Services

Youth Services -
Foster Youth Advocacy Project

Under the Foster Youth Advocacy Project, SDVLP works closely with the Superior Court of California Juvenile Dependency Branch, the San Diego County Public Defenders, the San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency, as well as other public and private agencies to provide a variety of legal services to children in foster care. Under this Project, SDVLP:

• Advocates for foster children to ensure they receive access to the mental and physical health services to which they are entitled but have been denied.
• Assists foster children obtain legal status as lawful permanent residents, enabling them to remain in this country legally when they emancipate and attend school, work, etc. without the fear of being deported.
• Provides foster children with special education assistance, advocating on their behalf to ensure that the children receive the educational services they are entitled to receive under state and federal law.
• Provides representation to foster children on a variety of civil issues ranging from representing them before insurance companies on personal injury matters, to establishing special needs trusts or blocked accounts to ensure that funds they may inherit or be awarded are preserved for their future health and other needs.

For more information about these services contact SDVLP at (619) 235-5656, extension 121.