Advokids New Reference Guide Helping Child Advocates in Every California County!

Hot off the press, Advokids’ new website reference guide helps child advocates understand and navigate their local county juvenile court rules. Juvenile court rules can vary from county to county so it is important that child advocates know the lay of the land and follow their local county rules if they want to effectively advocate for a child in foster care.

Advokids Local Rules of Court (by County in California) focuses on five important topics: (1) Standards of representation and duties of minor’s counsel; (2) De facto parent status; (3) Children’s appearance in court; (4) CASA; and (5) 388 Petitions (JV-180).

See Local Rules of Court (by County in California

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Foster Youth Advocates Reach Landmark Settlement;

Advokids Reaches Landmark Settlement with Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services

Statewide Implications Predicted – Foster child’s death spurred three-year legal battle by Bay Area group
“We hope this lawsuit serves as a warning to other county welfare offices in California that foster parents’ legal rights must be respected,” said Advokids’ Co-Director Margaret Coyne. “Advokids has demonstrated with this lawsuit that it will go the distance and use every legal remedy available when counties in California are not following the laws that were enacted to protect children’s lives.”
“L.A. County and the state of California face an alarming foster parent shortage,” said Jan Sherwood, Co-Director of Advokids. “It’s critical that we treat foster parents and relatives with respect if we wish to attract good people to care for the state’s neediest children.”
Advokids’ L.A County DCFS Lawsuit Press Release

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San Francisco Chronicle Letter to Editor

“Dubious arrests, damaged lives” (May 21) exposes a heartbreaking reality in California’s foster care system today. It highlights the lack of understanding and appreciation of the trauma and adversity these children have suffered and the critical need for trauma-informed responses to their behaviors. No doubt the children in the story are trying to cope with…

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