Under EBFD’s supervision, Family Defense Project students have the opportunity to gain firsthand experience in holistic, interdisciplinary legal defense for parents at risk of or currently facing separation of their families by the family policing system and to advance the field of family defense through community education and policy advocacy.
As East Bay Family Defenders takes this opportunity to reimagine our work with families, we want to take a moment to honor and recognize the founding vision and contributions of EBFD Co-Founder Zabrina Aleguire as she moves on to her next chapter in the fight for families. – The Board of Directors
In 2019, the Walter S. Johnson Foundation invested in three legal organizations in California who were implementing high-quality representation for children and parents separated by the foster care system: Dependency Legal Services (Marin and Solano Counties), East Bay Children’s Law Offices (Alameda County) and East Bay Family Defenders (Alameda County). The presenting question was whether following certain attributes of legal representation would improve outcomes for children and families. The answer was a resounding Yes.
We write to update our community that, as of November 1, 2021, East Bay Family Defenders is no longer providing court-appointed representation to families in Alameda County Juvenile Dependency Court. On October 8, 2021, the Judicial Council of California informed us that they and the Alameda County Superior Court had decided to discontinue any contract with East Bay Family Defenders, instead shifting the entire contract for court-appointed counsel to a new group of attorneys, Alameda County Parent’s Counsel, as of November 1, 2021. (See article in The Imprint: https://imprintnews.org/top-stories/parent-defender-firm-loses-contract-in-californias-east-bay/59919.)
From September 1, 2018, to October 31, 2021, EBFD provided innovative legal defense, social work support, and peer mentorship to parents facing CPS intervention – to minimize the detrimental effects of foster care on children, families, and communities. We are proud of EBFD’s achievements, both at the individual case level and systemically, as well as of the strong partnerships we have developed in our community. We supported parents to address the underlying causes of system involvement, to increase parental protective capacities, and to exit expeditiously from the family regulation system (also known as child welfare system). During our time representing families, rates of children returning home increased, racial disproportionality for local Black children in foster care decreased, and re-entries into the system were cut almost in half. Statewide, we united with allies advocating for improvements in laws, funding distribution, and practices that promote strengthening and preserving families.
While we consider EBFD’s options for continuing to deliver our mission and model, we will update our website with latest developments.
On September 16, 2020, Supervising Attorney Meredith Wallis and Senior Defense Parent Advocate Brejea Colthirst joined a panel discussion and presentation focused on power dynamics, race equity, and accountability in child welfare policies and practices.
Read More at the Zellerbach Family Foundation
East Bay Family Defenders named “Community Partner of the Year” at Senator Bob Wieckowski’s State of the 10th Senate District Address and Awards Ceremony, October 3, 2019.
Featured on Page 8 of the San Francisco Attorney summer edition.
Read on CommunityVisionCA
Read on The Chronicle of Social Change