About Us: Our Mission and Goals

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The Family Defense Center's mission is to advocate justice for families in the child welfare system. We advocate for families who need our help the most: families threatened with losing their children to foster care. Nothing is more painful for a child than to be taken from the only parents he or she knows. Yet, child protection systems throughout America frequently remove children from parents as a first resort, not a last resort. Many parents lose custody of their children to state foster care systems primarily because they are poor or because they are victims of abuse themselves. Far too many children in foster care bounce from home to home and are separated from siblings. Any family can be the victim of a false, harrassing, or misguided Hotline call.

Throughout America, families at risk of separation lack legal resources to mount adequate defenses against abuse or neglect charges even when they are innocent.

The Family Defense Center is the first of its kind: a legal advocacy organization that provides high level systemic advocacy and grass-roots activities for families treated unfairly by state child protection agencies. The Family Defense Center defends children who can be safely raised in their own families and helps families preserve their right to raise their own children. The Family Defense Center is a member-supported organization, deriving most of its funding from individual contirbutions. Please consider making a contribution today to help protect chldren by defending families.

2007-2009 Goals Include:

  • Make the FDC a strong and viable organization recognized as a resource for families and professionals alike.
  • Develop and carry out education training and support programs for family members and professionals (lawyers, social workers, etc.).
  • Advocate justice for families by focusing on due process for families under investigation, in part by carrying out the litigation as to the constitutional rights of child care workers and families in Dupuy v. Samuels, and in part by representing children and families in DCFS investigations and appeals.

 

Quick Links:

  • If you are part of a group or organization interested in working with the Family Defense Center, please send your contact information (including your phone number and address) to: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

  • If you would like to keep up-to-date on upcoming events at the Family Defense Center, please Click Here to join our mailing list.


The Family Defense Center will be moving to our new offices on April 18, 2008. Our new location is:

Family Defense Center
725 S. Wells St., Suite 702                                                                             Chicago, IL 60605

Phone: 312-356-3202
Fax:312-356-3203

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The Dupuy families have filed a Petition for Review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Petition for Certiorari in Dupuy v. Samuels was filed February 13, 2008. Click Here to read more. Click Here to download the Press Release (the Petition, briefs, and important pleadings are also available on our Opinions and Briefs page).


 

Issue #3 of The Family Defender is now available. Click Here to read the online version.

 

Important Dates:


April 30: Parent Empowerment Program, 6:30-8:00 P.M

PEP Nights are a chance for parents to meet other parents who have had DCFS, juvenile court, or other child welfare system involvement in their families and want to work with the FDC to advocate for change. Please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it by 5:00 PM on April 30 if you would like to attend.


 

 

 

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