Center on Children and the Law

The Center promotes access to justice for children and families. Our team of attorneys and core staff work on a diverse portfolio of national, regional and local projects in the children’s law field throughout the country. Center projects are unified by two complementary goals: improving legal representation and improving the legal systems that impact children and families.

Center News

Conducting Effective Remote Court Hearings

The Capacity Building Center for Courts has prepared a guide for court professionals that distills best practices and other recommendations for conducting effective remote or “virtual” hearings.

New Family Justice Talk

Monique Mitchell, PhD, FT, The Doughy Center, shares how children and youth in the child welfare system experience family separation and the importance of being grief and trauma informed for court professionals.

Adolescent Brain Science Webinar

Listen to a recording of this free webinar on how attorneys and judges can understand and apply adolescent brain science in child welfare cases.

Tool for Engaging the Legal Community in Implementing Family First

This tool lays the groundwork for state and local child welfare agencies to partner with the legal community to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act. This includes identifying and addressing the Act’s potential legal implications. The goal of the tool is to facilitate conversations and collaboration with the legal community to maximize the legislation’s positive impact for children and families.

Nominate a Reunification Hero

We are seeking nominations for 2020 National Reunification Month heroes. Nominate parents, professionals, and youth who demonstrate compassion and perseverance to keep families together. Nominations due May 8, 2020.

Federal Guidance for Child Welfare Legal Community on Covid-19

The U.S. Children's Bureau released a letter for child welfare legal and judicial leaders on Friday, March 27 addressing priority court hearings, parent-child visitation and family time, access to services, and compelling reasons to refrain from filing a TPR petition after a child has been in care for 15 months.

New Toolkit: Using Adolescent Brain Research to Engage Youth

This new toolkit shares the latest adolescent brain science and explains how to use it to engage youth in their court hearings and case planning.

Recent Center News & Resources

Access previously published Center news.

New Kinship Brief on FFPSA and Title IV-E GAP

This new brief by the Grandfamilies Project highlights provisions in the Family First Prevention Services Act related to kinship families and federal Title IV-E GAP (GAP). It suggests how states and eligible tribes can build on these provisions to promote use of assisted guardianship for children in kinship foster care.