Raise a Glass to CLC!

CLC Cares About Kids!

Weida Allen – Recently celebrated 19 years serving children in foster care as a staff social worker for CLC.

“The youth that we serve impress me with their resilience, courage and strength.  They deserve an advocate that will give them a voice.”

Angela Shepherd – Angela has been with CLC as a social worker since April 2019.

 “It is simple, children in foster care matter!”

Debra Kovats has spent five years a staff attorney at CLC.

“Zealous representation of youth in foster care leads to more successful, happy and healthy children in our communities.  Strengthening our communities helps us all!”

Elise Swenson, Legal Assistant in response to why is this work important?

“Because every child deserves to have their voice heard” 

Anne Tyler Guenzius, CLC Managing Attorney. What do you want people to know about kids in foster care?

“I wish more people understood children experiencing foster care are not bad children, but instead they are children who have experienced bad things through no fault of their own.”

Spring 2021 COVID Updates for Youth in Foster Care

Our clients face many barriers to housing and stability, and are most vulnerable to the impacts of the pandemic, unemployment and America’s reckoning with race. CLC is working closely with the courts to address the needs of our clients during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that services are not disrupted. 

18-21 Extended Foster Care Program Update: 

The U.S. Congress recently made adjustments to help foster youth in extended foster care during the pandemic. Specific changes include the following:

• During this pandemic, a state receiving federal funding for extended foster care programing may not terminate services to youth because of the youth’s age, lack of employment or failure to attend school from 4/1/20-9/30/21.
• States must allow youth to re-enter foster care if they aged out of foster care during the pandemic.

More information is found here. 

General Client Updates:

•  In recent conversations with new clients, many of them have said that they are excited to get to in person learning.   Some have already returned to school and others are returning soon. They say “online learning was fine but I missed being with my friends”.
• Although we are currently not doing in person client meetings, we have been able to resume getting client bags to our new clients. This provides a way for us to have some additional connection with our clients and with the pandemic having their own toiletries and other comfort items can be helpful.
• CLC is seeing cases reenter child protection now that schools are reopening.

Call for Nominations!

Call for Nominations – Heroes for Children Award 2021

Do you know of a Hero for Children? Nominate them for the CLC Heroes for Children 2021 Award! Awardee will be recognized at the virtual October 7, 2021 Celebration of Champions.

Carmeann Foster, Executive Director of Rebound Minneapolis, 2020 Awardee

Diane Cross, CEO of Fraser – Minnesota 2019 Awardee
McKenna Arenholz 2017 Awardee, McKenna’s Law

Upcoming Metro Area CLE Trainings

Be an advocate for abused and neglected children. Train to be a CLC volunteer attorney. This half-day training earns attorneys 3.75 CLE credits and is the perfect fit for anyone’s busy schedule. This is a training for new and current volunteer attorneys, judges, county attorneys, public defenders, social workers and other child advocates. Click on Read More below to see the dates for upcoming CLE trainings.