MA: Baker proposal for guardians ad litem will only worsen child welfare system
The move would lead to unnecessary, traumatic separation of children from families writes Michael Dsida and Leon Smith in CommonWealth Magazine.
Improving Child Welfare in Maine
To improve child welfare in Maine, Chelsea Peters argues that national best practices – including a right to legal counsel for children – are a great place to start.
New Campaign to Ensure Attorneys for Children in Foster Care
The National Association of Counsel for Children launches a new campaign, Counsel for Kids, dedicated to ensuring that children in foster care receive lawyers of their own.
Oped: Right to Representation in Noncriminal Cases
You can lose your kids, home and freedom without ever seeing a lawyer. It’s a profound injustice. Powerful op-ed from The Washington Post on the right to representation in noncriminal cases.
Information Memorandum -Civil Legal Advocacy
Civil Legal Advocacy to Promote Child and Family Well-being, Address the Social Determinants of Health, and Enhance Community Resilience.
Article: The Case for a Centralized Office for Legal Representation in Child Welfare Cases
FJI Executive Team member, Mimi Laver, and FJI Communications Work Group Co-Chair, Cathy Krebs, recently published a new article “The Case for a Centralized Office for Legal Representation in Child Welfare Cases.”
Special Series: The Moment Is Now
Read Children’s Bureau Express call to action to chart a different course to strengthen families through primary prevention and create a more just and equitable system focused on child and family well-being. This article series consensus statement that stresses how we must all value and invest in families and communities.
Article: Investing in Youth and Families
FJI Communications Workgroup Co-Chair Kathleen Creamer writes about the importance of investing in families and supporting kinship caregivers.
Leaning Into Discomfort and Disruption: A Call to Action for Children’s Attorneys
Kim Dvorechak, National Association of Counsel for Children executive director and FJI Communications Workgroup member describes how children’s lawyers can examine and improve their practice.
Article: After Years of Doing It Wrong as a Judge…l Know We Can Do Better!
Judge William Thorne writes about keeping families safe through community: After Years of Doing It Wrong as a Judge…l Know We Can Do Better!