February 2011Vol. 12, No. 1QIC-ChildRep Posts Resources on Legal Representation

The Quality Improvement Center on the Representation of Children in the Child Welfare System (QIC-ChildRep) has expanded its website offerings extensively since the site first launched in December 2009. Some of the outstanding new additions to the redesigned website include a best practice model and findings from the needs assessment.

The QIC Best Practice Model of Child Representation is an adaptation of the 1996 ABA Standards of Practice for Lawyers Who Represent Children in Abuse and Neglect Cases that aims to refresh and refine the definitions of the duties of child representatives and of the organizational and administrative supports needed to perform those duties adequately. The model outlines the general duties and activities of the child's legal representative in and out of court, after a hearing, in appellate advocacy, and regarding cessation of representation. The model also addresses the organizational and administrative supports provided by the representative by addressing training, compensation, and caseload levels.

http://improvechildrep.org/DemonstrationProjects/QICChildRepBestPracticeModel.aspx

Needs Assessment Findings are the result of the QIC's comprehensive needs assessment of the state of child representation around the country, which was conducted during its first year of funding. The following resources resulted from that assessment:

• The Needs Assessment: Literature Review identifies academic articles since 1994 that address child representation, in preparation for a database for scholars, policymakers, and students who wish to study and improve existing practice.
  www.improvechildrep.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=sklgo-ZnIBM%3d&tabid=103 (218 KB)
• The Needs Assessment: Review of State Laws is a template to facilitate cross-State assessment of current State laws on child representation and a summary of the laws of 10 States.
  http://improvechildrep.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Jed-1Q_lQws%3d&tabid=104 (63 KB)
• The State Summary of Legal Authority Governing Child Representation, which now includes 10 sample States but will eventually include all States, provides answers to some common questions about child representation.
  www.improvechildadvocacy.org/ChildRep2010/StateLaws.aspx
• The Needs Assessment: Review of Existing Evaluations looks at 14 articles on child representation evaluations to determine how evaluations have been carried out and what earlier research has found on this topic.
  http://improvechildrep.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=JtV2YbTJCz0%3d&tabid=108 (98 KB)

Visit the homepage of the QIC ChildRep website here: http://improvechildrep.org