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Advocacy

Meaningful Ties for Transnational Families Part 1
Meaningful Ties for Transnational Families Part 2
Laurie Melrood, Southern Arizona Transnational Task Force, Tucson, AZ, recognized that research was needed and more sectors involved to be able to formulate reliable practices to assist transnational children and families. Members of the Task Force, the Bench, parent/child attorneys, the child welfare system, and the immigration detention facilities in Arizona have spent many long hours researching, writing, and revising as a group, a set of guidelines. The guidelines are directed to the professionals serving immigrant parents with children in state care. The results of our work are contained in a promising practices manual entitled: "Meaning Ties for Transnational Familes - A Toolkit for Child Welfare Cases – Judges, Attorneys and Child Welfare Personnel". This training will review policies and procedures for judges, attorneys, and case specialists to enable communication and/or achieve reunification.

Immigration and Foster Care, Maurice H. Goldman, Esq. (83 mins)
An overview of the basics in immigration laws. How these law and policies apply to undocumented juveniles and parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents either applying for affirmative benefits or facing removal from the U.S. Presentation touches upon a variety of aspects of the current immigration policies and how they impact immigrant youth and their families. Session will also cover the intersection of the child welfare system with our federal immigration laws.

Reasonable Efforts in Dependency Cases, Judge Leonard Edwards (ret.) (91 mins)
Judge Edwards will address several questions regarding the concepts of "reasonable" and "active" efforts. Why is the court system called upon to evaluate and enter findings as to the agency's efforts? What do reasonable efforts look like today and is it realistic to expect similar efforts from an agency hampered with increased caseload and fewer resources than in the past? How are "active efforts" made in the cases of American Indian children in the state child welfare system? How can Judges lead efforts to improve the way the "system" handles the cases of Arizona's most vulnerable children? These questions and more will be addressed in this engaging session.

Offering HOPE to Families in Dependency Court, Rob Wyman, (72 mins); Offering HOPE to Families PowerPoint
This discussion provides a safety framework for judges, attorneys, and case managers in a dependency case. The presentation discusses safety measures and structure to answer the question - What needs to happen for this child to go home today? You will also hear from two parents, that have navigated the dependency process, explain what parents need from the parties in their case to be successful.

Please Don’t Make Me Change Schools Again: The Educational Rights of Students in Foster Care, Joey L. Taylor, Foster Care Education Coordinator, Arizona Department of Education (60 mins)
This session will cover the federally legislated educational rights of students in foster care, the programs that public schools must provide to support students in foster care, and how the child welfare agency collaborates to maintain school stability for students in foster care. Additionally, this session will cover the role that the court system can play in upholding the educational rights of students in foster care.