EC101 Massachusetts

Legal Services

Family Cargiver Support
FAMILY/CAREGIVER SUPPORT

Services that address the health and wellbeing - physical, behavioral, social, and economic - of parents, families, and caregivers of young children

Parents might seek legal services for a wide range of issues such as custody, immigration, subsidies, and unfair treatment. Custody cases may include legal custody, where the parent has the right and responsibility to make major decisions about the child, and/or physical custody, where the parent has the right and responsibility to engage in reasonable parenting time. 

Legal services might also be required when families believe their child has been unfairly denied access to services such as early intervention and other key resources to support child development. 

Equity Considerations
The legal system in the United States has historically marginalized socio-economically disadvantaged people and people of color. This may include limited access to free or low-cost legal aid; implicit-or explicit-bias among law enforcement officers, jurors, and/or jurists; and regulations and fees that criminalize poverty by imposing criminal penalties for the lack of ability to pay, to name a few. Families who have experienced trauma in previous encounters with the legal system, as well as undocumented immigrants, may avoid pursing their legal rights. Implicit bias can play a significant role in custody cases and may impact decision-making about the child’s future.
FAMILY/CAREGIVER SUPPORT
Ages
Birth - 5 years
Usage

Intensive

Services that provide intensive, individualized interventions for specific issues facing children and/or families
Geography
Statewide
Professionals
Lawyers, Judges, Law Librarians
Settings
Courts, Law Offices, Family’s Home 
examples
Custody Services, Immigration Services, DULCE
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