« Back to: Permanency
Spotlight On: Supporting Permanent Families
Legal Advocates for Permanent Parenting
The Challenge
There is a severe shortage of foster homes in California, and yet complex and daunting barriers deter many families from fostering or adopting. Many families are discouraged from providing a permanent home for foster children due to lack of information, the complexity of the legal system and lack of support services.
What They Do
To mitigate this challenge, Legal Advocates for Permanent Parenting (LAPP) provides written materials for caregiver families and their child welfare partners that describe strategies for navigating the California child welfare and juvenile court systems in plain language. Additionally, LAPP provides individual assistance, information and referrals for caregivers via a hotline.
LAPP created a series of California-specific informational materials and training on child welfare law and procedures for child welfare agencies, attorneys, caregiver organizations, and community agencies working on behalf of children in California’s foster care system. LAPP also co-authored a national resource manual and curriculum on foster parent rights and responsibilities. The manual and curriculum provide easily accessible information to foster and kinship parents, child welfare agencies, attorneys, and judges on the role of foster parents in the court system.
LAPP supports policy changes that improve the lives of foster children and their caregiver families. LAPP represents the voice of caregivers in policy and regulatory discussions.
It is often hard to get a foster child the right services. LAPP has shown us how to do that.
President, Foster Parent Association
Results to Date
Between 2005 and 2008, LAPP:
- Developed 13 pamphlets in the Legal Toolkit Series for California Caregivers and their Partners, which are accessible online.
- Trained 2,238 foster parents, caregivers and child welfare professionals.
- Provided 3,852 families with emergency assistance through its hotline.
- Delivered expert testimony to the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care and the California Child Welfare Council.