For more than four decades, Child Advocates staff social workers and lawyers have teamed with their Volunteer Attorneys to ensure that children who have experienced abuse and severe neglect receive the highest quality representation to address emotional, physical, educational, and behavioral health needs. The experience of children like Zachary tells the story:
Zachary* was just three years old when he entered the child welfare system. His mother was a single parent who had moved to a family shelter to escape domestic violence. While living at the shelter she began to exhibit mental health issues and was ultimately hospitalized. With this, Zachary entered foster care, as there were no family members who could care for him. Child Advocates was assigned to his case, working with the Department of Human Services Community Umbrella Agency (CUA).
In compliance with the court, Zachary’s mom found a house and employment, and she began extensive counseling. However, she struggled working with the CUA, who ultimately alleged she was exhibiting signs of substance abuse, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Despite these claims, CUA was unable to substantiate their assertions, which remained on record for over a year, resulting in months of court continuances and impeding all efforts to reunify Zachary and his mom. Further complicating the situation was the difficulty his mom had in expanding visits with her son due to her job as a home health worker. Still, Zachary and his mom had daily phone and video calls.
Despite Child Advocates’ efforts to advance the case, and many letters from his mom’s therapist attesting to her ability to parent Zachary, the CUA worker proposed petitioning the court to give permanent custody of Zachary to his foster parent. Our lawyer-social worker team advocated in court for Zachary and his mom, providing evidence that she had alleviated the issues that brought the case to DHS and the Court, and that she did not suffer from any untreated mental health diagnoses. We also contended that it was in Zachary’s best interest to be with his mom, with whom he had a strong bond. We moved for overnight visits to begin, and the court approved, while also finding that the CUA made “no reasonable efforts” to reunify the two. After a month of successful visits, our Child Advocates team was back in court on behalf of Zachary, advocating zealously for reunification, which was granted by the Family Court Judge. Now happily together with his mom, Zachary is thriving!
*Name changed to protect client confidentiality
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