Ctr on Children &Law

New: Check out the Center's redesigned suite of trainings for child welfare law professionals. If you want to design a learning experience tailored to organizational or jurisdictional goals, audience, and local context, our team is here to meet your needs! americanbar.org/groups/public_…

Safety starts with strong families. Join the next "Way Forward Series" Webinar on 2/26 at 1pm ET to hear how Emancipate North Carolina challenges surveillance-driven approaches by building family strengthening models dignity and community care. americanbar.org/groups/public_…

Listen: Sharwline Nicholson beautifully explains protective action ("survivors are strategic") and calls on all jurisdictions to apply the Nicholson Rubric in DV-related child welfare cases. ow.ly/Zbxk50YiURq; ow.ly/FG3J50YiURs; americanbar.org/content/dam/ab…

Family Unification Hero Gabe Cisneros-Lassey is a devoted father who fought tirelessly to reunite with his children after years of system involvement. Today, he and his children are healing, growing, and building a life grounded in connection and care. ow.ly/1pX550WrxQ5

Unification Hero “I did not wait for the system to help me. I went and found the help myself.” When the child welfare system tried to define her Bre~ chose to write a different story. Learn here why we are so honored to celebrate Bre~ and her family. ow.ly/U4Z050Woyov

For two decades, Corey B. remained separated from his eldest son. Today, without any court order or decree, his son lives with him. Corey invites us to ask: What does it mean to truly support families? What does justice look like beyond the courtroom? americanbar.org/content/dam/ab…

What does it look like to provide community support that meets children and their parents' needs on their terms? Philly Voice for Change provides a pretty perfect example of how to answer that question. ow.ly/xLrp50Wfwk5

This Family Unification Month, we remember Violet Z.—a devoted mother who passed away in May, and fought fiercely to keep her family together. 💜 "Parents like Violet didn’t need to be taught how to advocate for themselves, she had that fire naturally." ow.ly/CZU350Wf06F

Don't miss tomorrow's Family Unification Month kickoff at 1pm ET for a powerful and thought-provoking webinar hosted by April Lee and Yalonda Houston from Philly Voice for Change. americanbar.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

Join us in celebrating our first 2025 Family Unification Heroes tinyurl.com/t49yxffe Sisters Amber and Allison leaned on each other and the advocacy of attorney Rhia to keep their family together. A powerful story of connection, care, and unification. 💜 #UnificationHeroes2025

June is National Family Unification Month—a time to reflect, celebrate, and commit to keeping families together. Check out events, stories, and resources 👉 tinyurl.com/t49yxffe #UnificationHeroes #NationalFamilyUnificationMonth #CommunitiesSupportingFamilyUnification

Tomorrow - Join Amy Mulzer, Chas Budnick, and Sarah Goldstein of Brooklyn Defender Services for a critical conversation on the “best interests of the child” standard in TPR cases. americanbar.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

Join us for the April #EndTPR webinar on Wednesday, April 16 at 1pm ET to explore how federal funding policies have historically prioritized termination and adoption over family unification and how those incentives continue to shape outcomes for families. ow.ly/61qm50VxAqR

A new resource from the ABA Center on Children and the Law and Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network describes different models of providing legal services to kin and highlights programs across the country - ow.ly/XYSZ50Vw8Ji

Join panelists from OK & NM on March 11th as they discuss establishing family representation offices, choosing models, staffing, ensuring high-quality representation, and navigating legislative & funding challenges. ow.ly/alrr50VbpPw

New Resource: Kin-Specific Foster Home Approval Standards ow.ly/j9Uj50V71CF. With other national partners the Center created these Standards to assist child welfare agencies implementing foster home licensing and approval processes for safe placement with kin caregivers.

Join us on Wednesday, 2/19 at 1pm ET for the next webinar in our series: 'Defending Parental Rights: Constitutional Challenges to TPR' with Professor Chris Gottlieb and Tara Urs - Register here americanbar.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

We're hiring! The Center has two leadership positions open - the Associate Director of Legal Representation Projects, and the Center Deputy Director. Interviews will begin in early February, so all interested applicants are encouraged to apply by Jan. 31. americanbar.org/groups/public_…

Join us on Wed., Jan. 22 at 3pm ET for the next session of our "A Way Forward Webinar Series". Melody Webb and her team will lead a presentation on the Mother’s Outreach Network (MON) and the Mother Up Pilot in DC. americanbar.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

Why We Should End TPR - Join us for a virtual gathering featuring panelists Shrounda Selivanoff, Sheri Freemont and Vivek Sankaran, who will critically examine the involuntary Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) under law. Tomorrow, Jan. 8 at 1pm ET. ow.ly/63TO50UBku1.