Guardianship Program
More than 300,000 children in Los Angeles are without parents who are willing or able to take care of them. Fortunately, they have a safety net. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family and friends have taken them into their homes, and helped keep them from entering
an already overburdened foster care system.
The protection of legal guardianship is crucial if these caregivers want to meet the child’s most basic needs. Without it, they may be denied the ability to authorize or seek medical care for the child, enroll them in school, obtain financial assistance or other benefits for which
the child may be eligible, or keep them protected from the return of a long-absent and potentially harmful parent.
The Guardianship Program at The Alliance helps hundreds of caregivers from the community to obtain permanent, temporary, emergency or joint guardianship. While some cases require direct representation by staff, the program is able to reach a maximum number of children and families through
the participation of pro bono attorneys and law students from throughout the community, as well as through regular clinics that educate caregivers and enable them to represent themselves in probate court.
As the number of children being cared for by a guardian increases, so does The Alliance’s commitment to finding ways to provide support and stability to these fragile families.
Without guardianship, families remain unable to legally meet a child’s most basic needs, such as:
