October 2017

Membership News The National Association of Counsel for Children is celebrating its 40th year and we’d like you to join us! Current Bronze, Silver, and Gold members may renew and extend their membership for one year at 40% off regular dues price. In addition, new or lapsed members can join or rejoin as a Bronze, Silver, or Gold member and receive a 40% discount on a one year membership, so spread the word! Thank you to all the attorneys, judicial officers, social workers, CASAs, policy advocates, physicians, mental health professionals, and all other advocates for your tireless effort ensuring that children and families receive the attention and respect they deserve. We've come a long way in our 40 years and we're looking forward to taking our next steps with you! Use code NACC40 at checkout or renew via mail now! 

Certification News The NACC is committed to improving diversity in our legal practice area as well as our legal specialty of child welfare law. We are pleased to offer the diversity scholarships below to our Child Welfare Law Certification program. The scholarship is for new CWLS applicants that match the diversity criteria themselves and are eligible for the program.   Scholarship Application Forms (Deadline Oct 31) • LGBTQ  • Racial • Breaking Barriers • Young Lawyers Please review eligibility on our Certification page or contact Daniel Trujillo, Certification Director at [email protected].

Policy News The policy department at NACC has been busy working on supporting amicus briefs in cases that implicate legal issues of children and families.   Currently NACC is working with other national children’s rights organizations as amici in an appeal to the Washington Supreme Court. Amici argue that children in dependency proceedings have a categorical due process right to counsel under the 14th Amendment of the U.S Constitution as well as the Washington state constitution. NACC also worked with University of Michigan law professor Vivek Sankaran and two of his clinical law students to file an amicus brief in a Western District of Michigan federal court case. In that case, NACC’s brief supported the Department of Health and Human Services regulations for firearm storage safety in foster homes.   NACC is currently considering two additional amicus briefs.   

NACC Conference Early registration is now open for the 41st National Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, and Family Law Conference and pre-conference! The conference will be held August 23-25, 2018 at San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter .  Register now and save $100! The full conference brochure will be available in April 2018. Additionally, a full day pre-conference Red Book Training will be held on August 22, 2018. We are looking forward to yet another engaging and dynamic conference!

Other Child Welfare News Linked below is a great article from NACC member Robbin Pott at the University of Michigan law school, that discusses how social work services should be delivered to individual clients once they become court involved in child welfare. This is a product of the QIC-ChildRep project and the Flint MDT Study at the University of Michigan Law School.  Delivering social work services in collaboration with the legal representation for individual clients: An effective, ethical and economical approach to supporting families in child abuse and neglect legal proceedings. Available for free download until November 10, 2017 Also in the news... Head Start May help protect against Foster Care Placement One Quarter of Hispanic Children in the U.S. Have an Unauthorized Immigrant Parent The State of Grandfamilies in America: 2017

National Association of Counsel for Children | www.NACCchildaw.org