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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
Individual Representation
The Center's Child Abuse Project provides high
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 our
child clients 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.
Further, 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.
Systemic Advocacy
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.
Interdisciplinary Advocacy and Training
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.
Elena
Elena’s parents left one at a time.
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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