Second National Parent’s Attorneys Conference

Teen Parent Connection

“A holistic approach to representing minor parents who are in foster care.”

Presenters:

Darice M. Good

Co- Executive Director, Georgia Office of Family Representation

Diana Rugh Johnson

Co-Executive Director, Georgia Office of Family Representation

Molly Casey

System of Care Administrator, Teen Parent Connection

The Honorable Vincent C. Crawford

Juvenile Court of Dekalb County

July 13-14, 2011

Washington, D.C.

Presenter Biographies

Ms. Darice M. Good is a co-founder of the Georgia Office of Family Representation, which is a non-profit dedicated to the holistic representation of parents in deprivation cases. She is a graduate of Mercer University School of Law and has been practicing for ten years. Ms. Good is a Certified Child Welfare Legal Specialist by the National Association of Counsel for Children and is also the Vice President of the Georgia Association of Counsel for Children. She is an active member of the Parent Attorney Advocacy Committee and regularly presents to parent attorneys and child welfare lawyers on evidence and appeals in deprivation. Ms. Good is also the co-chair of the Juvenile Law Committee of the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia. She is also a fellow of Supreme Court Committee on Justice for Children Cold Case Project.

Ms. Diana Rugh Johnson is also a co-founder of the Georgia Office of Family Representation, which is a non-profit dedicated to the holistic representation of parents in deprivation cases. She is a graduate of Georgia State University School of Law and has been practicing for five years. Ms. Johnson is also a Certified Child Welfare Legal Specialist by the National Association of Counsel for Children. She is the 2010 recipient of the Stephen Kahn Award from the National Association of Counsel for Children. Ms. Johnson started her career as an agency attorney and now represents parents and children. She is an active participant of the Fulton County Juvenile Court Improvement Project, Parent Attorney Advocacy Committee, and a member of the Kenny A. Compliance Committee. She presents regularly to parent and child welfare attorneys on Creating an Effective Case Plan and Medically Complicated Deprivations. She is also a fellow and Member of Supreme Court Committee on Justice for Children Cold Case Project.

Molly Casey is the System of Care Administrator for Teen Parent Connection. Her career highlights include: social services CPS caseworker; adjunct college professor; director of local, state and national health, safety and youth programs and senior project manager and team leader on 3 committees that developed and implemented national curriculum for the American Red Cross. As Program Director for the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, Casey directed, developed and implemented programs for pregnant and parenting teens and established a youth leadership program focused on healthy relationships including pregnancy prevention, leadership, advocacy, and volunteerism for children and youth. With both G-CAPP and later as Executive Director for the Georgia Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies-a statewide system serving 14 agencies throughout Georgia, Casey worked with early childhood educators and parents to enhance the learning and nurturing opportunities for young children and their families. She is also President of Casey Consulting, a firm that provides management, leadership and training consulting services to human services agencies throughout Georgia. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia and holds a Master’s degree in Human Resources: Training and Development from Georgia State University.

Vincent C. Crawford is a native of Savannah Georgia. He graduated with honors from Florida A&M University in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He received his law degree from Mercer University in 1990. He began his legal career with Georgia Legal Services in the fall of 1990. In 1993 he began his career as a prosecutor with the Richmond County District Attorneys Office. He served as the Deputy Chief Assistant in charge of the violent crimes division. He moved to DeKalb County in 1995 and served as an Assistant District Attorney with the DeKalb County District Attorneys office. In April 1997 he began his solo practice in the areas of domestic and criminal defense law. He also served as a Parent-Attorney in DeKalb County Juvenile Court for 8 years. On February 27, 2005 he was appointed to the position of Associate Magistrate Judge for DeKalb County. On March 24, 2006 he was sworn into DeKalb Juvenile Court as Associate Juvenile Court Judge. In 2009 he received the Romae T. Powell award from the Juvenile Court Association of Georgia for his work with Juvenile delinquents. He also received the 2009 service award from Youth Empowerment for his services with older youth in foster care. He has coached the Georgia High School Mock Trial team for 3 years. He’s a mentor for Redan High School “Men of Redan”. He also works with his fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha “Young Men of Excellence” mentoring program.

Teen Parent ConnectionProviding the support, guidance and assistance teen mothers and fathers

need to succeed as adults and parents

Who we are:Teen Parent Connection (TPC) is asystem of care designed to incorporate a broad array of services and supports that are organized into a coordinated network. This network focuses on the whole needs of the child and family coordinating prevention, intervention and treatment services.

Who we serve: Teen parents, (both mothers and fathers) aged 14 – 21 in foster care throughout the state of Georgia.

What services we provide:The cornerstone of our services is our Life Coaching Services. Life Coaches directly provide or ensure referrals to provide: screenings and assessments; peer support and advocacy; job skills training; career placement; foster parent and teen parent training; parenting skills including child development, nutrition, empathy and nurturing parenting skills; financial literacy; educational support; medical and healthcare support; childcare assistance; legal consultation and support; transportation assistance; housing referrals; additional resources targeted to the individual needs of the teen parent and her/his child.

