Kids First Law Center

Legal representation - Kids First has a mission to provide free and reduced-cost representation to children in high-conflict divorce and custody cases. Kids First attorneys meet regularly with the child client, consult with the child's teachers, link families to community resources, collaborate with other professionals such as counselors, facilitate dispute resolution by the parents, and advocate the child's position in court. By lessening and resolving conflict in families, Kids First mitigates long-term health impacts and helps Kids transition to adulthood successfully. In 2023, Kids First provided legal representation to 188 children in high-conflict custody cases.

Educational workshops - Kids First offers educational workshops to school-age children of divorcing parents in linn and johnson counties. Kids First designed its workshops to help Kids understand and cope with their parents' divorce. The workshops group together Kids by grade level and provide a safe and confidential place to talk about their feelings. The workshops are interactive and utilize artwork, games, videos, discussions, and roleplaying. The goals are to let children know they are not alone and the divorce is not their fault, teach practical skills to handle common divorce scenarios and adjust to family changes, and clarify misconceptions and set age-appropriate expectations for the legal process. In 2023, 394 children and their families benefited from Kids First divorce workshops.

Youth peace project (ypp) - ypp uses restorative justice to resolve conflicts and prevent youth violence. Peace facilitators are stationed in cedar rapids schools and meet with those involved in a conflict individually and then together in a restorative circle (mediation). Students reflect on what happened, decide together how the harm should be repaired, and are given tools to handle similar situations in the future. Instead of being suspended, students return to learning quickly. Youth build social-emotional skills and engage in less fighting, resulting in a safer and more productive school environment for all students. Ypp makes it more likely students will graduate high school and become contributing adults in our community. In 2023, ypp provided restorative circles to 2,369 unduplicated students.

Mediations and neutral exchanges - Kids First provides mediation and neutral exchange services for any separated and divorced parents with minor children. Services are offered at no cost. Kids First guides conversations between parents about child-related topics. Parents learn to focus on the child's perspective, improve communication, and resolve parenting disputes. Parents can also exchange their children peacefully in a child-friendly environment through Kids First's neutral exchange program. In 2023, Kids First provided neutral exchanges to 6 parents, mediation sessions to 203 parents, and visitation counseling sessions to 353 parents.