Description
The Children’s Law Center is a unique organization which was created out of the identified need for increased legal advocacy for children. While the field of children’s advocacy has somewhat expanded since the Center’s inception, we recognize that continued emphasis on why children are different and how their individualized needs should be addressed should serve as the core of our approach to service delivery.
Priority Outcomes for Children
1) Youth in the juvenile justice system should receive fair and equitable treatment with due process rights afforded to them at every stage, access to quality representation, and individualized strength-based services provided in the least restrictive environment. As such, the Center strives to eliminate the unnecessary incarceration of children and the creation of more humane and effective alternatives in local communities, and promotes access to effective legal representation throughout the youth’s experience in the system.
2) All children and youth should be afforded a safe, permanent home using a continuum of services and the least restrictive alternative appropriate to meet their needs. As such, the Center strives to ensure that youth in need of protection have access to quality legal representation to ensure their interests are protected throughout the process, and that their express wishes are heard.
3) All children are entitled to obtain a free and appropriate public education. The Center strives to ensure access to education regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status or disability, and promotes educational programming which is strength based and provides appropriate developmental, social, behavioral and academic supports.
Programs & Services
- LEGAL REPRESENTATION
- TRAINING AND EDUCATION
- RESEARCH AND PUBLIC POLICY DEVELOPMENT
- INFORMATION AND REFERRAL
- SPECIAL PROJECTS
