1️⃣ Legal custody: Usually “joint,” meaning parents must collaborate on key decisions about their kids’ health, education, and welfare. Sometimes, one parent has “sole” legal custody. 2️⃣ Physical custody: This determines where the kids will live after separation. Often, a balanced schedule allows children to spend time with both parents, focusing on their best interests. For any child custody or child support needs, contact Eatmon Law Firm, PC. We're here to help! - 📍1788 Heritage Center Dr #204 | Wake Forest, NC 📞 (919) 435-0565 💻️ www.EatmonLawFirm.com - #eatmonlawfirm #wakeforestattorney #WakeForest #Raleigh #Durham #Franklin #Granville #familylaw #attorneyatlaw #wakeforestfamilylaw #nclawfirm #nclawyer #divorcelawyer #mediationattorney

For grandparents or other family members wishing to assume the role of a Formal Kinship Caregiver for a child in care, a specific process must be followed ~becoming a licensed Foster Home. ✅ Informal Kinship Care occurs when a grandparent or another relative takes on the responsibility of caring for a relative child without involving family court proceedings and without receiving financial support from the Child Welfare System. 💭 For more information regarding Kinship Care, including how to become a licensed Foster Home, please contact our offices today. 🙏 #LoftusVergariAndAssociates #LVA #NEPA #KinshipCare #InformalCare #FormalCare 🏡

The legislative session may have ended in April, but DRT's policy efforts continue throughout the year! 📝 Check out DRT's 2024 Legislative Summary by our Policy Coordinator, Zoë Jamail, covering key bills impacting the disability community. Our Summary highlights 4 key areas: (1) 🧒⚖️ Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare (2) ♿ DIDD changes (3) 🏥 Involuntary Commitment and Mandatory Outpatient Treatment (4) 🏫🔒 School Safety and Threats of Mass Violence Read the summary: https://lnkd.in/ex6ZZFg3 #PolicyAdvocacy #DisabilityRights

The New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect will host professionals from New Jersey’s health care, education and law enforcement communities, to hear from child welfare experts about mandatory reporting and ways we can empower and assist families to prevent child abuse and neglect. 'Building the Community of Support: The Intersection of Race, Poverty & Neglect In Child Welfare.' 🗓️Monday, October 7, 2024 🕰️9am-3:30pm (Doors Open at 8am) 📍The Westin at Forrestal Village, 201 Village Boulevard Princeton, NJ 🌐Click on this link to register by September 30, 2024 ➡️ www.stockton.edu/tfcan More than 35% of all American children – and more than 50% of America’s Black children – will be reported to a CPS hotline before turning 18. Overwhelmingly, these reports are allegations of neglect and are ultimately unfounded. Many jurisdictions across the United States – including New Jersey – are beginning to examine the dynamics surrounding neglect investigations, taking steps to ensure that efforts to help families in poverty do not unnecessarily involve the child protection system, while also ensuring that children are kept safe from harm. #TheCooperative #SouthJersey #ChildWelfare

The New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect will host professionals from New Jersey’s health care, education and law enforcement communities, to hear from child welfare experts about mandatory reporting and ways we can empower and assist families to prevent child abuse and neglect. 'Building the Community of Support: The Intersection of Race, Poverty & Neglect In Child Welfare.' 🗓️Monday, October 7, 2024 🕰️9am-3:30pm (Doors Open at 8am) 📍The Westin at Forrestal Village, 201 Village Boulevard Princeton, NJ 🌐Click on this link to register by September 30, 2024 ➡️ www.stockton.edu/tfcan More than 35% of all American children – and more than 50% of America’s Black children – will be reported to a CPS hotline before turning 18. Overwhelmingly, these reports are allegations of neglect and are ultimately unfounded. Many jurisdictions across the United States – including New Jersey – are beginning to examine the dynamics surrounding neglect investigations, taking steps to ensure that efforts to help families in poverty do not unnecessarily involve the child protection system, while also ensuring that children are kept safe from harm. #TheCooperative #SouthJersey #ChildWelfare

Urge the United States Congress to act immediately to stop the reprehensible practice of forced family separation which affects hundreds of thousands of children and families annually. Not only do these families lose their vital connection to each other, they face ongoing trauma and abuse from the ‘System‘ that separated them. Call and write your United States Congress Members to demand that federals reforms are enacted to the US Child Welfare System to make state care a safe, nurturing, supportive, healthy, and happy environment. The trauma inflicted by The Child Welfare System on children and families is so impactful, it is passed down through generations affecting the mental health and outcomes of the victims‘ descendants for generations to come. https://lnkd.in/eciS2BZX #ChildWelfare #FosterCare #REFORMSNOW #Advocacy #GetInvolved #ChildAbuse #Trauma #ChildNeglect #ChildTrafficking #CPS #FamilySeparation #ChildrensRights #ParentsRights #FamilyPreservation

A five-year-old child got subpoenaed to testify in court against his parents after a motion for child hearsay was filed. The Guardian ad Litem Attorney filed a protective measure - an objection to the child being subpoenaed without notice. We are happy to report that the court released the child from the subpoena to have to testify, preventing severely re-traumatizing the child and causing further harm. We are fortunate in Florida that EVERY abused, neglected, and abandoned child appointed to the Florida Guardian ad Litem Office is assigned a Guardian ad Litem Attorney, a child welfare professional and a community volunteer or pro bono attorney if one is available. It is a national best practice that a multi-disciplinary team is assigned to the child for the best outcomes, which is precisely what the Florida Guardian ad Litem Office does. The Guardian ad Litem Attorney represents the child's legal interests. The attorney is a fiduciary who owes undivided loyalty to each child, providing zealous, independent advocacy. We want to take this time to thank our more than 200 Guardian ad Litem Attorneys on staff who step up each day to protect Florida’s most vulnerable children. Learn more about what we do and how you can become involved at www.guardianadlitem.org. #volunteer #volunteers #Florida #GuardianadLitem #makeadifference #bethedifference #childwelfare #child #childadvocacy #childrepresentation #legalrepresentation #multidisciplinary #foster #fosterchild #fosterchildren #fostercare #childlawyer #childattorney #bestinterests #bestinterest