SYSTEMS ADVOCACY
Our Systems Advocacy team tracks trends in children’s
cases and identifies the systemic barriers to children
receiving what they need to be safe, healthy and well
educated. Our staff works with community partners to identify barriers
and/or gaps in services and to construct plans to overcome those barriers
and fill the gaps. We research, collect information, build collaborative
partnerships, create new programs, educate elected
officials and community members, and if necessary, we litigate to
make systems more responsive to children’s
needs.
Currently, our Student Defense Project is training and supervising
volunteer lawyers who protect children’s
due process rights by representing students in school
suspension and exclusion hearings. Our Families First
Initiative is collaborative project working to build
a full continuum of family support services for all
children ages birth-5 years in Mecklenburg County.
This includes services ranging from parent training
and education to intensive in-home visitation programs.
The Community of Advocates project is working in Charlotte
and four other western NC communities to build community
infrastructure to promote collaboration, effect policy
changes and to build a collective voice for children’s
needs. Our Public Policy Forum is a monthly meeting open
to the public to educate the community, service provider
and elected officials about issues affecting children.
This forum turns education into action by developing
community plans to address children’s needs.
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