Message from the Chairs

Establishing a child’s right to counsel in an abuse and neglect case continues to be a high priority for the Children’s Rights Litigation Committee. We are working on an ABA Model Act Governing the Representation of Children in Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Proceedings (hereinafter “ABA Model Act”) that would provide every child involved in an abuse and neglect case with a lawyer. We are working with First Star, lawyers from the ABA Center on Children and the Law and children’s lawyers from across the country to complete this ABA Model Act and then hope to file it for the ABA Midyear Meeting in February, 2009. Please e-mail our committee director Catherine Krebs if you would like to review the most current draft. We would welcome your input.

Illustrating the importance of lawyers for children is a recent study by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago that evaluates Foster Children’s Project (FCP) of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Florida which provides legal services to children in abuse and neglect cases. The outcome of the study revealed the children represented by FCP had a higher rate of permanency that children who did not receive lawyers. This study can be found on the Chapin Hall website.

Elizabeth Dewey
Shari Shink
Angela Vigil
Co-Chairs, Children’s Rights Litigation Committee