Working with Immigrant Families Involved in the State Child Welfare System: The Role of the Child’s Attorney
This webinar will take a deeper dive for attorneys who represent children from immigrant families who are involved in the child welfare system. The session will offer tips on seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) predicate orders and explore how pursuing SIJS may intersect with elements of dependency and delinquency cases, including adoption and support for transition-age youth. Presenters will also highlight forms of immigration relief relevant to survivors of trafficking and other youth. This webinar will build on the foundation of our first webinar which provided a general, introductory overview of considerations for attorneys working with immigrant families and children using case studies at each phase of a child welfare court proceeding, and is found on the CILA website at https://cilacademy.org/trainings/child-welfare/.
Speakers:
Randi Mandelbaum, Distinguished Clinical Professor of Law, Annamay Sheppard Scholar, and Director, Child Advocacy Clinic, Rutgers Law School
Lauren Fisher Flores, Supervising Attorney, Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES)
Karla Garcia, Attorney, Padilla Immigration Practice, Travis County Public Defender’s Office
Moderator:
Cristina Ritchie Cooper, Senior Counsel with the ABA Center on Children and the Law
Working with Immigrant Families Involved in the State Child Welfare System: The Role of the Parent’s Attorney
The goal of this presentation is to shed light on the unique vulnerabilities of immigrant and noncitizen families caught up in child welfare proceedings, and to discuss the practical, ethical, and legal challenges involved in representing these highly impacted communities. Through a comprehensive hypo, immigration and family defense attorneys from the Center for Family Representation (institutional providers of legal and social work representation for parents in New York City child welfare proceedings) will guide attendees through the considerations at play with a focus on protecting non-citizen parents from harsh immigration consequences and aiming for the best outcomes, case plans, and family court orders.
Speakers:
Danny Alicea, Litigation Supervisor, Immigration Practice with the Center for Family Representation
Sara N. Lewis, Senior Staff Attorney, Family Defense Practice with the Center for Family Representation
Moderator:
Cristina Ritchie Cooper, Senior Counsel with the ABA Center on Children and the Law
Working with Immigrant Families Involved in the State Child Welfare System: The Child Welfare Agency Role
The American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law and Children's Immigration Law Academy present the 2nd webinar in our series Working with Immigrant Families Involved in the State Child Welfare System.
This webinar takes a deeper dive for attorneys who represent child welfare agencies or the state on how to address the specific immigration needs of youth in foster care. Our panel of attorneys from child welfare agencies across the country share insights from different models as well as tips for addressing challenges to permanency planning for non-citizen youth. This webinar builds on the foundation of our first webinar which provided a general, introductory overview of considerations for attorneys working with immigrant families and children using case studies at each phase of a child welfare court proceeding, and be found on our website: https://cilacademy.org/trainings/child-welfare/.
Speakers:
Cristina Ritchie Cooper, Senior Counsel with the ABA Center on Children and the Law.
Elian Maritz, Director of Immigrant Services and Language Affairs (ISLA), NYC Administration for Children’s Services
Meredith Pindar, Immigration Legal Specialist for New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families (DCF)
Lucinda Garcia Valdez, Citizenship and Immigration Managing Attorney, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
WORKING WITH IMMIGRANT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES INVOLVED IN THE STATE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM
As the population of children in immigrant families continues to rise in the United States, state juvenile courts and child welfare agencies are becoming increasingly involved with immigrant families. When immigrant children and adults interact with the child welfare system, attorneys should know how to best address their clients’ needs. This webinar will provide a general, introductory overview of considerations for attorneys working with immigrant families and children using case studies at each phase of a child welfare court proceeding.
The webinar is presented by:
- Chloe Walker, Supervising Attorney, ABA Children's Immigration Law Academy
- Cristina Ritchie Cooper, Senior Counsel, ABA Center on Children in the Law