MoForever Alumni News - Summer 2018

15 | MoForever which the Center’s legal staff confirms caregivers’ goals align with the child’s best interests. Undocumented children who have suffered abuse or abandonment in their home countries and have made their way to the United States also benefit from services the Center provides. The Center’s lawyers represent the children’s Colorado caregivers in family court and collaborate with immigration lawyers from another organization who appear in immigration court to earn such children special immigrant juvenile status so they are not deported back to their home countries where they literally could be killed. For school-aged children who have experienced trauma, the Center works to ensure that appropriate educational opportunities are provided. By working with families to get effective individualized education programs or “504” federal education plans for specialized education, managing disciplinary issues that are often a manifestation of underlying traumatic experiences, training teachers in trauma-informed classrooms, and providing yoga, the Center works to get kids the education that will keep them out of the “school to prison pipeline.” The Center’s Young Adult Legal Advocacy program manages civil issues faced by homeless and former foster children. In one matter, a young pregnant woman living in a youth shelter asked the Center for help to ensure her child is protected and safe with appropriate guardianship until she can get her life on track to be a parent. In this relatively rare matter, the Center has the opportunity to support two generations at the same time. Another matter reminds everyone how much we take things in life for granted. Kids who come through the foster care system may not have a birth certificate, social security number, or state-issued ID required for a job, housing, and even applying for credit. The Center is now working with a young man to help him navigate getting a documented personal identity. “We have a bureaucracy within the child welfare system that is unimaginable to anybody who’s never seen it,” said Randy. “It’s inconceivable what things happen to kids behind the curtain. It’s very, very emotional work for everybody who’s involved.” To get through it, and to stay committed, Randy likes to remind himself of the successes. Randy got firsthand perspective into the challenges children face in the justice system when he first volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) during his tenure at the SEC. It sparked a “WE HAVE A BUREAUCRACY WITHIN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM THAT IS UNIMAGINABLE TO ANYBODY WHO’S NEVER SEEN IT,” SAID RANDY. “IT’S INCONCEIVABLE WHAT THINGS HAPPEN TO KIDS BEHIND THE CURTAIN. IT’S VERY, VERY EMOTIONAL WORK FOR EVERYBODY WHO’S INVOLVED.”