NJSBA Day of the Child

Presented in Cooperation with the New Jersey State Bar Foundation and Embrella

Children are extremely vulnerable members of society. Every day, countless children in New Jersey are dependent on the legal and child welfare systems. While there have been programs throughout the state that focus on representing children in court and on various aspects of child welfare, the NJSBA/NJICLE is proud to present the first program that focuses on all touchpoints a child has with the legal system.

The Day of the Child is a comprehensive, in-depth program that will showcase the various issues impacting children in New Jersey, including child welfare and civil litigation. Panelists will provide a 360-degree view of the realities children face, the impact of community involvement on foster youth and resources for children in the child welfare system. This comprehensive program works to educate and provide the necessary tools and resources for legal professionals, social workers, and parent and child advocates who are looking to empower youth and advance children’s rights.

The morning is designed for legal practitioners, clinicians, resource parents and any adult who actively works to better the lives of children. We will begin with an inspiring keynote address by Regina Calcaterra, an attorney who spent years in the child welfare system and whose international and New York Times best-seller Etched in Sand, A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island (HarperCollins Publishing, 2013) has been integrated into college and high school curricula throughout the U.S. That and the sequel that she authored the sequel with her younger sister Rosie Maloney, Girl Unbroken, A Sister’s Harrowing Journey from the Streets of Long Island to the Farms of Idaho (HarperCollins Publishing, 2016), paint unforgettable and vivid pictures of a child’s view of life while overcoming abuse, neglect and abandonment. 

Regina will also take part in the next segment, “How Communities Can Positively Impact Fostered Youth.” Both of her books will be for sale for in-person attendees at the program and Regina will stay for a meet and greet.

The remainder of the day focuses on legal practitioner with practical, impactful topics such as “The ABC’s of Children in the System,” “Absent Parents and their Effect on Children,” and “The Role of Empathy in Legal Practice, which is a direct perspective on what it means to experience legal representation that leaves a client feeling valued, respected, and heard.

This is a day that will change your life and, more importantly, the lives of children who need you.

Program Agenda:

• 9:00 | Welcome

• 9:05 | Keynote Speaker: Regina Calcaterra
  International and New York Times Best Selling Author of Etched in Sand, Regina Calcaterra joins us to share her lived experience in the foster care system and children’s rights advocacy.

• 9:50 | How Communities Can Positively Impact Foster Youth
  What are the various levels of involvement in the child welfare space and what role do communities play in the lives of children in the child welfare system? This is a unique opportunity to learn about the impact of community involvement on foster youth and the various resources for aging-out foster youth and unemancipated minors.

• 11:05 | Break

• 11:15 | The A, B, C’s of Children in the System
  What is the state of New Jersey’s Division of Child Protection & Permanency since the federal monitor exited oversight? This program helps to understand the goals of DCPP and the various involvement of families. Panelists will provide insight into what the rights of parents and children are, a basic understanding of kinship care, and the intricacies of the child welfare system including recovering money and assets for youth in care, mental health and resources for families. Finally, panelists discuss the first ever report issued after New Jersey exited federal monitor oversight.

• 12:40 | Lunch 

• 1:25 | Absent Parents and their Effect on Children
  Experienced attorneys, judges and a psychologist share their expertise and perspectives on identifying causes, facilitating solutions, and understanding the legal and social implications of parents who do not see their children. PCCP-Parental Child Contact Problems including Affinity, Alignment, Estrangement and Unjustified Rejection, strategies to identify the type of PCCP in your case, a model notice of motion remedies, and an effective form of order. Lessons learned and voices heard interviewing and representing children. Can a parent be compelled to exercise parenting time? The effect on children when parents do not want to see them. Parental civil and criminal responsibility for their children’s behavior. National initiatives and resources for parents and caregivers. The correlation between parenting time and child support and parents who subsequently don’t see their children.

• 2:40 | Break 

• 2:50 | The Role of Empathy in Legal Practice
  Enhance the quality of representation by focusing on continuous improvement both with legal skills and human empathy. Panelists will provide a direct perspective on what it means to experience legal representation that leaves a client feeling valued, respected, and heard. Hear from social workers, peer or parent advocates, and other professionals on the impact of empathy in legal representation.

• 4:00 | Adjourn