Navigating the child welfare system can be confusing, emotional, and overwhelming to a parent. The CLS Family Advocacy Unit has helped parents navigate this system on a day-to-day basis for over thirty years, representing thousands of parents. With generous initial funding support from the Samuel Fels Foundation, CLS staff interviewed parents to get their direct quotes about how to make it through the system from those who have been there. We put together these three parent resource guides based on those client interviews and based on everything we have learned through our many years of practice. Please feel free to download, read, and pass along these guides, which include practical tips for court and meetings, suggestions for how to work on your case in between hearings, an overview of important laws, and worksheets for keeping track of your important case information.
CLS would like to thank Erin Coltrera for her valuable contribution to this project and the Samuel S. Fels Fund for their support.
