October 2022

Keeping Kids Back to School

Georgia’s public schools suspend or expel over one hundred thousand children every year for behavioral challenges. Each out-of-school suspension or expulsion makes it harder for a child to succeed in school and increases the student's risk of dropping out and entering the criminal justice system.

For Georgia’s children in foster care, suspensions bring even greater immediate risks. An out-of-school school suspension often means the child must leave the foster home to an uncertain future. Foster parents often cannot care for a child who is not in school—they do not have the resources to miss work or hire a sitter. Because Georgia’s foster care system has a shortage of qualified foster homes, authorities sometimes place children in less safe living conditions, like motels and local DFCS offices.

117,000+

children suspended or expelled last year from Georgia's public schools

Georgia Appleseed stands with these children, providing tools and training to promote better outcomes in schools and juvenile courts. We partner with schools to make sure they can support these children. And we train DFCS foster care case managers (over 400 this school year) to advocate effectively for their kids. Our trainees report feeling ready to advocate for students, armed with the knowledge and resources to do so. As one trainee put it, Georgia Appleseed “strengthened my capacity to advocate for my kids.” Every child deserves a strong advocate, and we are making sure they have one.

See samples of our recently released 'back to school' supplies for advocates of children in school, providing guidance on common disabilities, school tribunals, manifestation meetings and the trauma impact law. View these and other resources at www.FairProjectGeorgia.org.

Behavioral Supports at School

386,700 of Georgia's middle and high school students completed this year's Georgia Student Health Survey, including questions about mental health. 157,321 reported they felt anxiety or fear that got in the way of their daily activities in the last 30 days. 73,000 reported that they had seriously considered harming themselves in the past 12 months.

To provide these children with the mental health supports they need, Georgia Appleseed promotes comprehensive School-Based Behavioral Health (SBBH) programs. Licensed mental health clinicians in SBBH programs make mental health services more accessible by caring for children at school where they spend most of their time and providing an array of services from universal mental health awareness to individualized clinical supports.

Visit our web page SchoolBasedBehavioralHealth.org to learn more and to read our latest behavioral health policy recommendations.

Voting is Underway: Your Questions Answered

Spread the word about our nonpartisan guide for voting.

HowToVoteGeorgia.org

Are you ready to vote?

You can find out with our 2022 How to Vote Guide. The guide answers common questions about voting in Georgia:

How do I check to see if I’m registered to vote?
Am I eligible to vote absentee?
What if the voting location closes while I’m still in line?
What if I’m not on the registered voter list?
Who can I contact if I encounter a problem while voting?

Upcoming dates and deadlines:

October 17 - early voting began (ends Nov 4)
October 28 - last day to request absentee ballot
November 4 - Early voting ends
November 8 - Election day voting in person

The Power of Pro Bono

Our pro bono partners are a critical part of the Georgia Appleseed team, accelerating our impact and expanding our expertise and reach. In fiscal year 2022, 24 firms contributed more than 2,100 pro bono hours valued at $1.116 million to advance justice for Georgia’s children. Highlights of what our volunteers provided last fiscal year include:

In-depth research on legal protections for children in foster care in all 50 states and several foreign countries;
Analysis of Georgia public school codes of conduct to identify and eliminate bias or unfair policies that increase a child’s risk of juvenile justice involvement;
Surveys of Georgia’s superior, juvenile, and magistrate courts to provide current information on how courts can better support youth, children, and their families;
Case studies on local efforts to combat homelessness and identify Georgia-based best practices.

Events and Resources

Upcoming Events

October 26 - Georgia Appleseed partner and supporter Appreciation Event at Urban Tree Cidery - last chance to RSVP.

November 29 - GaGives Day – Watch your email and social media for ways to get involved and help us meet our fundraising goal!

December 5 - 2022 Justice Conversations: Kids in the Court, featuring a panel of four judges across the judicial system. Alston & Bird will host this free event. Pre-register now. Details will follow.

April 20, 2023 - Roaring for Justice - mark your calendar now for our signature event at Zoo Atlanta.

Resources

988 – Mental Health Hotline

An individual in crisis can dial 988 nationwide to reach a trained mental health counselor.

211

Call 211 or search the website to find food, help with housing bills, access childcare, and more.

GeorgiaLegalAid.org / AyudaLegalGeorgia.org

Check out this resource list for information on health, unemployment, emergency food help, and more. AyudaLegalGeorgia.org provides the same information in Spanish.

Voices for Georgia’s Children

News and resources around COVID-19, including financial resources, food assistance, and guidance on talking to children about the pandemic.

Connect and Support

Georgia Appleseed advances justice for Georgia's underrepresented children to keep them in school, in healthy homes, and out of the justice system.

Join us by making a donation and/or becoming a pro bono partner.

Donate Now

Connecting with you helps us build our community of advocates and amplify our mission to advance justice for children across Georgia. Follow our social media sites to stay up to date with resources, celebrations and announcements. View our video library on YouTube, be one of the first to follow our new Instagram account, and join us on LinkedIn, FaceBook and Twitter.