Educating on Right to Counsel:

Committee members work with legislators and child welfare stakeholders to educate on the constitutional and statutory rights of children. We educate on the national consensus regarding counsel for kids, and on data showing attorneys for children reduce the time a child spends in the child welfare system and produce better outcomes for foster children.

Independent Study Committee:

Indiana Senator Jon Ford is leading an Independent Study Committee to form consensus on Right to Counsel. The group of leaders includes legislators, child welfare professionals, and youth with lived experience. The meetings on September 9th and 30th included presentations about child welfare in Indiana and comparisons to national models and data. The final Committee meeting will be for committee members only. Senator Ford has stated these meetings will inform on future legislation to be presented in 2023.