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Advocates for Children's Services

Physical Address: 201 West Main Street, Suite 400, Durham, NC 27701
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2101, Durham, NC 27702
Phone: 919-226-0052 or 919-226-0053
Fax: 919-226-0566


Advocates for Children's Services (ACS) is a statewide project of Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC). LANC is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.


NEW! KNOW YOUR RIGHTS IN NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SCHOOLS


Know Your Rights, Remedies, & Resources: A Handbook for Parents/Guardians and Students in North Carolina Public SchoolsAdvocates for Children's Services has published a new know-your-rights handbook for parents, guardians and students in the North Carolina public school system. The handbook provides an overview of the rights of parents, guardians and students, what remedies are available when those rights are violated, tips and tools for self-advocacy, and support resources. Download the handbook.


WHAT WE DO


1) ACS provides legal advice and representation to children from low-wealth families.  ACS staff is small and unable to represent every eligible client who requests legal representation. The focus of ACS' legal advocacy is public education; however, ACS will take a limited number of Medicaid or foster care cases. Examples of education cases  that ACS will consider for representation include:
 
- long-term suspension
- expulsion
- repeated short-term suspension
- denial of enrollment
- suspended students facing criminal or delinquency charges
- discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, gender, or disability
-  inadequate Personal Education Plans (PEPs) or Individualized Education Plans
- special education
 
2) ACS provides community education in the form of publications, presentations, training, and media outreach.
 
3) ACS collaborates with other organizations and individuals working for education justice.


ACS has two special projects:


1) The Push Out Prevention Project (POPP) focuses on school push out issues in Wake County, such as suspensions and wrongful placement in alternative schools.
 
2) The Juvenile Reentry Advocacy Project (J-RAP) focuses statewide on helping youth re-enter school with appropriate education services after stays in youth detention.


TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES FROM ACS A CHILD MUST:
 
§  Live in a "household" with an income not more than 187.5% of the Federal poverty level or live in foster care.
 
LANC screens all applicants to determine if they meet financial and other requirements to be eligible for legal services


HOW TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE


1) Call Legal Aid Helpline toll free at 866-219-5262  to apply for services
 
2) Apply for services online at http://ww2.legalaidnc.org/apply/


Disclaimer

The materials contained on this website are for information and educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice.  Also please note that Legal Aid of North Carolina does not provide legal assistance by E-mail. Contact your Legal Aid of North Carolina office or a private attorney if you need to speak to an attorney regarding your particular situation.
See our complete disclaimer.

Mission Statement

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.

 

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