Our partners: Georgia Department of Family and Children Services-IndependentLiving Program; Multi - Agency Alliance for Children (MAAC); Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP); Ringer Employment Services--Youth on the M.O.V.E.; Georgia EmpowerMEnt; Georgia Office of Family Representation (GOFR); House of Dawn, Inc. (HOD); Creative Community Services (CCS); The Development Team.

Other support: TPC has a Governance Board and subcommittees made up of our partner agencies listed above, representatives from government, non-profit and community entities including Twin Cedars, Inc. and CHRIS Kids, foster parents and teen parents. We have an Implementation Team that reviews our cases, makes recommendations for services and links program participants to needed resources. The Governor’s Office for Children and Families provides funding, technical assistance, ongoing training and linkages to resources.

Referrals: Participants for our program are referred by: Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS); Private Agencies; Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ); relatives; foster parents; teen parents themselves.

How we work: TPC does not replace current case managers but rather partners with them to bringunique programs and services tailored to teen parent participants. We add an additional layer of support for caseworkers, foster parents and agencies working with parenting teens in foster care. We work with caseworkers and support personnel to develop individual, personalized plans designed to assist teen parents to succeed as adults and parents as they age out of foster care.

How to reach us: To make a referral, arrange for a presentation about our program or if you are an agency or volunteer wishing to partner with us to help us add needed resources and services for our participants please contact:

Molly Casey, System of Care Administrator: r call 678.467.8129

Chrishonda Burgess, Care Coordinator: r call 404.683.4444

Together we can help teen parents succeed as adults and raise healthy,

safe and educated children

Five Measurable Outcomes that the Court looks for as Minor Parents age out of care and regain custody of their Minor Child.

  1. Education: Youth acquire sufficient education, training, and opportunities that provide them with choices to pursue post-secondary education.
  2. Employment: Youth generate a sufficient income to support themselves by obtaining and retaining steady age-appropriate employment leading to a viable career path.
  3. Housing: Youth have access to safe, stable, appropriate, affordable housing in the community that is near public transportation, work or school.
  4. Health: Youth have sufficient and affordable health insurance for medical, dental, and mental health needs.
  5. Permanency/Supportive Relationships: Youth have in place supportive relationships that are able to assist them with accessing services in the community to help achieve their personal goals and support their efforts to contribute to civic life.

Outline for Know Your Rights Brochure for Teen Parents in Foster Care

Overview of Deprivation System

-Pre-Removal

  • First learn of pregnancy
  • Right to medical treatment
  • Right to discuss and have access to options for pregnancy.
  • Keeping the child
  • Child does not automatically go into DFACS care when born
  • For Mother and Father
  • Read Books, Start preparing for child to come home, Feeding decisions, Eating habits – basic health, Parenting classes, Items needed – baby stuff, Placement/Housing, Medical care for child, Daycare, Educational options (how to stay in school), Employment rights, Mentoring groups, Parents support groups, Parenting plan, Baby names, Active in care, files/folders, attend medical appointments, Right to file review, Have DFACS background check any potential family or friend caretakers (Respite)
  • After child born
  • Fathers establish paternity and rights

-Removed

  • Two ways for child to be removed
  • Remove child from teen parent
  • File complaint and leave child with teen parent

-Once removed starts legal deprivation process

  • What is deprivation
  • Right to DFACS File
  • Parties
  • Judge, Child Advocate/GAL, CASA, Parent Attorney, Mother, Father, SAAG/Agency Attorney, Court Reporter, Clerk, Bailiffs, Relatives, Foster parent, teen parent case manager, child’s case manger
  • Hearings
  • Right to Attorney
  • No need to pay
  • Continuances
  • Right to be present
  • Right to have child present
  • Right to have a hearing
  • Open Courts
  • Right to close and frequent visitation if not placed with child.
  • Emergency Hearing
  • Within 72 hours of Removal ours
  • Complaint for Deprivation
  • Adjudication
  • Within ten days of emergency hearing.
  • Discovery
  • Petition for Deprivation
  • Disposition
  • 30 day after removal
  • Case plan
  • Diligent search for relatives if child not placed with teen parent
  • Review
  • Court Reports
  • Motion to Extend to Custody
  • Permanency Review
  • 12 months
  • Non Reunification
  • Termination
  • Motion to Modify Custody
  • Petition for Guardianship

Working with your Attorney

-Name, number, and email/card

-Questions to ask

  • Review file
  • See all documents

-Keep Log of all contacts and actions

  • Phone calls
  • Documents provided

-Complaints

-Court Providing information

  • Witnesses

Working with all other parties:

-Who you do and do not have to talk to about the child or your case

-Log with all contacts and actions

-Guardian ad litem/CA for child

-Case manager