New York Parent Representation Commission cites NACC in Interim Report
On October 9, 2018 NACC Executive Director Kim Dvorchak provided testimony at the New York State Commission on Parental Legal Representation in Albany, New York. On February 28, 2019, the Commission issued an Interim Report after months of study and public testimony. The Interim Report cites as authority recommendations by NACC regarding the need for statewide oversight and infrastructure to support high-quality parent representation, as provided in NACC's written and oral testimony to the Commission. For more information, click
here
.
NACC Title IV-E Funding for Legal Representation Webinar
NACC is planning a member-only webinar in April (date TBD) regarding Title IV-E Funding for Legal Representation. We are gathering questions to inform the content of the webinar and ensure we provide the information you need to advance legal representation for children and parents in your state. Click
here
to submit your questions.
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42nd National Child Welfare Law Conference, August 26-28, 2019
Please join us as we support a national community of attorneys, judges, social workers, CASAs, health professionals, and other children’s advocates at our 42nd National Child Welfare Law Conference. For three days, this special community gathers to continue their education, improve their skills, and find inspiration and renewed commitment to their work. Over 700 professionals from across the country attend NACC’s conference and our goal is to provide attendees a high-quality experience that motivates effective advocacy for children and families.
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The Hotel
NACC's conference will be held at the lovely
Anaheim Marriott Hotel,
with plenty of space for conversations, inside or poolside,
just down the street from
Disneyland.
NACC's hotel rate of $169.00, single or double, begins Friday, August 23, 2019. Come early and bring the family!
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Early Registration
Save $100 when you register by April 30, 2019.
August 25 Pre-Conference Sessions
- There will also be a Children's Law Office Convening Sunday afternoon for law office leaders and senior staff. Contact Kim.Dvorchak@NACCchildlaw.org for info.
Group Discounts
Sponsor/Exhibit/Advertise
Elevate your support for children's law and share your products and services! Reach over 700 attorneys, judges, social workers, and other child welfare advocates. You can read more about this year’s conference
here
and find the SEA application
here.
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Spring Online Red Book Training Course Began March 13, 2019!
Don't worry - you can still catch up and
register
through March!
This online course is designed to cover the fundamentals of NACC’s legal treatise,
Child Welfare Law and Practice, 3rd Edition (aka the Red Book)
in a convenient and accessible format. It is a great exam prep course for those seeking certification as a Child Welfare Law Specialist (CWLS) as well as a useful and practical child welfare law survey course covering material relevant to child, parent, and agency attorneys as well as judicial officers. The course consists of seven 60-to-90-minute webinars delivered live over 12 weeks by NACC’s Director of Legal and Policy Advocacy, Brooke Silverthorn, JD, CWLS.
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The cost is $125 per person for groups and NACC Members, $150 for all others. All live sessions are recorded, and participants will have access to the recordings for six months. Registration includes access to the electronic version of the
Red Book
for six months. Hard copies of the Red Book are also available for purchase.
NACC will offer this online course twice a year. 2019 dates are:
March 13 - June 5
September 18 - December 4
Registration and a link to the schedule and syllabus is available
here.
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Federal Policy
NACC has signed on to support letters for two proposed bills that would improve outcomes for youth, and particularly older youth, who are in the foster care system.
The first is legislation that would improve employment outcomes for foster youth. The
Improved Employment Outcomes for Foster Youth Act
is a bipartisan, bicameral public-private initiative designed to connect transition-age foster youth with sustainable, lasting employment opportunities to help them attain and maintain independence and self-sufficiency into adulthood. The bill would make older foster youth a target population under the existing Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), which provides tax incentives to businesses to hire people with specific employment challenges. If you want more information on this legislation and how you can support it, please contact
sean@ifoster.org
or 1-855-936-7837.
NACC has also signed on to legislation that will be reintroduced which supports homeless and foster youth in higher education, the
Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act of 2019
. This legislation removes barriers to higher education access and completion for youth who have experienced homelessness and foster care by:
- Streamlining the process of applying for and receiving financial aid
- Designating liaisons to help provide students with access to services and support
- Providing access to housing options
- Ensuring that college access programs identify, recruit, and prepare homeless and foster students for college
If your organization is interested in supporting this legislation, or if you would like to read the full text of the legislation, please click
here
.
New Resources
News Stories, Reports and Research
Upcoming Awareness Months
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Request advocacy support
here
Request amicus support
here
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New Opportunity to Share Stories in the Media
As part of
The Chronicle of Social Change's
continuing coverage
on the role of quality counsel in child welfare, the organization has begun "Hearings," a reporting project that uses stories from the courtroom to tell a bigger truth about what happens with families in the system. To contribute to "Hearings," emai
l
info@chronicleofsocialchange.org
.
Please be sure to include your name, your location, and your role in a child welfare case. For more information, click
here
.
NACC and Fostering Media Connections (the parent organization of the
Chronicle
) are pleased to extend our partnership. NACC members receive 25% off subscriptions to the
Chronicle.
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Child Welfare Law Specialist (CWLS) certification is a professional achievement that signifies an attorney's specialized knowledge, skill, and verified expertise in the field of child welfare law.
Congratulations to our Newest Child Welfare Law Specialists!
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Karen Jennings, JD, CWLS
Ada County Office of the Public Defender
Boise, ID
Megan Valentine, JD, CWLS
Valentine Law Office, PS
Montesano, WA
2019 CWLS Exam Season is Now Open!
All current CWLS applicants should have received an email on Monday, March 11th, containing instructions for how to schedule and download the 2019 CWLS exam.
Interested in Becoming a CWLS?
NACC members benefit from 2019 CWLS Application Pricing
NACC Members - $375, Non-Members - $500
The application fee includes the exam and a copy of
Child Welfare Law and Practice, 3rd Edition.
Current CWLS
Keep an eye out for information on your 2019 CWLS compliance requirements. Recertification and annual report notices will be emailed out soon.
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Children's Bureau-Child Welfare Information Gateway Survey
It’s not too late to provide your input! Every year, the Children’s Bureau invests in the development of resources and services for new and seasoned child welfare agency and legal professionals. Many of these products, tools, and opportunities do not reach everyone that could use them, or they aren’t designed to best meet the needs and preferences of this constantly changing workforce.
The Child Welfare Information Study aims to better understand how people who work and study in the field of child welfare use and access job-related information. By better understanding where you go for information and the technologies you use the Children’s Bureau and national and local technical assistance providers will have data to help design more useful materials and make sure that you (and others like you) hear about these resources and can more easily find them.
The survey, administered by the Child Welfare Information Gateway, covers questions about your work; how you access and use information; and your preferences for professional training. This survey should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. If you have any questions or concerns about this study, you may contact the study team via email at
childwelfareinformationstudy@icf.com
or by phone at 833-804-8365. Your input makes a difference. Thank you for your time and support!
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Study Interview Request
The Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University is conducting telephone interviews with child welfare professionals and attorneys who work with parents with disabilities (physical, sensory, intellectual, or psychiatric). Each interview will last approximately one hour. The Institute will not share your name or information with anyone.
To participate, you must:
- Be 18 years of age or older;
- Have a minimum of 2 years working in the child welfare system;
- Have experience working with a minimum of 3 families that included parents with disabilities within the past 5 years; and
- Be currently working within the child welfare system
To thank you for being interviewed, you will be paid with a $15 gift card.
This study is funded by the Brandeis University Provost Office.
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Did you know your purchases can make a difference?
National Association of Counsel for Children |
www.NACCchildlaw.org
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