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Teens can be energetic, adventurous and at times impulsive - all reasons they need
extra support as they transition into adulthood. It is also why we prioritized making
extra calls to all the children we work with - especially our teens - the second
we learned about COVID-19. We wanted to make sure they knew about and understood
the severity of the pandemic and checked in to see what additional resources we
might need to advocate for so they could successfully shelter in place.
Here is just a snapshot of what we heard:
Food. Kaylynn*, a 19-year-old teen in foster care, was furloughed from a national
coffee shop. She has a one-year-old baby, making the loss of income even more dangerous
for her and her family. Our team immediately gave her grocery store gift cards and
pointed her to additional food resources to help her manage the unexpected job loss.
Stable homes. 14-year-old Jared* was still venturing out and meeting up with his
friends. His Children's Law Center lawyer warned that he could put his foster family
at risk of getting sick if he left the house. Even more concerning, she explained
that it could impact whether he had a place to live during and after the crisis
if his foster parents became sick. He has a good relationship with his foster parents,
so it was important he understood that this might mean moving to new foster parents
with whom he may or may not build the same bond. On top of that, our lawyer knew
just how challenging it can be to secure stable housing placements for teens -
so she cautioned him to think through the ripple effects should he pick up the virus
and pass it to others.
Medical and mental health support. We knew going into the pandemic that the health
of our teens living in congregate care facilities was a top priority. They face
greater risks of exposure, so our team of lawyers and social workers are actively
weighing risks and benefits of keeping them where they currently live or moving
them to a different home. For Sarah*, one teen we represent, her lawyer and social
worker knew she needed to move back home and be with her family during this stressful
time. They advocated for her to travel by car instead of flying her back to DC to
limit her exposure and minimize any trauma that came from the trip home. They also
prepared her family for their child's return, made sure they had ample resources
to support her, and connected her with the right providers who could continue addressing
her medical and mental health needs.
Every day we hear from more teens in need of support. We know the calls will continue
to increase which is why we are so thankful for your support. [[link removed]]
The virus may not be the greatest risk to our teens. Being displaced from yet another
family, losing their connection to school and friends or managing the stress of
being cooped up day after day - these threaten their wellbeing today and may impact
their future chances of success. It is why we will continue reaching out to them
several times a week as they continue to navigate these difficult times.
Best,
Jennifer Morris
Guardian ad Litem Program Director
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*Children's Law Center works hard to protect our clients' confidentiality. The children's
names have been modified. All other details are true.
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P.S. Take a moment to send a card to a strong woman in your life for Mother's Day!
Your gift will help us provide legal support [[link removed]]
and other critical resources for the many women we proudly work with every day --
teen moms, foster moms, [[link removed]]
birth moms, adoptive moms and more. [[link removed]]
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Children's Law Center | 501 3rd Street NW, 8th Floor | Washington | DC | 20001