Examining the legal representation of youth in foster care: Perspectives of attorneys and attorney guardians ad litem

Abstract

Despite recent federal policy changes related to improving the quality of legal representation afforded youth in foster care, few empirical studies have examined the topic. This exploratory national study examined the perceptions of attorneys who represent foster youth (N = 934) about the legal representation of foster youth involved in dependency court proceedings. Variables of interest included impact of legal representation on foster care, perceived quality of legal representation afforded foster youth, and perceived quality of the relationship between attorneys and the youth they represent, among others. Data were analyzed for descriptive statistics and comparisons in perceptions, by demographics (e.g., race, age, etc.) and professional characteristics (e.g., years of experience, jurisdiction representation model, etc.). Overall, data suggest that participants typically agreed that legal representation can be impactful to the overall foster care experience. However, current quality of that representation was rated lowest among all variables. Notably, group differences were detected by gender and jurisdiction representation model. Findings indicate the need for focus on more robust training models, targeted policies, and further research on the legal representation of youth in foster care.