Legal Partnership for Permanency®

Legal Partnership for Permanency is a proven legal services model created by Voce that resolves legal barriers to adoption and expedites permanency.

The model pairs paralegal experts with child welfare agencies, caseworkers and legal representatives to:

• Pave a path for timely and effective adjudication and finalization
• Prepare accurate documents to increase efficiency through the judicial process
• Conduct diligent kinship searches to increase placements with family members
• Perform diligent searches for parties to cases to reduce continuances

In a survey of Legal Partnership stakeholders, 99% reported that Voce’s legal services initiative had a positive impact on achieving faster permanency. In Pennsylvania, the service reduced the average stay in foster care for children with a goal of adoption by more than 11 months.

Legal Partnership for Permanency Services

• Customized program development, implementation and outcomes-based evaluation
• Attorney-led child welfare paralegal training and curriculum development 
• Placement of paralegals in agencies to provide consultation and technical assistance
• Diligent search services to locate family members and parties to cases
• Toll-free phone and online legal helpline

Voices Praising Voce’s Legal Partnership

“I remember hearing about paralegals working within our county children and youth office and saying ‘I want one of those!’ The application of the program in our office immediately began to reduce delays. Voce’s paralegals are an integral part of our team in resolving barriers to permanency.”

— County caseworker

“Our county had over 160 children in foster care prior to engaging the services of Voce’s Legal Partnership. We were averaging only 13 adoption finalizations annually. With the expertise of Voce’s paralegals, we reduced the number of children in care to 26. The balance are in permanent homes.”

— County children’s services director