Civil legal services can be a powerful tool in preventing family separation and children from entering foster care. Since 2023, the Louisiana Bar Foundation (LBF) has funded the My Community Cares (MCC) Civil Legal Network in five locations to accomplish this very goal. The types of cases handled by the MCC civil legal attorneys include domestic violence, family law, public benefits, housing, and consumer health and protection.
MCC is a community-driven, neighborhood-based approach to reducing the number of children who experience abuse or neglect, keeping children and parents together, and connecting families to available resources and support. The aim is to ensure that every neighborhood in Louisiana has access to the services and supports they need to be healthy and safe. Beginning as a pilot in four parishes in 2019 as part of the Child and Family Services Review Program Improvement Plan, MCC now exists in every Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) region in Louisiana. The Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) provides state oversight for MCC and partners with the DCFS who funds the program.
Our speakers will provide information about MCC generally, the MCC civil legal network, and how civil legal aid can stabilize families and help keep them together.
Speakers:
- Emily Aucoin, Staff Attorney, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
- Claire Edwards, MCC Attorney, The Extra Mile
Objectives:
- Learn about the My Community Cares civil legal attorney network
- Understand how the provision of civil legal services can help keep families together and prevent children from entering foster care.