The American Bar Association (ABA) developed a tool for lawyers to use in trial or during their appellate arguments to help them advocate for kinship placement. Benefits of Kinship Placement includes information and resources that counsel may be able to include in … Read More
Attorneys
Speaking of Change: How Can Kinship Care Advance Racial Equity in Child Welfare?
Amara’s Kinship Program has a second installment in its Speaking of Change webinar series. This webinar, “Speaking of Change: How Can Kinship Care Advance Racial Equity in Child Welfare,” seeks to break down common assumptions and misconceptions about foster care and adoption by sharing … Read More
Louisiana’s Families in Need of Services
Laws Providing the Right Services to
Children and Families
By Curtis Nelson, Jr. Everyone monitoring news outlets have heard comments that more needs to be done to prevent children from engaging in criminal activity, which, due to their minor status, is referred to as delinquency activity. Concerns about public … Read More
Children in Today’s Courtroom
By Franchesca L. Hamilton-Acker, Kellie J. Johnson and Josephine C. Vanderhorst There are multiple layers to the child welfare system. One of these layers is peeled backwhen there is a need to remove a child from his/her parents or caretakers … Read More
My Community Cares: Strengthening Families and Supporting Communities
By Michelle R. Gros What do Louisiana judges and attorneys, pots of gumbo, popsicles in parks, medical mobile units, egg hunts, care baskets, block parties, drive-through services and resources, supporting families, foster care and community conversations have in common? My … Read More
ABCs of ACEs
Interviewed by Kellie J. Johnson Caitlin LaVine and H. Clay Walker V are Louisiana educators on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). LaVine is the trauma and resilience strategy lead with the Louisiana Department of Health’s Bureau of Family Health. Walker is … Read More
Using ACEs and TBRI to Implement a Trauma-Informed Courtroom
By Mark Harris, Josephine C. Vanderhorst and Kellie J. Johnson Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are defined in Louisiana law (R.S. 17:437.2) as “all types of abuse, neglect and other types of traumatic childhood experiences linked to lifelong health and social … Read More
Overview: LSBA Children’s Law Committee Continuing Advocacy for Louisiana’s Future
By Curtis Nelson, Jr., Kellie J. Johnson and Mariarenee Contreras The Children’s Law Committee was created in 2008 as an ad hoc committee at the request of the state Legislative Task Force on Legal Representation in Child Protection Cases. Since … Read More
Guide to Legal Guardianship in Child in Need of Care Cases (CINC)
Download Guide We are excited to announce the development of a Guide to Legal Guardianship in Child in Need of Care Cases (“Guide”). The Guide grew out of an awareness that legal guardianship appears to be underutilized in Louisiana. Guardianship … Read More
Recommendations for Child Welfare System Support from Youth Currently and Formerly in Foster Care
The Survey of Youth Transitioning from Foster Care (SYTFC) collected information from youth currently and formerly in foster care in two states who were at risk for human trafficking experiences based on their demographic characteristics, maltreatment allegations, and removal and … Read More