chevron-down Created with Sketch Beta.

    Project Areas

    Center project areas include courts, legal representation, state permanency barriers, education and youth, kin and relative caregivers, child and adolescent health, and child welfare and immigration. See below for details.

    National Court Projects

    The Center improves court systems serving children and families in the child welfare system by consulting with state Court Improvement Programs, collaborating with national judicial organizations, and working with state and local courts.

    Legal Representation

    The Center elevates the level and quality of representation of children, parents, child welfare agencies, and tribes in child welfare cases.

    State Permanency Barriers

    The Center partners with states and local jurisdictions to identify and remove barriers to permanency for children in the child welfare system.

    Education Projects

    The Center works across the U.S. to bring child welfare agencies, juvenile justice agencies, local school district leadership, and judges together to plan for and implement supports that improve school experiences for court-involved youth.

    Kin & Relative Caregivers Projects

    The Center's kin projects provide legal resources for kin who care for children in and outside the child welfare system, and to professionals who serve kin as attorneys and policy advocates.

    Youth Engagement & Adolescent Permanency Projects

    The Youth Engagement Project improves outcomes for youth in foster care and young people who have aged out of care. It promotes youth involvement in court cases, permanency and transition planning for older youth, and extending foster care after age 18.

    Health & Well-being

    The Center's health projects educate legal and child welfare professionals about the health and developmental needs of court-involved children and youth.

    Child Welfare & Immigration

    Center attorneys provide training on the intersection between immigration and child welfare to legal and child welfare professionals, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), and how judges can work with immigrant children in court.

    National Family Unification Month

    This year's message and focus: Let’s Celebrate Unified Families

    Learn - More