Public Patron's Guide to Family Law

This book is a practical step-by-step guide for attorneys representing parents accused of parental unfitness due to abuse or neglect. Leading experts provide insights into every aspect of the legal process, from the initial interview with the parent(s), through court hearings, to issues attendant to the Child Abuse and Neglect Registry System.

The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), which became law in 1997, elicited a major shift in federal policy and thinking toward child welfare, emphasizing children's safety, permanency, & well-being over preserving biological ties at all costs. Subjects covered in this text include: child welfare workforce issues, child & adolescent safety, permanency for children & adolescents, meaningful engagement with families, health care, placement stability, foster parent recruitment and retention, & challenges of working with immigrants.

This volume examines sentencing hearings in criminal court and the presentation of victim impact statements, as well as child protection cases in juvenile court and the recommendations of guardians ad litem (GALS). Through interviews, observations, and textual analysis, all deeply grounded in an innovative court watch program, the authors illuminate the most effective persuasive practices of victim advocates and GALS as they help protect the rights and needs of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse.

The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) is the first nationally representative study of children who have been reported to authorities as suspected victims of abuse or neglect and the public programs that protect them. Child Protection is the first book that reports the results of NSCAW, interprets the findings, and puts them into a broader policy context.

As director of the District of Columbia's Child and Family Services Agency, Olivia Golden led reform of a system in federal receivership. Now, in Reforming Child Welfare, she uses her expertise as an administrator, an academic, and an advocate to pinpoint the factors that lead to success. "

Changing Lives: Lawyers Fighting for Children demonstrates the critical role that attorneys play in changing the life courses of our most at-risk children. Without legal representation, the children profiled in this book likely would have gone down a path that was detrimental to their safety, their well-being, and ultimately their ability to grow into happy and successful adults.