Citation

Chiappetta C. Fam. Court Rev. 2019; 57(4): 465-477.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/fcre.12440

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Domestic violence survivors and children in foster care often experience significant unmet civil legal needs. Legal aid services, when adequately funded, can help close the justice gap for these two populations while improving safety, stability, and court efficiencies. However, despite ample literature demonstrating how legal aid can improve outcomes, almost half of those seeking legal aid services are turned away due to lack of resources. This article reviews the research and data about how legal aid can improve outcomes for people in the domestic violence and child welfare contexts. It also discusses how several state-administered federal funding opportunities--including the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Victim Assistance Formula Grant Program, Title IV-D child support funds, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) basic block grants--can fund the needed civil legal help.

Language: en

Keywords

and Self-Help Services; Child Welfare; Civil Legal Aid; Domestic Violence; Foster Care; Funding Legal Aid