We are excited to announce the development of a Guide to Legal Guardianship in Child in Need of Care Cases ("Guide").  The Guide grew out of an awareness that legal guardianship appears to be underutilized in Louisiana.  Guardianship is a status that can be authorized by a court excercising juvenile jurisdiction in a Child in Need of Care (CINC) case.  The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, U.S.C. § 671 et seq., promotes the use of guardianships to increase permanency for children in foster care.  

The Guide contains:

• An Introduction;
• Guardianship Overview; and
• Comparison Chart of Legal Custody, Legal Guardianship, and Adoption in Child in Need of Care (CINC) Cases ("Comparison Chart").

The Comparison Chart provides a summary of key concepts for custody, guardianship, and adoption in Louisiana CINC Cases.

The Comparison Chart is intended to:

• Clarify differences among the options of custody, guardianship, and adoption available to the court;
• Enable stakeholders to indentify the most appropriate option given the facts and circumstances of each case; and
• Assist judges in making fully informed decisions regarding permanency for the children.

*For feedback, please contact:

• Mark Harris: mark.harris@pelicancenter.org
• Caitlin Glass: caitlin@caitlinjglass.com
• Michelle Gros: specialprojects@pelicancenter.org

Click on the cover image above to open up the full file.