Education Advocacy Project Programs
Juvenile Justice Section
Skadden Fellow for Education Advocacy Project
WCC Section
Inland Empire Section
At Risk Section
Juvenile Justice Section
It is estimated that over 50% of youth in the juvenile delinquency system have undetected learning-related disabilities. Many youth enter the delinquency system due to behavior resulting from frustration and anger felt over these unaddressed and or undiagnosed learning-related disabilities. The Juvenile Justice Program works to ensure that court-involved youth with special education needs receive appropriate education and related services. Working in close collaboration with judges, district attorneys, public defenders, and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) the EAP strives to afford youth the opportunity to succeed at learning and pursue their life goals.
Skadden Fellow for Education Advocacy Project
In collaboration with Loyola Law School’s Center for Juvenile Law and Policy, this program advocates for youth with special education needs detained in juvenile halls and camps. To ensure that these students receive the appropriate education and related services that they are entitled to representation occurs at Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, mediations, government agency complaints, due process hearings, and litigation.
Other fellowship goals include:
- The development and implementation of a training program for youth advocates to help them identify and effectively incorporate the special education needs of their clients in their advocacy; and
- The development of a collaborative and holistic model of representation for low-income youth with special education needs to promote school success that involves, among others, family members, attorneys, social workers, and school psychologists
WCC Section
Through a collaborative effort of Westside Children's Center ("WCC") and the Education Advocacy Project ("EAP") of the Disability Rights Legal Center ("DRLC"), this program focuses on providing special education representation for students with learning-related disabilities between the ages of three and ten years of age. The EAP Staff Attorney works closely with the WCC parents, staff, regional centers, and medical community to ensure the delivery of special education services.
Inland Empire Section
The Inland Empire is one of the fastest growing areas in California and covers nearly 30,000 square miles. Yet legal services are dismayingly scarce for low-income people with disabilities. Therefore, the Disability Rights Legal Center has expanded its offices to serve San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. We have opened an office in San Bernardino in partnership with the Inland Empire Health Plan.
At Risk Section
“At-risk” youth are those likely to become involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. According to the American Bar Association, factors placing a child at risk include: severe abuse, chronic neglect, high conflict, and domestic violence within their families; desperately poor and violent neighborhoods; serious unmet mental health needs, learning disabilities, emotional or behavioral problems; gangs; bad peer group choices; and poor educational and employment options. Accordingly, it is not surprising that children removed from their parents’ care (dependent) and those found to have violated the law (delinquent) are more likely to need special education services than the general population.
The At-Risk Youth Project at the Disability Rights Legal Center, Education Advocacy Project provides proactive legal advocacy to ensure that these at-risk youth receive appropriate and thorough general and special education services in their community. Children that have positive school experiences are significantly less likely to become involved in the criminal court systems. In addition, children that graduate from high school are more likely to be employed as adults and less likely to be arrested throughout their life. Early education advocacy for at-risk youth is a critical component of the overall mission to prevent juvenile delinquency and lower community crime rates.