Ten Things to Consider when Working with Kids
Most children enter the judicial system with multiple problems. Their families
are often in disarray and economic hardship is common. One of the ways we
can support children is to quickly identify barriers to their success. Children
without adequate health care, nutrition, income, educational services or housing
are at increased risk for failure. Although you may be working with a child
in the juvenile justice arena or the child protective system, think holistically
about the child's needs or lack of services. The following questions are designed
to help identify possible issues of concern and remind us of the layers of
problems many of our kids confront.
And remember, children are used to being ignored by adults. Being heard is
often more important to a child than the ultimate outcome of the case. Be
sure to listen carefully to a child and treat his or her opinions seriously.
As a professional provider, you are a representative of a system the child
either doesn't understand, fears, or despises. A child's experience and memory
of the system often will be you.
10 Issues to Look For:
- Is the child receiving regular health care and covered by
health
insurance?
- Is the child living in safe
housing?
- Is the child attending and succeeding
in school?
- Is the child entitled to special
education services?
- Is there violence
in the child's home?
- Is the child (and his/her family) in need of
government
services?
- Does the child have a disability that would
qualify
her for SSI? Or is the child entitled to a
child's
benefit based upon a parent's death or disability?
- Is the child involved in the juvenile
justice system? If so, who is the child's attorney?
- Is the child involved in the child
protective system? If so, who is the child's guardian ad litem (GAL)?
- Is the child or her family being
discriminated
against in school, housing, employment or public accommodations because
of race, religion, disability, gender, national origin? For housing, is
the child's family also being discriminated against because of their source
of income (i.e., receipt of public assistance including Section 8 Housing
Vouchers?
Fair Housing FAQ
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