Your gift supports lawyers who work to:
- Protect children from physical abuse
- Access services for disabled children and those aging out of foster care
- Stop children from being trafficked
- Support children with complex medical needs
- Represent children whose parents are affected by the opioid crisis
- Secure shelter for children in need of stable housing
An escape from abuse
Roberto, 16, had been physically abused by his father for many years. Fearing nothing would ever change, he fled his home country of Guatemala for the American Dream. Roberto knew that to succeed in the U.S., he would need to become a citizen. He turned to CABA Pro Bono Legal Services to help him file a Special Immigrant Juvenile Visa, which protected him in juvenile court as a child that has been abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent. CABA is funded by a Children’s Legal Services grant.
A crisis
Roberto soon became a Legal Permanent Resident, and CABA helped him create a savings account, learn to pay taxes, purchase health insurance and attend night classes at Miami Dade College to learn English. Then, the unthinkable happened. Roberto was diagnosed with a brain tumor and needed emergency surgery to remove it. Fortunately, he had insurance. And, he had saved enough money to spend six months recovering.
The American Dream
Now, at just 23, Roberto is a U.S. citizen and owns his own landscaping company. Legal aid lawyers help children like Roberto achieve their dreams of becoming active members of society.
Civil legal aid lawyers help our state’s most vulnerable children. You can help them by supporting the Children’s Legal Services fund.
With funding for civil legal aid in Florida at its lowest point in 10 years, a new study shows that every dollar spent on civil legal services for the state’s low-income residents yields more than $7 in economic impacts.
