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The Child Abuse Project seeks to improve the response
of the child welfare, mental health, and education systems to Connecticut's
most vulnerable children.
Child
Abuse Project brochure
Information
and History of Child Abuse Project
The Center's Child Abuse Project provides quality legal representation to individual children who have been
abused and neglected. To ensure that their voices are heard, Project
attorneys take the time necessary to build relationships with each
child so they can feel comfortable making their wishes known.
Attorneys closely monitor the progress of our child clients and
their families and ensure that necessary services are put into place,
seeking court intervention when necessary.
Project attorneys take a holistic view
of the needs of the child and provide the legal representation necessary
to meet the unique needs of the child, including advocacy in the
special education and mental health contexts.
Project attorneys often identify systemic issues
through individual cases and take action to resolve those issues
for the benefit of children throughout the state. The Project advocates
for changes in policy and/or legislation to ensure that the best
interests of children are foremost in the decision making process
of these systems. Systemic advocacy occurs in a variety of ways
including negotiation with systemic leaders, administrative and
policy advocacy, broad remedies to individual cases, and class action
lawsuits.
Through our KidsCounsel Program, the Project
aims to improve the quality of legal representation of children
by providing training and technical advice to attorneys representing
children in child abuse and neglect cases. The Project also works
closely with the Interdisciplinary Teams at CCMC and UCONN Health
Center.
Profiles of the Children We Serve
(names changed to protect children's privacy)
Leo is talking about killing himself. His father died this year and at just seven years old, Leo feels the trouble and sadness that surround his family each day.
Leo's mother is struggling. She has three young children to care for - and she is completely on her own. Leo's youngest brother was born with health problems that require frequent medical appointments and hospitalizations. The middle brother has mental health issues that require his mother's constant supervision.
Leo feels alone. His father is gone; his mother often does not have the capacity to devote the time and attention a young boy needs. He is bullied at school and he cries a lot. He is often not clean and his classmates tease him.
Despite his young age, Leo has been hospitalized for depression and mental health issues.
The Center for Children's Advocacy was appointed by the court to represent Leo when DCF received a report of neglect from Leo's school. Recently, Leo was hospitalized again for suicidal thoughts. He was about to be discharged and sent back to his home without adequate community support services in place for him or for his family.
Connecticut has a long waiting list for outpatient mental health services for children whose families speak languages other than English. How would Leo's depression progress? Who would work with him and talk with him and care for him? How would he get to school and who would look out for him when he got there? Who could communicate with Leo’s mother - whose primary language is Spanish - to help her understand Leo’s needs?
CCA intervened immediately, placing an emergency call to administrators of one of Connecticut’s outpatient mental health services. The Center is fortunate to have relationships with the agencies that provide services for Connecticut’s most vulnerable and needy children, and we were able to secure ICAPS (community-based therapy and intervention) with a Spanish-speaking worker immediately upon Leo’s discharge.
Leo’s family lives near his school, but with two younger children to care for his mother can’t walk with him each day. He is too young and too vulnerable to walk alone. CCA called the Department of Children and Families to help Leo’s mother secure a bus pass for him. When they turned us down, we got a court order to secure the pass.
We worked with the school to have Leo tested, and represented him at a PPT to address his educational needs.
Leo’s life is still hard - but he is doing better. We’re in touch with the family often, keeping up with Leo’s progress and making sure his mother gets him to appointments. Leo is feeling a little better about school, receiving academic support services and talking with teachers and school aides when he feels alone and overwhelmed.
The issues that Leo faces are not unique.
There is a shortage of outpatient mental health clinicians who speak languages other than English. Children from families who speak other languages wait even longer for therapeutic support services. The Center is advocating with the Department of Children and Families to resolve this.
CCA’s Executive Director was appointed to the DCF Commissioner’s transition team, and is emphasizing the need for attention to issues that are critical to the well-being of Connecticut’s poorest and most vulnerable children. This is a telling example of the Center’s advocacy on behalf of an individual child; this example informs our systemic advocacy on behalf of hundreds of children throughout the state.
Chandra has been a client of the Center for Children’s Advocacy since she was first removed from her mother’s care 9 years ago because of abuse. Foster parents have come and gone, DCF workers have turned over multiple time, therapists have changed, and family members have failed her. Through it all, CCA has been there for Chandra.
We provided legal representation…
When Chandra needed visits with her siblings or when she needed to visit her mother in prison and wasn’t getting transportation, and when she was about to disrupt from her foster home, CCA intervened for her and enforced her legal rights.
We taught her to speak for up for herself…
Initially Chandra came to meetings and sat in silence with her head down. With the encouragement of CCA attorneys, and the materials and trainings we provided, she found her own voice and can forcefully articulate her needs.
We stuck with her for the long haul…
We were there 9 years ago when she was first removed from her mom, we have seen her in every foster home and every school and every birthday and every crisis since then. We spoke up for her in court, and recently we represented her at a meeting with DCF to ensure that she has a transition plan including education, housing and supports to help her “make it” in the adult world.
We create opportunity…
Chandra has been accepted to college, and we eagerly await an invitation to her next graduation.
Challenged by developmental delays, neurological problems and constant
anxiety, Elena grew up in foster homes and group homes all over
Connecticut. When one living situation didn’t work out, the state
moved her to another. Elena never had a family she could think of
as her own.
When Elena turned eighteen, DCF transferred
her care to Connecticut’s adult mental health system. Elena had
no place to live, had not finished school, and had no practical
skills that would help her find a job. Clearly, she needed a support
network to help her become self sufficient. Elena is a very sweet
and bright young woman. She told CCA Child Abuse Attorney Sarah
Eagan that she has just three wishes in life: to be a better person,
to find out where her mother is and know she is okay, and to have
a friend so she’d always have someone to talk to.
Attorney Eagan worked with Elena to request
continued support from DCF through their young adult program. Together,
Attorney Eagan and DCF staff created a plan that would address Elena’s
needs: continuing education, job skills training, housing, mental
health services and community support. As a result of CCA’s intervention,
Elena receives supportive services. She finished high school in
June and has a mentor who is carefully monitoring her her progress.
Living in a supervised apartment, Elena is continuing with her vocational
tutoring and is enrolled in a culinary arts program for young adults
with learning disabilities, working toward her goal of a job in
the food service industry. Elena is a determined young woman. With
Attorney Eagan’s support, she is becoming an independent, self-sufficient
adult.
“You gave me hope to believe that I can succeed
no matter how difficult things are around me. Thank you for always
being in my life. Your caring makes me stronger.” – Elena
NEWS and
ARTICLES
TIPS
for Lawyers
ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
CURRENT
ISSUES in Child Welfare Law
CONSENT
DECREES
DCF
INFORMATION
LEGAL
RIGHTS OF YOUTH IN DCF CARE
SAMPLE
LETTERS
STANDARDS
OF PRACTICE
OTHER
RESOURCES
For more information, contact Sarah
Healy Eagan, JD,
Director, Child Abuse Project.
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