Legal Advocacy

On October 22, 2022, the Hon. Delia Gonzales, Associate Judge of the Dallas County Child Protection and Permanency Court led a panel discussion focused on the importance of youth voice and best practices for preparing a child client for a court appearance, including speaking with the judge about their needs and goals. The panel included:

• Lori Duke, Co-Director and Clinical Professor at the Children’s Rights Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law; 
• Betty Bajika, former Young Adult Leadership Council Member, Texas Network of Youth Services;
• Leroy Berrones Soto, Project Coordinator, Child Welfare Reviews Project, JBS International, Inc.; and
• Ryan Harris, former Conservatorship Caseworker, Department of Family and Protective Services.

Recording: Enhancing the Experience of Children & Youth in Court: How Judges and Attorneys Can Prepare and Support Youth Attending Court

MCLE/TBLS Information: The recorded webcast has been approved for 1.0 hour of MCLE, with 0.25 hours of ethics credit. This course has also been approved by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for 1.0 hour of certification and recertification continuing legal education requirements for attorneys and paralegals in the specialty field of Child Welfare Law.

On October 19, 2023, the Hon. Robert Falkenberg, Associate Judge of the Child Protection Court of South Texas, led a panel discussion highlighting the importance of attorney-client communication, best practices in preparing clients for court appearances, and legal advocacy inside and outside of the courtroom with Cynthia Dyar, Special Director of the Texas RioGrande Legal Aid Family Defense Project; Janet Vanderzanden, Staff Attorney at the Travis County Office of Parental Representation; and lived experience parents Kameryn Townsend and Jacqueline Reyna.

Recording: Enhancing the Experience of Parents in Child Welfare Cases

MCLE/TBLS Information: The recorded webcast was approved for 1.5 hours of MCLE and .25 hours of ethics credit. This course has also been approved by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for 1.5 hours of certification and recertification continuing legal education requirements for attorneys and paralegals in the specialty fields of Child Welfare and Family Law.

On Friday, May 30, 2025, the Children’s Commission hosted a live webinar entitled “Representing Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Child Welfare Cases.” During this webinar, Dr. Mackenzie Hughes, Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Project Children’s Hospital; and Kate Black, Attorney, Disability Rights Texas, discussed the diagnosis, testing, and treatment for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and considerations for judges and attorneys in child welfare case.

Recording: Representing Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Child Welfare Cases

PowerPoint: Representing Children with Intellectual and  Developmental Disabilities in Child Welfare Cases

Handout: Medicaid Waiver Comparison Chart

MCLE/TBLS Information:

The course has been approved for 1.0 hour of MCLE credit. It has also been approved by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for 1.0 hour of certification and recertification continuing legal education requirements for attorneys and paralegals in the specialty fields of Child Welfare Law. Individuals watching the replay may email CCTraining@txcourts.gov for MCLE self-reporting information.

On April 24, 2024, Hon. Katrina Griffith, Associate Judge of the Harris County Child Protection Court, and Sarah Worthington, Director of the Texas Foster Youth Justice Project at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid discussed how to address the unique needs and interests of older youth in foster care, such as navigating issues with identification documents, connecting youth to benefits and educational opportunities, and supporting youth with disabilities.

Recording: Representing Older Youth in Care

PowerPoint: Representing Older Youth in Care

MCLE/TBLS Information: The recorded webcast was approved for 1.0 hour of MCLE credit. This course has also been approved by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for 1.0 hour certification and recertification continuing legal education requirement for the specialty fields of Child Welfare Law and Family Law. 

On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, the Children’s Commission hosted a webinar entitled “Supporting Reunification in Child Welfare Cases.” Through the perspectives of a judge, an attorney, and a parent advocate, the webinar provided insights into barriers and strengths as children and families navigate the complexities of the child welfare system and work towards successful reunification.

The panel included:

• Hon. Andrea James, Second Region Child Protection Court Number 2;
• Jessica Bills, Regional Parent Liaison; and
• Jennifer Perkins, Dallas Public Defender-Family/Civil Division.

Recording: Supporting Reunification in Child Welfare Cases

MCLE/TBLS Information: This course has been approved for 1 hour of MCLE by the State Bar of Texas. It has also been approved by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for 1 hour of certification and recertification continuing legal education requirements for attorneys and paralegals in the specialty field of Child Welfare Law. Individuals watching the replay may email CCTraining@txcourts.gov for MCLE self-reporting information.

On September 20, DFPS Education Specialists Felicia Penn, State Office, moderator; Jennifer Heimbach, Region 6B; Kathy Thurman, Region 4; and Keri Louviere, Region 5 explored the role and how to best utilize them to ensure that the educational needs of child clients are met.   

Recording: Supporting School Aged Children in Care 

PowerPoint: Supporting School Aged Children in Care 

MCLE/TBLS Information: The recorded webcast was approved for 1.0 hours of MCLE and TBLS. This course has also been approved by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for 1.0 hour of certification and recertification continuing legal education requirements for attorneys and paralegals in the specialty field of Child Welfare Law.

On February 25, 2025, Hon. Charles Griffin, Judge of the Gulf Coast Children’s Court, panelists Leo Perales, Court Services Manager for Court Reporters & Interpreters at the Office of Court Administration, and Damaris Chavez, Attorney at Law at the Law Office of Damaris A. Chavez, shared best practices for including court interpreters throughout a child welfare case. The presentation covered legal requirements, logistics, client communication, and courtroom dynamics.   

Recording:

PowerPoint: Utilizing Court Interpreters in Child Welfare Cases

MCLE/TBLS: The recorded webinar was approved for 1.0 hour of MCLE credit. This course has also been approved by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for 1.0 hour of certification and recertification continuing legal education requirements for attorneys and paralegals in the specialty fields of Child Welfare Law.

On April 29, 2025, the Children's Commission hosted a webinar entitled "Utilizing Day Care to Support Children and Families." Carol Morin, DFPS Day Care Program Director, Jennifer Cochran-Green, DFPS Managing Attorney for Regions 4 and 7, and Julie Rivera, Program Director of Child Care Services Workforce Solutions Capital Area, discussed how daycare services can support biological, kinship, and foster families and encourage child safety in various stages of a child welfare case, including prevention efforts. DFPS policies and procedures related to daycare and funding, the role and duties of the DFPS daycare coordinators, and practice tips for judges and lawyers were also covered.

Recording:

PowerPoint: Utilizing Day Care to Support Children and Families

MCLE/TBLS: This course has been approved for 1 hour of MCLE by the State Bar of Texas. It has also been approved by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for 1 hour of certification and recertification continuing legal education requirements for attorneys and paralegals in the specialty field of Child Welfare Law. Individuals watching the replay may email CCTraining@txcourts.gov for MCLE self-reporting information.