Legal Counsel For Youth And Children

Programs: Child welfare / dependency: in 2017, lcyc spent roughly 10,000 hours providing direct legal services to 182 children in child welfare cases in king county. Based on a rough data review of children served by lcyc in and prior to 2017 in child welfare cases, we can report the following: * about 30% of children represented by lcyc were under the age of 10 years at the time of appointment; 60% were between 10 - 18 years old (n=270); 76% of children served were children of color (n=197); 78% of children represented by lcyc exited the system in secure placements with their parents, relatives, or other suitable adults previously known to the child (n=74); 20% of children represented by lcyc were never placed into a foster home with strangers (n=112). Lcyc employs a unique service model that positively affects the lives of the children we serve. When representing children in child welfare matters, our full-time attorneys represent thirty children, rather than the public defense standard of sixty children. With lower caseloads, the attorneys are able to enter the child's world, protect the child's rights, and ensure services are provided and movement towards permanency is steady. Lcyc provides proactive advocacy, engaging with children, caregivers, schools, family, services providers and other community supports. We strive not only to meet the immediate basic needs and rights of the child, but we look towards the future; we follow the child's stated goals, build support around these goals, and help our youth clients to realize long-term stability, positive connections, and school success. In addition to low caseloads, lcyc's model is also grounded in a strong community of practice. Lcyc attorneys engage in monthly all-staff meetings, regular supervision and case management, and in-house trainings on legal issues and child development. We routinely come together to problem solve on individual cases and to identify systemic barriers and potential solutions. We also engage with the broader community on larger advocacy efforts and trainings focused on children's representation, preparing adolescents for independence, extended foster care, and youth homelessness. Lcyc is raising awareness of children's legal rights and the role of counsel in protecting and advocating for children in the child welfare system. Our unique position in this positive movement forward is through the example we set in our advocacy, the trainings we help plan and provide for children's attorneys around the state, and the data we collect and share regarding legal services and results.

legal services partnership for youth (lspy): in 2016, lcyc partnered with street youth legal advocates of washington and youthcare to fill a gap in legal services, by reigniting on-site legal advocacy to youth, ages 12 -24 years, who are or are at risk of experiencing homelessness in king county washington. Through this program, legal services partnership for youth (lspy), lcyc collaborates with local schools, juvenile court professionals, homeless youth outreach and shelter programs and other civil legal aid offices to timely connect with youth in the community, working to prevent or reduce the youth's experience of homelessness. In 2017, lcyc's unique, community based, lspy program was recognized by the homeless youth legal advocacy network of the american bar association as one of twelve model programs nationally.

juvenile justice: lcyc represents about 75 youth annually, who have been charged with juvenile offense. Lcyc advises and addresses the specific charges against the youth, while also offering advocacy around issues such as homelessness, special education, access to benefits, and safety at home. Lcyc works closely with king county juvenile court probation counselors, prosecutors, defense attorneys, detention staff and the judiciary to empower youth and reduce recidivism.

immigrant youth and families: in 2016, lcyc developed a safety plan for parents who are at risk of being picked up or deported by immigration and customs enforcement (ice). The safety plan is a set of documents and steps for parents to complete, so that if they are picked up by ice there is a plan in place for their child. The safety plan is intended to reduce the inevitable trauma of separation by providing children with as much stability as possible and avoiding unnecessary involvement in the child welfare system or prolonged separation from their parents. Lcyc collaborates closely with community organizations to engage with and empower parents in a place where they feel safe and comfortable receiving culturally and linguistically appropriate services. In 2017, lcyc updated the safety plan and it is available online in five different languages. In addition to the safety plan, lcyc provides direct legal services to immigrant youth, often in partnership with northwest immigrant rights project (nwirp). Some youth are eligible to change their immigration status by initiating a child welfare proceeding in juvenile court. In these instances, lcyc advocates for the youth in juvenile court and nwirp handles the federal immigration piece. Lcyc and nwirp also work closely through our homeless youth program, cross referring and jointly representing youth to ensure they are safely housed and their legal needs are met. Lcyc is also able to provide direct legal representation to youth whose parents have been placed into custody by ice.