TVAS Provides Pro Bono Adoption Assistance for Foster Children
S
lowly and surely, with support of the Texas Bar Foundation and Tarrant County lawyers and judges, Tarrant County Volunteer Attorney Services (“TVAS”) has developed a pro bono program that assists low income families in adopting foster children in their care. TVAS initially started the pro bono program as a way to complement and assist National Adoption Day efforts in Tarrant County. With funding from the Texas Bar Foundation, TVAS has been able to create a system of pro bono volunteers, community partners, and resources available to volunteers and the public. TVAS, for example, is working with Our Community Our Kids (a division of ACH the Tarrant County Bar Foundation created Tarrant County Volunteer Child and Family Services) Attorney Services (TVAS) on its adoption project. Our with support from the Tarrant County Bar Association. Community Our Kids is the The TVAS mission is to encourage and recognize Single Source Continuum pro bono services performed by Tarrant County attorneys and to connect Tarrant County Contractor (SSCC) for the Texas Department of Family we may be ab le to attorneys with low income individuals and provide the leg al help. families who could not otherwise afford their and Protective Services (TDFPS) in Region 3b. in other Tarrant County Volunteer Att orney Service legal services. non-profit org s (TVAS) is a anization that offers pro bon eligible families words, after the recent redesign of the foster care system, o assistance for adopting foster TVAS also provides legal pro bono assistance children in Tar ran t Cou nty . This service to income eligible individuals in uncontested is made possibl Our Community Our Kids serves as the main administrae by a grant from the Texas Bar Fou divorces, simple wills and estates planning, ndation. For more info tor in managing the continuum of care for foster children rmation, call and provides assistance to parents filing TVAS (817)5464450 and leave uncontested applications of guardianships a message. in Tarrant and surrounding counties. TVAS’s program is on behalf of their young adult children. This assistance occurs through various legal clinics also intended to support the TDFPS in its promotion of throughout the year. foster care adoption. If you are interested in receiving pro bono assistance, call (817) 546-4450 and leave a TVAS would not be able to assist low income foster message with your area of families without the expertise and involvement of its pro interest. TVAS does not Tarrant County Volunteer Att have staff attorneys and orney bono volunteers. Susan Paquet, a partner with Brown Services relies on volunteers to @TVASFW http://www.tvas provide services. All doingourpart.co Pruitt, exclusively practices adoption law and has prom/ pro bono assistance vided TVAS with invaluable insight into the area of fosthrough TVAS is by application and requires ter care adoptions. eric Freeby, another attorney with prior approval of eligibility. Brown Pruitt, completed the first adoption on behalf of TVAS last year and enabled a foster family to adopt a young toddler in time for the Christmas holidays. Kellye Reeves, an attorney who Interested in Volunteering? has completed more than 300 adoptions in TVAS is holding its first general legal advice clinic her career, is also assisting a couple with this summer at Presbyterian night Shelter on the evethe adoption of an infant from the foster ning of Monday, July 20, 2015. Volunteer attorneys will care system. TVAS also extends its appreprovide free legal consultations to residents of the shelciation to its pro bono volunteers and the ter on a number of legal issues, including family law, Tarrant County family law judiciary supporting this program. The criminal law, social security benefits, and other general program was made possible by a grant from the Texas Bar Founcivil matters. TVAS will also need other volunteers to dation. Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has assist on the night of the clinic or on Monday, July 13, awarded more than $15 million in grants to law-related programs. 2015 at Presbyterian night Shelter to provide initial cliSupported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar ent interviews and related intake tasks. All TCBA memFoundation is the nation’s largest charitably-funded bar foundabers, law students, paralegals, or legal staff are welcome tion. to participate in this activity. More information about foster care adoption can be found if interested, email Megan Cooley at megan@tarat http://www.ourcommunity-ourkids.org; http://www.nationrantbar.org. ■ aladoptionday.org; and http://www.dfps.state.tx.us.■
If you are considering adopting a foster child
and cannot afford it…
20
www.tarrantbar.org
■
July/August 2015
In 2012,