DAC provides zealous legal representation to indigent clients in the juvenile dependency system to promote timely reunification and preservation of families in a safe, healthy environment. DAC believes that every parent and child entering the dependency system has a right to be treated with dignity, compassion and respect.
DAC provides interdisciplinary legal services to parents and children involved in Santa Clara County’s child welfare system. We represent parents in juvenile dependency court once a petition has been filed and provides preventive services to families at risk of involvement in the formal child welfare system. Substance use disorder, intimate partner violence, and mental health concerns are commonly presenting issues, rooted in the layered effects of poverty, marginalization and intergenerational trauma.
DAC represents parents and children who are often overlooked, judged, and not seen as worthy, during the most painful moments of their lives. With this pioneering approach to advocacy and a proven commitment to client-centered strategies, DAC is making a difference for thousands of underserved families in Santa Clara County.
Programs include:
Court Appointed Family Defense: Free legal representation to indigent parents and and children involved in Santa Clara County’s Juvenile Dependency Court. DAC acts as advocates for both parents and youth, offering support both within and beyond the courtroom. This work is grounded in the belief that due process is of utmost significance in handling these delicate cases. In addition to legal strategies, DAC incorporates in-house social workers and mentor parents with lived experience in the child welfare system to provide families with a holistic support system. The multi-faceted advocacy approach concentrates on safeguarding legal rights while actively involving the individual to improve their situation, ultimately aimed at preserving the family’s unity.
First Call for Families: Support to families before CPS files a petition in dependency court. Recognizing that removal of a child to be a traumatic event for the entire vamily, and that it can often be prevented with the right peer support, safety planning or legal counsel, DAC established this prevention team to help keep families together. Program components include: 1) a warmline to call for support, basic advice and/or referrals within the community; 2) know your rights presentations providing informaiton to families about their rights and their responsibilities before, during, and after the removal of a child by CPS; and 3) individualized support services for families who require more intensive, wraparound support.
Corridor: In collaboration with Santa Clara County’s Adult Probation Department, the Corridor program addresses the specific needs of parents on probation who find themselves at the intersection of the criminal justice and child welfare systems. Program components include full representation on open dependency court cases, and prevention services focused on liking parents to resources to build stability, developing safety plans, providing peer support, offering legal consultation and advice regarding the child welfare system, and limited scope legal representation on matters directly related to family preservation.
DAC strives to have a Board of Directors that is diverse in terms of race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, and age. Additionally, we seek a Board with an intentional mix of the skills, competencies, backgrounds, and professional experiences and networks that allow us to effectively resource and govern the organization.
Based on an analysis of the skills, identities, and lived experiences of current Directors, and the future strategic direction of our work, for the next cohort of Directors we are especially prioritizing leaders who have expertise in:
The DAC Board is a hardworking and committed group of leaders ranging in size from five to fifteen members. We are a governing Board, focusing on core areas of fundraising, finance, audit and compliance. We also participate at a high-level in setting organizational vision, mission and strategy, partnering with staff to ensure the success of our programs.
Board members are expected to attend bi-monthly Board meetings via Zoom, an annual retreat in person in San Jose, and to participate on at least one committee. Committees also meet via Zoom.
Additionally, Board members are expected to be donors to DAC, making a personally meaningful annual gift, and to help ensure the financial sustainability of the organization by making connections to other potential donors and funders.
If you care about racial and social justice, you should join the Dependency Advocacy Center Board. DAC provides important support to families and children who are often overlooked, judged and not seen as worthy during the most painful moments of their lives. DAC recognizes the inequities in the child welfare system and seeks to support families to be healthy and whole. Its advocacy focuses not only on the families and children impacted by the child welfare system but also seeks to make the system itself better.
The DAC Board is a dynamic, passionate, and compassionate group. You will enjoy being with this group supporting the important work of DAC.
