June 2000Vol. 1, No. 4The Legal System and What To Do When Your Child is in Foster Care: Guidebook for Parents
Part handbook and part workbook, this publication walks parents through each step of the legal process that begins when their child is removed from their home and placed in foster care. The document focuses on details such as finding the courtroom, preparing for a court hearing, working with a lawyer and caseworker, and understanding the roles played by different people in the court. The book covers parents rights and responsibilities at each step in the process and offers tips to parents on how to get their children returned to them. Although the handbook is specific to Cook County, Illinois, it could serve as a model to public child welfare agencies interested in producing a similar product tailored to their own jurisdictions.
To obtain a hard copy and a disk of the publication, contact:
Parent Education Program
Child Protection Division
Cook County Circuit Court
2245 West Ogden Ave.
Chicago, IL 60612
Tel. 312-433-6832