DW was a young girl when she was removed from her mother’s home. Although she was adopted, she and her brother were later removed from the adoptive home while a younger sibling remained. She then spent much of high school in an unstable foster home before landing in the home of a loving and stable foster parent her senior year.

During all of these transitions, DW’s CLC attorney remained the only constant as DW’s social worker, guardian ad litem, and foster parent all changed (in some cases more than once). From helping DW locate the resources needed to live independently to filing the paperwork necessary to modify DW’s birth certificate to remove her adoptive parent’s name, her attorney worked with DW to make sure her voice was heard and her legal rights were protected.

After graduating high school, DW is on track to graduate from college with a degree in Criminal Justice—all while working nearly full time. She has become a self-reliant young woman through her resilience, determination, and unwavering commitment to a better life.