On April 11, 2025, the KCBA presented a free CLE: Immigrant Family Safety Planning and Minor Guardianship. The training drew over 150 legal professionals and focused on strategies to support immigrant families in preparing for the care of children in the event that a parent is detained or deported.
Safety planning identifies who will care for a child in the event of parental separation and helps prepare for further legal steps to formalize caregiving if necessary. Through legal planning, parents and caregivers can communicate their wishes and establish appropriate safeguards for their children’s well-being. Without a plan, families may face significant uncertainty and challenges navigating systems such as education, childcare, and health care — compounding stress, delays, and trauma during an already difficult time.
The training was led by Paul McVicker, Staff Attorney with KCBA’s Kinship Care Solutions Project, and Celeste Miller, Statewide Kinship Care Legal Aid Coordinator. Together, they provided an overview of legal options and community resources that may help protect the safety and care of children.
Topics covered included:
- Safety planning tips, considerations, and resources for immigrant parents at risk of detention or deportation,
- Delegation of parental authority through a Parental Power of Attorney,
- Overview of the Uniform Guardianship Act and minor guardianships, including emergency and standby guardianships, and
- Requirements for modifying or terminating guardianship arrangements.
The CLE served not only as an educational opportunity but also offered volunteer opportunities to support immigrant families with various safety planning options through KCBA’s pro bono programs.
Those programs and volunteer options include:
- Neighborhood Legal Clinics: NLC provides free limited 30-to-60-
minute legal consultations through general and specialty clinics. Consultations are done primarily remotely by phone with some in-person clinics. Volunteers are needed to provide safety planning advice or assist with drafting Parental Powers of Attorney. Experienced immigration or family law attorneys are also needed to provide legal advice on immigration or related family law issues.
- Kinship Care Solutions Project: The Project provides free legal advice and representation for relatives and other caregivers seeking minor guardianship of a child when their parents are unable to care for them. Volunteers are needed to provide legal advice, pro se assistance, or representation for a caregiver with Minor or Standby Guardianship. Some children may also be eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Classification, a form of humanitarian immigration relief. Training and mentoring are provided.
- Self-Help Plus Program: SHP provides pro se assistance in uncontested dissolution and parenting plan cases. Volunteers are needed to help draft pleadings for uncontested parenting plans involving Special Immigrant Juvenile Classification. Prior family law experience is required.
To learn more about these opportunities and how you can help, please contact:
Devon Stark, Neighborhood Legal Clinics, devons@kcba.org;
Paul McVicker, Kinship Care Solutions Project, paulm@kcba.org;
Tanya Wanchena, Self Help Plus, tanyaw@kcba.org.
Judy Lin is KCBA's Pro Bono Director and can be reached at judyl@kcba.org.
