Action Research Publishes Companion Article on Parent Representation in Child Welfare

A study published in Children and Youth Services Review (CYSR) by Action Research and the New York University School of Law  found that children spend significantly less time in foster care – with no compromise of safety – when their parents receive interdisciplinary law office representation.  CYSR recently published a companion article that describes findings from interviews with 42 practitioners in the New York City Family Court and 16 parents who had had a recent child protection case in the New York City Family Court.  Our analysis of these interviews identified three elements critical to the success of the interdisciplinary law office case practice approach: [1] uniform high-quality representation, [2] interdisciplinary practice, and [3] paying attention to the client’s well-being.  The study is the result of a three-year evaluation funded by Casey Family Programs.