The Bronx Defenders : Community Outreach : The Family Defense Project

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The Family Defense Project

The Family Defense Project extends the same successful model of holistic legal representation and advocacy The Bronx Defenders uses with our clients in criminal court to create a new model of legal representation for parents facing allegations of neglect or abuse. The Family Defense Project legal team consists of experienced family law attorneys, social workers and parent liaisons working together to advocate for families. In addition to representing parents who have pending Article 10 cases (cases alleging parental abuse or neglect) in Family Court, the legal team also represents parents who are being investigated by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) and works citywide to promote systemic reform in the child welfare and Family Court systems.

In 2002, The Bronx Defenders joined the BridgeBuilders project, a collaborative of legal and social service providers spearheaded by the Fund for Social Change and the Agenda for Children Tomorrow, that is leading a community-wide effort to reduce the high rates of child neglect and abuse afflicting the Highbridge section of the Bronx. The Family Defense Project partnered with the collaborative to provide legal representation to Highbridge parents and was recently selected to be the primary advocate for parents at placement decision meetings, a new conference being piloted by ACS. These conferences represent an exciting new development for parents in the child welfare system, giving them a team of skilled advocates to fight on their behalf and a role in determining a plan of services for their family for the first time.

By delivering compassionate and consistent advocacy along with informed counseling and referrals to social services, the Family Defense Project will work to help parents successfully navigate the child welfare system and reunify them with their children. By strengthening families with the resources they need to provide safe and caring homes for their children, The Bronx Defenders and Bridgebuilders ultimately hope to reduce the number of children who are separated from their families and communities.

The Parent Liason Institute: An FDP Initiative

The Family Defense Project also runs the Parent Liaison Institute. The Institute is a twelve-week CUNY accredited course that trains community residents and Bronx college students to serve as lay advocates for families in their own community who are involved in the child welfare and Family Court systems. The course covers the wide range of issues in the child welfare system—legal rights, substance abuse, mental health and family reunification—through a series of guest lecturers and skill sessions. As of the close of 2005, The Bronx Defenders has trained 59 lay advocates through four sessions of the Parent Liaison Institute.

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