A Child Enters the “System.”
Now what?

What if your child or a child you care about is arrested... what then… what’s next?

What if your child or a child you care about is failing in school... what then…what’s next?

What if your child or a child you care about is caught in a custody battle... what then… what’s next?

What then, What’s next? Can mean benefitting from the advocacy efforts of the Nashville Defender’s Juvenile Division.

When a young person is arrested, they are brought to detention. What then? What’s next?

While the young person has a pending court date, there is a window of opportunity for an immediate, focused and holistic response.

What then may mean reaching out to the young person, their caregivers, and others involved, responding to their situation in "real-time." Arrest and charges can have a ripple effect and impact the young person's feelings about themselves and their relationship with their family. It can affect the family's stability and place in the community and the young person's educational experience.

What then may mean creating a unique plan that brings various programs and services to a concentrated effort. It may include counseling to talk about the behaviors which led to arrest, but also the past trauma the young person has experienced. Asking the young person “what happened to you” rather than “what did you do and why did you do it” creates connection and supports positive change. Efforts may include family counseling services so that the focus can include healing the hurts and lead to reconciliation.

What then may include connecting the young person to opportunities for positive contributions to the community such as leadership programs, internships and volunteering, and employment.

What then means giving the young person a foundation for ongoing success.

When your child or a child you care about is struggling in school, failing classes and is discouraged, and getting in trouble. You know something isn't right. What then…? What's next…?

What’s next may include the Education Rights program creating conversations with teachers and administrators. Education Rights asks, “how do we best support this student toward progress” rather than simply focusing on the student’s failures.

What’s next may mean working with school psychologists to complete testing to identify any disabilities that interfere with learning.

What’s next may mean strengthening an individualized education plan that supports academic progress and supports the student’s social and emotional learning.

What's next may mean advocating for a specialized or non-traditional education setting with creative programs and strategies to help students with special needs succeed.

What's next may include your child's advocate and attorney from the Education Rights program celebrating the successes of the child by attending his or her graduation!

What if your child or a child you care about is the subject of a custody dispute? There are concerns about each parent’s caregiving practices. There are allegations of parental substance abuse or lack of supervision. There are concerns about substandard housing or dangerous conditions. And the conflict between the parents is having a negative impact on the child. She is withdrawn, has  difficulty in school, and is fearful about going to both parents’ homes. What then? What’s next?

The Guardian ad Litem program (GAL) is a critical resource for the child and for the court. Combining the efforts of the attorney and the social worker, a clear and objective investigation can be achieved. And a child will benefit from the ongoing advocacy.

What’s next is a visit to the child by the attorney and a bilingual social worker and a trauma-informed interview.

What’s next is a review of the child’s needs and the identification of services and resources to benefit the child. Nashville Defender advocates also work with ESL children and families.

What’s next can include a home visit to both parents’ homes to assess for any safety concerns. And a possible referral to mediation to assist the parents in establishing a parenting plan and a schedule of visitation.

What’s next is an objective advocate that provides the court information so that the court can make informed decisions that insure the child’s safety and wellbeing.

What’s next is an adult who is invested and involved with the child at a time when he or she is at the most vulnerable, and the court must make life-changing decisions for that child.

What’s next includes access to co-parenting classes or family counseling, so parents can improve effective communication. The Nashville defenders connect families to resources where they can openly and confidentially share their feelings affecting their relationships or receive dispute mediation.

What then? What’s next? This is the question any of us would ask when a child is impacted by the life events in their homes and families, in their schools, and in their communities. And it is a privilege for the attorneys and social workers in the Juvenile Division of the Public Defender Office to respond to What then? What’s next?

We must always keep the child at the center of the conversation as a part of seeking justice.