skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

CO nursing homes left in dark as utilities cut power to prevent wildfire; First Democrat in Congress calls on Biden to withdraw after debate; Report says abortion restrictions cost SD's economy $670 million annually; CT '988' hotline services rank high in national report; NE Winnebago Educare promotes children's well-being.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Sentencing is delayed in former President Trump's New York felony conviction, Democrats vow a legislative overhaul of the Supreme Court, and the last female GOP Senators are voted out of the South Carolina Legislature.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Ugly, imperfect produce destined for the landfill is being upcycled by a California candy company, a Texas volunteer uses his Navy training to map the gaps in broadband, and Pennsylvania has a new commission tasked with reversing its shrinking rural population.

Family Preservation Project helps keep VA families together

play audio
Play

Wednesday, January 3, 2024   

Virginia legal advocates are partnering on a program to keep families together.

The Family Preservation Project is a collaboration between the Virginia Poverty Law Center and the Virginia Legal Aid Justice Center. The goal is to create a better approach to family separation cases with improvements to the whole system.

An Annie E. Casey Foundation report found neglect is a growing reason Virginia kids are placed in foster care.

Valerie L'Herrou, deputy director of the Center for Family Advocacy at the Virginia Poverty Law Center, said sometimes, it is a different story.

"Something like an eviction, or some other legal matter, can precipitate children going into foster care when their families have done nothing wrong," L'Herrou pointed out.

The two organizations say they are bringing a holistic approach to legal work, providing wraparound legal services for evictions and family separation, along with parent advocates who've been through the system guiding others through separations.

Virginia's Promoting Safe and Stable Families program also helps connect families and children to necessary services to get through a crisis.

One sticking point L'Herrou and others want to change is the price attorneys are paid for taking on family separation cases. The flat rate of $120 per case has turned into a deterrent for those who charge much higher rates for hourly services. She said this creates a lack of proper legal representation for families.

"Attorneys are just not accepting the cases because basically, they can't afford to," L'Herrou acknowledged. "Even when they do, they're not doing anything -- they're not putting any time into it -- because in their minds simply, showing up to court is enough. So, one of the recommendations is to raise that $120 flat fee to $445."

For the first time in 20 years, the Virginia State Bar Association will be advocating at the Virginia General Assembly on the matter, seeking methods to improve the quality of legal services for certain child dependency cases. The association's request will go before the state Supreme Court for approval.

Disclosure: The Virginia Poverty Law Center contributes to our fund for reporting on Civil Rights, Housing/Homelessness, Poverty Issues, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
There are no income or registration requirements for kids to participate in the state's Summer Meals program, which serves breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner to all youths up to age 18. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

With school cafeterias closed for the summer, community groups and nonprofits are working to ensure that Colorado's one in five children who go …


Social Issues

play sound

Former President Donald Trump has taken credit for placing three conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. On Monday, the court awarded him a …

Health and Wellness

play sound

As summer kicks into full gear, North Carolina dentists stressed the importance of maintaining children's dental health. Dr. Miranda Kalaskey…


Memphis Light, Gas and Water is the largest three-service public power utility in the nation, serving more than 440,000 customers in Memphis and Shelby County. (Vika art/AdobeStock)

Social Issues

play sound

By Ashli Blow for Tennessee Lookout.Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Tennessee News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publ…

Social Issues

play sound

Connecticut advocates are distressed about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Grants Pass v. Gloria Johnson. The ruling said public camping bans …

Environment

play sound

The Conservation Fund, which works to protect land and nature across the U.S. has announced it has protected more than 1 million acres of working …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A Virginia community health center is part of a program addressing food scarcity. The National Association of Community Health Centers' 2024 …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021