This study interviewed Latino and Native American grandparents about their social and legal needs. In interviews conducted with Native American caregivers, the article noted “legal custodial issues as critical” and “reported legal aid as a significant need” (p. 364). For those interviewed, Native American grandparents reported a median income of $1,300.
Family
Meeting the Legal Needs of Human-Trafficking Survivors
Byrne outlines the legal needs of human trafficking survivors (including expungement or vacatur, trauma-informed representation, autonomy, etc.), the challenges faced by lawyers who represent trafficking survivors, poses an argument for self-directed representation of survivors who are minors, and offers guidance for lawyers who seek to serve this population.
Legal Services Assessment for Trafficked Children
Researchers at the Center for the Human Rights of Children conducted a survey with professionals working in and around Cook County, IL who provided services to human trafficking survivors. They find that 85 percent of service providers report access to legal services as “critical” for child trafficking survivors.
High Quality Legal Representation for All Parties in Child Welfare Proceedings
This ACF memo encourages child welfare agencies, courts, administrative offices of the courts, and Court Improvement programs to ensure that parents, children, and child welfare agencies receive high quality legal representation at all stages of child welfare proceedings.
Child Maltreatment and Immigration Enforcement: Considerations for Child Welfare and Legal Systems Working with Immigrant Families
This article presents an overview of the issues and challenges facing Hispanic children and families in the child welfare system. It presents risk factors associated with child welfare involvement, child placement rates for Hispanic and non-Hispanic children, and immigration enforcement as a risk for child welfare involvement.
Using Preventive Legal Advocacy to Keep Children from Entering Foster Care
Vivek Sankaran, a professor at University of Michigan, shows how “a lawyer may be able to prevent a child from entering foster care in the first instance. Children may unnecessarily enter foster care because their parents are unable to resolve legal issues that affect their safety and well-being in their home” (p. 1037). Sankaran also describes a new model to provide social and legal advocacy to parents.
Expediting Permanency: Legal Representation for Foster Children in Palm Beach County
Researchers at the University of Chicago conducted an evaluation of a partnership between a legal aid organization and a social service provider for children. They find that when children are represented, they had a higher rate of exit to permanency (between 1.38 and 1.59 times faster). They also find that this program is cost effective.
Evaluation of the QIC-ChildRep Best Practices Model Training for Attorneys Representing Children in the Child Welfare System
This program evaluation of the QIC-ChildRep training for attorneys representing children in child welfare cases finds that children assigned to attorneys who underwent the intervention’s training were more likely to experience permanency within 6 months when compared to attorneys who did not participate in the intervention. Attorneys who participated in the intervention met with their child client more frequently, spend more time on cases, contacted more parties, spent more time developing the theory of the case, and had more contact with foster parents and substitute caregivers.
Evaluation of the Guardian Ad Litem System in Nebraska
In many child dependency cases in Nebraska, the court will appoint a guardian ad litem to advocate for the child. The researchers evaluated five counties in Nebraska. They find that there is a lack of clarity for guardian ad litems, guardians were satisfied with their caseloads, a majority believed their compensation was inadequate, and most of the guardians believed they received insufficient training.
Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men
This research article uses the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey to examine levels of sexual abuse, physical violence, stalking, and verbal abuse of American Indian and Alaskan Native women and men by their intimate partners.
Legal Aid Research 