The Children's Law Podcast True North Child Advocates

Some of our child clients have been talking to John and Jim about adoption, which inspired an episode about how we think of adoption as children's attorneys:



It's important to understand all the things that come with and all the things that get taken away with adoption.
Federal policies and local practices seem to swing on a pendulum as to whether adoption is to be emphasized or strenuously avoided, but we focus on finding the best possible option for each singular client and keep it in our tool belts.
One way we think of the issue is that adoption is about the risk of harm from the continued pursuit of reunification versus the risk of harm due to the loss of their birth family. As a child's attorney, knowing your client and the dynamics affecting them will help you recognize when adoption might be the best strategy for the child. Thanks for listening and please share with others who might find the podcast helpful!

Placement decisions happen fast and are made by the agency - usually without any input from attorneys representing children. The child's placement impacts the case A LOT so we wanted to do a podcast about the things we think about when it comes to placement.



It's the agency's job to find a placement right away, but evaluating whether the placement will ultimately facilitate permanency for the child is yours. If reunification seems likely, should the kids be with a couple that wants to adopt? If TPR looks probable, do you let a baby stay in a placement that separates her from her 11 year old sister?
Getting the home study and critically reviewing it can help identify omissions that will help keep the child safe or, alternatively, possibilities for placement that shouldn't be ruled out.
Talking to the child - both at the placement and away from the home - is always important. Listen and trust your instincts.
 

Children's attorneys don't always have a lot of options when it comes to impacting the child's placement. However, since the placement impacts your overall legal strategy it can't be considered in a vacuum. We hope our discussion gives you some ideas for your jurisdiction!

We talk about work culture and retention a lot in child welfare. Angela talks with Cathy Krebs, Director of the ABA's Children’s Rights Litigation Committee who thinks a new approach to these topics could lead to ways to improve representation. A few of the subjects covered were:




Burnout and self-care - Cathy tells a story of a child client who's attorney seemed so distracted and overwhelmed that the child decided not to "burden" the lawyer with what was happening in her life. The need for self-care is real, and doing anything from singing to cooking to meditation has benefit.

Mentorship - Attorneys with even a couple years of experience can help others who don't know the culture or may be working alone.

Community - If you're a solo practitioner or in a smaller children's law office, there are things you can do within existing resources to create a supportive network, like brown bag lunches or collaborating on systemic advocacy.

The ABA's Children's Rights Committee has resources on this topic and tons of others. Some of the studies mentioned include:
  
The Future of Children’s Lawyering



Practical Tips for Addressing Burnout


Using Reflective Case Consultation to Battle Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress


2021 Illinois Legal Aid Recruitment and Retention Study


What Draws Attorneys to Child Welfare Practice


The Case for a Centralized Office for Legal Representation in Child Welfare Cases

In this episode, Angela, John and Jim discuss a few key takeaways from 2023. 

Sometimes you can move a case with legal arguments and procedural tools, but other times, you have to win hearts and minds. In our newest podcast, Jim, John and Angela share how learning to message in this way can help your child client.

Angela and Jim discuss the adversarial nature of the dependency system, and how to find a balance between a collaborative and adversarial approach to representing children.