East Bay Children's Law Offices (EBCLO)

Dependency Advocacy Program: East Bay Childrens Law Offices is appointed by the Alameda County Superior Court to represent children and youth in juvenile dependency cases. We represent children at all stages of juvenile dependency court proceedings which begin when Alameda County Social Services files a petition alleging abuse or neglect of children by their parents or guardians. From the initial detention hearing through the child exiting the system, our multi-disciplinary model of representation focuses on empowering the childs voice in decisions that really matter and identifying and requesting services needed by our clients. We consistently advocate for their educational, developmental, physical and mental health needs and enforce the wide variety of rights attached to their status as dependents of the court. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)

Community-based Advocacy for Resources and Education (CARE): The CARE program uses a trauma-informed approach to address the needs of our child clients beyond the four walls of the courtroom. CARE provides intensive and individualized support through specialist attorneys and social workers who hone in on key areas of practiceeducation, mental health, cross-over youth and 0-5 year oldsto maximize positive outcomes for our child clients. Staff provided education-related services to over 200 children, which included Individualized Education Plan meetings for 49 clients and other school meetings for 20 clients. This translates to 568 hours spent communicating and advocating with school personnel on behalf of our clients. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)

Probate Guardianship Counsel for Children Program: EBCLO is appointed to represent children in probate guardianship proceedings. The multi-disciplinary EBCLO team assesses the appropriateness of the guardianship and assists the children and their families in obtaining necessary community-based services through comprehensive case management. While children are not entitled to an attorney in probate court proceedings, EBCLO is appointed in the most complex and challenging cases before the court. In 2023, we represented 55 children in probate court and helped to secure guardianship orders for 17 children. We also successfully advocated for 5 children to stay with or return to their parents care.