From the emergency hearing to final trial, children in foster care face countless issues that demand strong advocacy. This conference will cover how best to represent your child client and address issues vital to a child’s success while in care. Presentations from experts in the field will include: educational services, assessments, visitation, the family service plan, immigration, ethics and transitioning youth.
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Friday, October 19, 2012 |
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| 8:00-9:00 AM | Check-in and On-Site Registration |
| 9:00 AM | Welcoming Remarks Professor Ellen Marrus |
| 9:15 AM | Strategies at the Show Cause Hearing Miriam Riskind |
| 10:30 AM | Family Service Plans: Opportunities for Child Advocacy Judge Bonnie Crane Hellums and Dr. Connie Almeida |
| 11:45 AM | Lunch |
| 12:15 PM | Best Practices in Court Oversight of Psychotropic Meds Associate Judge John Hathaway, Travis County and Ian Spechler, Special Project Attorney, Disability Rights Texas-Austin |
| 2:00 PM | Accessing Services Outside CPS Chloe Walker |
| 3:00 PM | Immigration & Child Welfare James De La Cruz, Federal Field Specialist Division of Unaccompanied Children's Services and Kristin Zipple-Shedd, Supervising Attorney |
| 4:00 PM | Ethical Issues in Child Representation |
Saturday, October 20, 2012 |
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| 9:00 AM | Educational Rights of Children in Foster Care Dustin Rynders |
| 10:45 AM | Visitation: An Essential Tool in Achieving Permanency Katrina Griffith and Dr. Connie Almeida |
| 11:30 AM | Representing the Child in Termination Hearings & Preserving the Record Bill Thursland |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch |
| 1:30 PM | Texas Children in Long-Term Foster Care: Outcomes, Court Hearing Practices, and Court Costs Rebecca Lightsey and Brett Merfish, Texas Appleseed |
| 2:45 PM | Legal Issues for Transitioning Yout
h Mary Christine Reed |
| 4:00 PM | Ethical Considerations with Mandatory Reporting Professor Ellen Marrus and Valerie Brock |
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