Advocates
for
Children's Services
A special statewide project of Legal Aid of NC
919-226-0052
The mission of Advocates for Children’s Services (ACS) is to advocate for the
idea that at-risk and/or court-involved children are rights-bearing citizens,
who are entitled to safe, permanent homes and should receive the medical and
educational services currently promised by law [see the "ACS
Fact Sheet"].
The ACS project focuses specifically on providing free legal representation
for children who are in need of medical, psychiatric, special education and
foster care/adoption services to which they are entitled under state and
federal law. ACS provides free legal counsel to disadvantaged young people
who are suffering from educational failure, developmental delays, and/or
adverse health caused by lack of implementation of governmental benefits
assistance [also so "Three Big Federal Promises to Children"].
ACS is dedicated to correcting the serious misconception that children are
not independent, rights-bearing citizens, entitled by existing law to
express their opinions in matters [also see "Expressed Interest of the Child"].
How can you help?...
In the News
-
Equal
Justice Fellow to work with LANC's Advocates for Children
(UVA School of Law website article, February 1, 2008)
-
Court of Appeals rules in favor of foster child and against
DSS
(November 6, 2007 Media Release)
also see:
11/07/07
Charlotte Observer article.
11/07/07
News & Record article, Greensboro, NC
11/07/07
News & Observer article, Raleigh, NC
-
Legal Aid of North Carolina responds to Court’s decision to
continue routine shackling children in court
(03/06/07
LANC
Media Release; includes as an attachment)
-
Legal Aid requests Court cease routine
shackling of minor child
(02/05/07 LANC
Media Release; includes
Motion as an attachment)
also see:
02/05/07
Greensboro News & Record article.
02/06/07
Charlotte Observer article.
02/06/07
News & Observer article.
02/11/07
Greensboro News & Record editorial.
-
"UNC-G
Ethics class students help orphaned teen"
(Lewis Pitts quoted in
10/20/06
Greensboro News & Record
article)
-
"N.C. taking foster kids' Social
Security money"
(Lewis Pitts quoted about
John G. case in Greensboro in
June 16, 2006 article from
the
Charlotte Observer.)
-
NY Times article on foster child helped by
LANC's Advocates for
Children's Services
(February 17, 2006)
Lewis Pitts
receives 2005 W.W. Finlator Award
Presented by ACLU of Wake
County
-
"Fighting for Children's Rights:
Lessons from the Civil Rights Movement"
by Lewis Pitts
FROM: Univ. of
Florida Journal of Law & Public
Policy,
August 2005, Vol. 16, No. 2.
pdf document
Publications - Advocates for Children's Services
ACS produces several publications that pertain to children's
issues.
Contact Information
Advocates for Children's Services
201 West Main Street, Suite 400 (27701)
MAP
PO Box 2101
Durham, NC 27702
919-226-0052 or 919-226-0053
FAX: 919-226-0566
E-mail:
ACSinfo@legalaidnc.org
PAI Coordinator: Angela Grant
("Private Attorney Involvement"/Pro Bono Contact)
919-226-0052 (Durham Office-ACS)
Eligibility Criteria
A formal intake assessment is conducted with each client to determine
eligibility for services. Minimum eligibility criteria include:
-
A household income of not more that 185% of the federal
poverty limit.
All children involved in the foster care system
automatically meet this
eligibility criteria.
-
The child must be a citizen of the United States.
-
Priority is given to children involved in the foster care system
and to
cases involving matters directly related to Medicaid, the
Individuals with
Disabilities Special Education Act, and/or the
Adoption and Safe Families
Act.
-
Advocates for Children's Services (ACS) prides itself on providing
high-quality, comprehensive services to the children it
represents. Due to
this commitment and to our small staff size,
however, we regret that we are
unable to accept every case that
is referred to us. ACS generally takes on
cases that have the
potential to generate larger, systematic change on
children’s
issues.
Staff
Lewis Pitts, Senior Managing Attorney
K.
Cary Brege, Equal Justice Works Fellow/Attorney
Erwin Byrd, Staff Attorney
Keith Howard, Staff Attorney
Angela Grant, Paralegal/PAI Coordinator
Leading the charge in the fight for children’s rights is senior managing
attorney Lewis Pitts, who has more than 25 years experience as a public interest
lawyer. A dedicated and tireless civil rights advocate, he is recognized
nationally as an expert on children’s rights issues.
Attorney Keith Howard has performed voluntary work with Legal Aid Society of
Washington D.C. Howard is graduate of the University of NC at Chapel Hill
School of Law, and is a member of the NC Bar Association and a member of the NC
Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Attorney Erwin Byrd is a staff attorney. Byrd is a graduate of the University of North
Carolina School of Law. Byrd has worked as a legal assistant with
Schollander Law Offices, Winston-Salem, NC, and served as a summer intern with
Center for Death Penalty Litigation, Durham, NC and as a summer intern with the
Alaska Public Defender Agency, Anchorage, AK.
Attorney David Sapp is our
Skadden Fellow.
Sapp is a graduate of Stanford Law School. He has worked as a legal
assistant with International Justice Mission in Manila, served as a summer
intern with The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco, and
clerked for United States District Judge Myron Thompson of the Middle District
of Alabama.
ADVOCATES for CHILDREN'S SERVICES
Fighting for the Rights of Children:
Health Care * Education * Safe & Permanent Families
Disclaimer
The materials contained on this website are for information and educational
purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Please 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.