Public Policy

Children’s Law Center Public Policy initiatives influence the child protection system through policy development, implementation, and enforcement for the benefit all maltreated children. By building on the strength of our exemplary representation of abused and neglected children for over 28 years, the Children’s Law Center has the expertise and reputation to act as a catalyst for policy change and improvements in the child protection system.

Fighting on the Front-Lines for Maltreated Children
Children’s Law Center attorneys provide ground-level implementation and enforcement of child welfare guidelines, procedures and laws to protect our child clients and ensure they receive the core services necessary to heal from past traumas. Sadly, legislative mandates to ensure that the child protection system acts as a safety net for abused and neglected children is not enough to save and improve the lives of children in state care. The Children’s Law Center draws upon the daily experiences and challenges of our staff attorneys to identify critical flaws in the child protection system and determine the most effective reforms for all of Colorado’s maltreated children.

Developing an Effective Child Protection System from Within
The Children’s Law Center participates in the development and reexamination of court procedures to protect children who have suffered unspeakable horrors and provides the intervention necessary to make a positive, long-lasting impact in their shattered lives. By holding appointed influential positions in specialized courts and model courts, the Children’s Law Center sparks improvements in court practices for the good of all children and families throughout Colorado.

Piloting Innovation for Vulnerable Youth
Innovative changes in the child protection system that come out of collaborations, like model courts, must first be successfully demonstrated to be replicated statewide.
For example, in late 2007, the 17th Judicial District model court began to focus on the lack of permanent adult connections in the lives of youth preparing to emancipate out of foster care. The Children’s Law Center began a pilot program to identify and reconnect teens preparing to age-out of the foster care system with positive adults from their past who could provide them with sustainable mentorship, direction and support while transitioning to adulthood. That pilot initative has continued through the Critical Connections program.

A Voice for All Maltreated Children
The Children’s Law Center also informs child welfare reform through the adoption of legislation and committee involvement. Over the last several years the Children’s Law Center has fostered systemic change by helping draft major pieces of legislation which have changed the landscape of the Colorado child protection system.

As a result of our leadership, expertise and reputation, the Children’s Law Center remains a key stakeholder in child welfare reform. We are members of the National Children’s Law Network, a group of eight children’s law centers across the county, focusing on the unmet educational needs and meaningful outcomes for children in foster care.

Additionally, Shari F. Shink is one of 23 Coloradans on the Child Welfare Action Committee currently undertaking a comprehensive review of Colorado’s child-protection system to make the system more responsive and improve the services provided to children within the welfare system. Ms. Shink is also a prominent voice as co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Children’s Rights Committee speaking regularly to legislators, judges and attorneys at conferences, including the National Council for Juvenile & Family Court Judges.