Ashley Chase, a Representative at the Office of The Child’s Representative in Denver Colorado, speaks with Jon Caldara of Independence Institute to discuss a new bill in the Colorado Legislature.

The momentum around Counsel for Kids (C4K) continued to grow during the 2022 legislative session, thanks to strong legislative champions and lived experience experts.   Dedicated policy advocates buoyed C4K Campaign efforts in Colorado and Indiana this year.  In each state, diverse coalitions of youth with lived experience in the child protection system, attorneys, foster parents, […]

Alaska foster youth will soon have more of a say in what happens with their cases.  In early April, the Alaska Supreme Court passed Order No. 1979, which amends court rules to allow foster youth the ability to attend hearings and have court-appointed attorneys argue their own wishes in their cases…. Under the new order, youth in […]

The Counsel for Kids (C4K) Campaign continues to grow – expanding state coalitions, evolving partnerships, increasing media visibility, improving public awareness, and enhancing tools and resources to influence policymakers.Youth should be seen, heard, and represented: watch our new video. Technical Assistance (TA) Requests In addition to ongoing technical assistance in Florida, Idaho, Indiana, and South Carolina, […]

As we work to improve our child welfare system through legislative reform, let’s ensure that the children at the center of our child welfare cases are seen, heard and represented. Let’s guarantee them the right to legal counsel…. Read more of Attorney and NACC State Coordinator Chelsea Peters’ op-ed in the Lewiston Sun Journal.

Attorney and advocate Rachel Roman-Lagunas featured in Indiana Lawyer article about Counsel for Kids efforts in Indiana.

Senate Bill 180 reignites conversation about direct representation for CHINS, TPR proceedings. Read more in the Indiana Lawyer.

The National Association of Counsel for Children and partners recently delivered a letter to Congress endorsing access to legal counsel for children and parents in child welfare proceedings through Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) reauthorization. Signed by over 750 individuals and organizations, the letter encompasses widespread support from nearly every corner of the child welfare field, including […]

The Counsel for Kids campaign rang in the New Year with the melody of multi-state legislative action to advance children’s right to counsel.  Three states have made children’s legal representation a priority area for policy development.    In Florida, Senator Lauren Book sponsored SB 948 in a renewed effort to establish a Statewide Office of Child Representation and guarantee counsel for children in licensed foster care homes.  […]

When it comes to court, it’s every foster child for themselves in some Florida counties. Florida is one of 14 states that does not guarantee a foster child will get a lawyer during court proceedings, according to the National Association of Counsel for Children. “A lot of these kids — they’ve been abused and neglected,” […]