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.