Family Defense

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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 contributions. Please consider making a contribution today to help protect chldren by defending families.

Our Program Areas Are:

  • Direct Legal Services
  • Policy Advocacy
  • Systemic/Civil Rights Litigation
  • Parent Empowerment Program
  • Training/Education/Family Defender Newsletter
  • Pro Bono Legal

* Services are provided in our Direct Legal Services Program, Policy, Advocacy, Systemic/Civil Rights Ligitagation



The Family Defense Center
70 E Lake St, Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60601

t: 312-251-9800
f: 312-251-9801
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Please help us make justice for families a reality. Please make contribution to the Family Defense Center today:

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Issue #12 of the Family Defender is here!

Click here to read the full version
 
This letter perfectly expresses what so many of our clients (and thousands of families across the nation) have faced due to wrongful investigations by DCFS and other child welfare agencies.  Even the best of intentions can have serious repercussions!

Read: Dear Neighbors
 
In response to legislation introduced in the wake of the recent Penn State scandal, see the Family Defense Center's Analysis of S. 1877 - the "Speak Up to Protect Every Abused Kid Act" (Click Here) and a listing of Child Abuse Misreporting Cases in the Docket of the Family Defense Center (Click Here).
 

Quick Links:

  • 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.
  • 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: fdc@familydefensecenter.net