Child Representation in America: Progress Report from the National Quality Improvement Center

• Published in: Family law quarterly Vol. 46; no. 1; pp. 87 - 137
• Main Authors: DUQUETTE, DONALD N., DARWALL, JULIAN
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago American Bar Association, Section of Family Law 22.03.2012; American Bar Association
• Subjects: Academic Language; Adopted children; Attorneys; Best practice; Best Practices; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Advocacy; Child neglect; Child welfare; Childrens Rights; Delinquency; Empowerment; Enforcement; Foster Care; Foster children; Guidelines; Initiatives; Law Libraries; Laws; Lawyers; Legal assistance to children; Legal practice; Legal proceedings; Legal representation; Needs Assessment; Parent Rights; Parental rights; Political appointments; Political representation; Quality improvement; Recommendations; Research Design; Right to counsel; State laws; United States > US
• ISSN: 0014-729X; 2162-7991

Few dispute that children in the child welfare system need effective representation. In October 2009, the US Children's Bureau named the University of Michigan Law School the National Quality Improvement Center on the Representation of Children in the Child Welfare System (QIC-ChildRep). The QIC-ChildRep is a five-year, multimillion dollar project, charged with gathering, developing, and communicating knowledge on child representation. This article documents the QIC-ChildRep process of gathering and distilling information that provides the foundation of the QIC Best Practice Model. Information on research, policy, and practice was integrated from many sources, including law libraries, federal and state government reports, and in-person and phone discussions with a wide range of policy makers and practitioners. Hopefully, this compilation of information will itself be of value to academics, students, courts, legislators, and others in the ongoing efforts to improve justice for children in the child welfare process.