CHILDREN & YOUTH
Our Children & Youth program advances the legal rights of children and youth, empowering them to lead healthy and productive lives. We provide free legal assistance and advocacy to support children and youth - those navigating the foster care system, those needing probate guardianship, those facing education challenges like expulsion, and so much more.
Comprehensive Support for Immigrant Youth
When Rachel was just five, she needed someone to stand up for her. There were worries about possible abuse and she needed someone to move quickly to ensure she was safe and protected. Her legal case was complicated because she was not born in the United States. Did she, legally, have to go back to her home country? Rachel had grown close to her local caregiver, whom she saw as a mother, and really didn't want to leave.
Advocates from our Juvenile Dependency and Immigration Law teams collaborated to shape the most effective strategy to support Rachel. She was steadfast in her desire to remain in the place she now called home. In collaboration with a partner legal aid organization, we were able to stop the legal process to have her removed from the United States.
At the same time, our advocates initiated the process to secure immigration relief for Rachel, aiming for her to be granted the status of a legal permanent resident which would allow her to later work, go to college, and ultimately be the author of her own destiny. Today, she remains with her loving caregiver and is on the verge of being adopted.
Our Children and Youth team remains committed to providing Rachel with ongoing support throughout and beyond her adoption process so she can confidently grow up in the place she calls home. Her story exemplifies the Law Foundation’s unwavering commitment to advancing the legal rights of children and youth, empowering them to lead healthy and productive lives.
Guiding Students Through the School Discipline Process
This year, we saw an unprecedented increase in school expulsion referrals making our student discipline defense practice more crucial than ever. One of the children we served was Jackson, a high school student dealing with severe trauma and mental health challenges. Jackson was involved in a disciplinary incident and was under threat of expulsion, the most serious disciplinary action that a school administrator can recommend that a school district impose on a student.
As the process unfolded, the school district proposed multiple placements that were not suited for Jackson’s unique needs. With our team’s strong advocacy, the school district ultimately agreed to place him in a therapeutic program identified by his family. This individualized solution provided the emotional safety and support he needed to thrive and ultimately return to school to pursue a diploma.
Many young people, particularly people of color, are unfairly subjected to zero-tolerance policies and the harsh punishment of expulsion when accused of misbehaving in school. The repercussions of students being removed from their learning environment include increased risks of falling behind, receiving lower grades, and dropping out. When a student is displaced from school, there is a corresponding risk of them becoming entangled in the school-to-prison pipeline.
From the moment a referral is made to the exploration of alternative placements post-expulsion, our Children and Youth attorneys stand by these students, ensuring they receive the services they're entitled to and securing placements that best suit their needs. This dedicated support significantly enhances the likelihood of positive long-term outcomes across various aspects of these students’ lives.