CHILDREN'S LAW CENTER OF MINNESOTA

CLC SERVED 420 CLIENTS IN 2024, AND SAW 155 CASES TO COMPLETION. OF THESE YOUTH, 52% (218) ARE FEMALE, 48% (202) ARE MALE; 61% (258) OF THE CASES ARE WITHIN RAMSEY COUNTY, 38% (161) ARE IN HENNEPIN COUNTY; 1% IN WASHINGTON COUNTY. ALL CLC CLIENTS ARE YOUNG PEOPLE IN FOSTER CARE IN MN, MOSTLY BETWEEN AGES 10-21. CLC SERVES A HIGH MINORITY POPULATION, MANY OF WHOM IDENTIFY AS MORE THAN ONE RACE. SPECIFICALLY, 157 (37%) ARE BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN, 149 (35%) ARE TWO OR MORE RACES, 33 (8%) ARE ASIAN, 6 (1%) ARE HISPANIC-LATINO, 5 (1%) ARE NATIVE AMERCAN BUT DO NOT QUALIFY FOR ICWA, 19 (5%) ARE ICWA ELIGIBLE, AND 51 (12%) ARE WHITE. 73% OF CLC CLIENTS GRADUATED OR WERE ON TRACK TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL. 333 (79%) OF CLIENTS SERVED IN 2024 BELONGED TO A SIBLING GROUP. 363 (86%) OF CLC CLIENTS HAD SPECIAL NEEDS. OF THE 155 CASES CLOSED IN 2024, 48 (31%) WERE ADOPTED, 23 (15%) AGED OUT, AND 19 (12%) HAD A TRANSFER OF LEGAL CUSTODY. CLC STAFF ATTORNEYS REPRESENTED 197 (47%) OF CLC'S CLIENTS AND VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS REPRESENTED 198 (47%) OF CLC'S CLIENTS, INCLUDING SIBLING GROUPS. SOME VOUNTEER ATTORNEYS HAVE MORE THAN ONE CASE THROUGH CLC.IN 2024, CLC STAFF SERVED ON, OR PARTICIPATE IN, OVER 15 EXTERNAL COMMITTEES AND ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE MN SUPREME COURT COUNCIL ON CHILD PROTECTION, CHILDREN'S JUSTICE INITIATIVE, STATEWIDE CJI ADVISORY COMMITTEE, STATEWIDE CJI MENTAL HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE, MIFPA PHASE II, CHILDREN'S JUSTICE ACT TASK FORCE, HENNEPIN AND RAMSEY COUNTY CHILDREN'S JUSTICE INITIATIVE GROUPS, MN RULES OF JUVENILE PROTECTION PROCEDURE COMMITTEE, STATE BOARD OF APPELLATE COUNSEL AND TRAINING, AND THE MSBA AND ABA CHILDREN AND LAW SECTIONS. IN 2024, 73% OF CLC CLIENTS GRADUATED OR WERE ON TRACK TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, EXCEEDING THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. CLC TRAINED 29 NEW VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS IN 2024 THROUGH IN-PERSON AND ON-DEMAND CLE TRAINING. CLC ALSO FACILITATED TRAININGS ON ETHICS AND BEST PRACTICES WHEN REPRESENTING YOUTH IN CARE, RECENT LEGISLATIVE CHANGES AFFECTING CHILD PROTECTION PRACTICE, REASONABLE EFFORTS IN CHILD PROTECTION CASES, AND TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE: A NATIVE CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE ON HEALING.