CHILDREN AND FAMILY LAW CENTER
WASHBURN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
1700 SW College Ave.
Topeka, KS 66621
Telephone: (785) 670-1838
Fax: (785) 231-1037
Website: www.washburnlaw.edu/centers/children
100% Children's Law
The primary mission of the Washburn University School of Law's Children and Family Law Center is to prepare Washburn law students to become advocates and creative problem solvers for children and families. Policy issues addressed by the Center include welfare reform and protection of children in state care and in custody cases. A few family law cases are handled each year by law students in partnership with faculty members and practicing lawyers. The Center also sponsors lectures, symposia, workshops and CLE programs. The School of Law offers several courses regarding children's law including Family Law, Children and the Law and Domestic Violence. Students can receive a certificate in Family Law. In addition to the traditional classes, the Center offers students training in crucial skills such as counseling, negotiation, mediation, interdisciplinary research and advocacy.
CHILDREN'S LAW UNIT
KANSAS LEGAL SERVICES
712 S. Kansas Ave., Ste. 200
Topeka, KS 66603
Telephone: (785) 233-2068
Fax: (785) 354-8311
Website: www.kansaslegalservices.org
The Children's Law Unit was founded as a part of Kansas Legal Services. The Unit represents children in delinquency, family law custody disputes, dependency and termination of parental rights cases. Kansas Legal Services also runs several programs that support legal representation of children.
The Children's Advocacy Resource Center is a resource for guardians ad litem, social workers, judges and child advocates. The Center publishes several newsletters each year, which can be online. The Foster Care Helpline provides free legal advice, legal representation and referral services to children in foster care and their foster families. Areas of assistance include: disability, special education, mental and medical health referrals, education decisions, emancipation/independent living, adoption and other issues related to foster care.
Funded by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services and the Office of Judicial Administration, the Child Welfare Mediation Project provides mediation services to resolve child welfare matters in a manner that is less divisive and time consuming than traditional court proceedings. Child welfare meditations are currently available in Sumner County, Wichita and Topeka.