Committee backs pilot to fund pre-petition legal representation for families to prevent child-welfare removals

The Senate Human Services Committee voted to pass SB 452 to the Judiciary Committee. The bill would fund a three-year Family Advocacy Pilot Program administered by the Department of Social Services to distribute grants to qualified organizations providing pre-petition legal services and wraparound support for families at risk of child-welfare involvement.

Supporters said early legal representation and community-based help can prevent unnecessary and traumatic separations. Maria Griglio, directing attorney for the Children's Law Center's Family Support and Advocacy Center (FSAC), described the program's work providing legal help during investigations and said that 100% of FSAC clients were African American or Hispanic; the center represented dozens of parents and had represented several through DCFS investigations with only one removal among those served.

Anna Navaros, a parent partner and mentor who described her lived experience with child-welfare involvement, said a program like First Call for Families could have prevented her case and credited prevention for successful reunification with a later child.

No opposition witnesses appeared at the hearing. Committee members supported the pilot as an upstream intervention and passed it to Judiciary. The bill's author said it builds on local programs that pair legal and social-services assistance before petitions are filed and will scale those models if the pilot is funded.

Ending: SB 452 moves to the Judiciary Committee. Authors and supporters said they will seek funding and partners to stand up the pilot and expand preventative legal services if the pilot demonstrates success.