Lawyers for Young Adults Project

Lawyers for Young Adults Project

Our Lawyers for Young Adults Project assists young adults who aged out of foster care or who are in extended foster care and who need help obtaining or appealing the denial of independent living (IL benefits) and/or who have other civil legal needs, that if addressed, would aid them in maintaining self-sufficiency. We recruit, train, and support volunteer attorneys willing to assist this vulnerable population. For additional information, or to receive assistance through this project, contact us at (727) 582 – 7480 or at clp@lawprogram.org.

Examples of the types of cases/situations we seek to help with through this project include but are not limited to:

(1) Appealing the denial or termination of Postsecondary Education Services and Support (PESS);
(2) Appealing the denial or termination of Extended Foster Care (EFC);
(3) Helping to resolve a landlord-tenant dispute; and
(4) Helping remove legal barriers to employment.

Why is this additional service necessary?

A myriad of statistics shows that when compared to their peers, youth who age out of foster care are less likely to complete their educations and obtain employment that pays a living wage. They are also at a greater risk of homelessness, of becoming incarcerated, and becoming parents themselves and then having their own children become involved in the foster care system.
Before turning 18, many of these vulnerable youth have access to legal advocacy, but once they turn 18, they are often on their own. This project seeks to fill this critical gap in assistance and to help improve the odds of success for these young people.