Welcome to the Children’s Law Podcast brought to you by True North Child Advocates. Our goal is to empower children’s lawyers to help abused and neglected child...
January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and we want to give children's attorneys some perspectives on advocating for child victims going forward. Angela talked to Professor Emma Hetherington, from the Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic at University of Georgia School of Law (CEASE Clinic) about how identifying the individualized needs of HT/CSEC victims can lead to better outcomes for safety and independent living.
Professor Hetherington offered resources to learn more:
Harm Reduction Series Introduction, California Child Trafficking Response Unit (2018): https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/BTB25-3E-01.pdf
Harm Reduction Series Caregiver, California Child Trafficking Response Unit (2022): https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/lac/1125790_CaregiverHarmReductionI-31_22.pdf
You can click the title to hear our previous discussion with Professor Hetherington, "When Your Client is A Victim of Sex Trafficking" and see links to even more resources. Thanks for being our listener and please like, subscribe and share!
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35:47
Recommit to the Work
Children's attorneys are critically important to the functioning and success of child welfare - but it doesn't always feel that way. Why do we do it? How do you stay in this field and not burn out? Angela, John, and Jim share their perspectives and give a little pep talk to kick off 2025.
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22:19
Safe Havens for LGBQ+ and TNGD Youth
In 2017, the Safe Havens report was published to "Close the Gap Between Recommended Practice and Reality for Transgender and Gender-Expansive Youth in Out-of-Home Care." The report has been updated to reflect current research and resources for LGBQ+ and transgender, nonbinary, gender diverse (TNGD) youth, along with giving lived experience perspectives and a call to action. In this episode, Angela talks to two of the contributors, Elliott Hinkle of Unicorn Solutions and Emilio Valladolid, both with lived experience in the child welfare system.
The Safe Havens II Report can be used as both a legal and practical resource. The podcast discussion highlighted a few:
Glossary by Center for the Study of Social Policy: https://cssp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Key-Equity-Terms-and-Concepts-vol1.pdf
Centerlink LGBTQ Center Association: https://www.lgbtqcenters.org/LGBTCenters
Trevor Project for mental health: https://www.thetrevorproject.org
The report will provide attorneys of all levels of experience with tools for their cases and a greater understanding of TNGD and LGBQ+ clients - check it out:
https://lambdalegal.org/safe-havens-report/safe-havens-full-report/.
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28:49
Cookie-Cutter Case Plans
Ever come across a case plan packed with tasks that have little to do with a family's actual challenges? What is the child's attorney's role? Angela and Jim dive into this topic, discussing how children's attorneys can influence case planning. They explore the gap between ideal practices and what is happening on the ground, and share how a child's attorney can take a proactive role to benefit their clients.
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22:15
Every Seven Minutes
That's the rate at which infants and toddlers are being removed from their homes in the U.S. according to new research from Zero to Three, and this age group makes up nearly 50% of the foster care population. What should children's attorneys know when advocating for this population? Angela interviewed Shannon Felder, Training Director from the NACC to get some practical advice and a preview of NACC's upcoming Infants and Toddlers series. Some of the issues discussed included:
Are sibling bonds among infants and toddlers being discounted because they haven't had time to solidify yet?
What does "compassionate advocacy" look like in the context of children 0-5?
For attorneys representing these children, does secondary trauma hit differently?
Child welfare research is always evolving, so for attorneys who want to learn more the NACC is offering a four-part training begins October 30. Click here for details and to register.
Welcome to the Children’s Law Podcast brought to you by True North Child Advocates. Our goal is to empower children’s lawyers to help abused and neglected children get home faster. Listen as we discuss practical tips, our unique permanency-focused practice philosophy, and topics of interest for any child welfare professional working to improve outcomes for kids.
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