Well, 2020 is beginning to wrap up and not soon enough! Despite the challenges of a pandemic, OCA Child Attorneys continue to zealously advocate for all Delaware's children experiencing foster care. As of October 2020 there are 474 children in DFS custody, and our volunteer Child Attorneys represent 167 of those children. There are also another 83 youth who have taken advantage of Extended Jurisdiction, and volunteer Child Attorneys represent 36 of those children. As you can see, our volunteer Child Attorneys continue to be a huge support to the children that OCA serves!
It goes without saying that the past seven months have been challenging, but there has been a lot of good that has come out of the changes as well. One big thing we have accomplished has been the expansion of training OCA has been able to provide, both live virtual training and recorded trainings. I continue to build our training options based on common issues or areas where our attorneys would benefit from delving a little deeper. I have uploaded several training to the Vimeo platform for your viewing, and will be sending you an email in the very near future with the links and password to access those trainings that include: "Representing Older Youth Experiencing Foster Care" (70 min)," ILS,EJ and Board Extension" (16 min), "APPLA is not a Permanency Plan" (20 min) and "Understanding Permanency Planning Committee" (20 min). I cannot provide CLE for the trainings on Vimeo, but we have plenty of CLE options for you coming up. On November 12th, former OCA Deputy Child Advocate, Eliza Hirst, Esq., and OCA Volunteer, Alex Corbin, Esq. of Mc Andrews Law Offices, will present a CLE on advocating for your client in the educational setting. Sign up for the training here. This is an excellent training about understanding special education law and how to advocate for your child client in this setting. You do not want to miss out on their expertise!
Finally, I will soon publish the 2021 Training Calendar. Next year we will continue to plan on presenting via Zoom with the hope that we can also offer in person training later in the year. We have several new and interesting topics in 2021, including two offerings of a training regarding how you can work in conjunction with a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) when representing a child in DFS custody. Please be on the lookout for an email that includes that calendar towards the end of the year!
Please reach out to me via email (Kelly.Ensslin@delaware.gov) if you have any questions or want to set up a phone call to discuss your case.
Kelly
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We are proud to announce that Potter Anderson and Corroon LLP was given the Leadership Award at the 2020 Christopher White Access to Justice Awards on October 28, 2020. In addition to other pro bono activities, the firm has been a great support to OCA over the past few years. The firm’s commitment to representing children is led by retired Family Court Judge, William Chapman, Esq. Judge Chapman serves as the firm’s Chief Diversity Officer & Director of Pro Bono Services and is a mentor to many of the firm’s associates. Judge Chapman’s mentorship, with the support of the firm, has really fostered a culture that values pro bono service. We are very grateful for Potter Anderson and Corroon's continued commitment to OCA and look forward to continuing that partnership in the future!
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Each holiday season OCA works with multiple partners to provide gifts for our children experiencing foster care in Delaware. We are not quite sure what the holidays are going to look like year, but we are working on it! If you or your firm would like to contribute towards these efforts then please reach out to me to discuss options or you can donate directly here.
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Advocating For Your Client's Education
Presented by: Eliza Hirst, Esq. & Alex Corbin, Esq.
Sign up here to learn about best practices in advocating for your client in the school setting and earn 1.5 CLE credits.
November 12th, 12noon-1:30pm
(via Zoom)
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OCA's ongoing partnership with Delaware Mortgage Bankers Association (DMBA) will continue this year with a virtual Holiday Jingle on December 10th from 4:30-6pm. This is our primary fundraiser for the year and 100% of the money raised is to provide items and experiences for children who experienced foster care. This money is the reason we can purchase items such as Senior Portraits, sports equipment, and laptops for children experiencing foster care. But we need sponsors! If you or your firm can sponsor this virtual event then please reach out to me immediately. Below are the the sponsorship levels:
Silver Level: $250
Gold Level: $500
Platinum Level: $1,000
Diamond Level: $2500
Last year we raised over $20,000. Please help us turn this year around and make this year the best yet!!
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