Fundraising priorities
Investing in New York City’s future.
Every year, thousands of children enter the Family Courts in New York with no clear advocate. And every year since 1997, the Children’s Law Center (CLC) fights to ensure that every child has a say in decisions that change their lives.
Your contributions will allow us to expand our reach, enhance our programs, and provide critical services beyond the courtroom.
Our 2025 Priorities
We are grateful for your gifts – they will enhance our ability to advocate for children, strengthen legal protections, and push for systemic reform.
Your philanthropic support will directly fund urgent initiatives in these areas:
Expanding Legal Services for Children Entitled to Immigration Relief
Challenge: In 2023, over 7,000 guardianship petitions were filed in NYC Family Court – double the number from 2021. Many involved migrant children fleeing violence, family separation, and human trafficking who are entitled to relief under Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.
You can support us in:
- Expanding Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) representation
- Providing legal services and social support for children in immigration proceedings
- Strengthening partnerships with pro-bono attorneys to increase SIJS case capacity
- Supporting trauma-informed care and referrals for unaccompanied minors
Protecting children exposed to domestic violence
Challenge: More than one-third of our clients have been directly affected by domestic violence. Yet, NYC Family Court is not required to assign legal representation to children in domestic violence cases unless abuse or neglect charges have been filed against a parent.
You can support us in:
- Expanding specialized attorney positions focused on DV cases
- Strengthening social work services for child survivors of family violence
Representing children in international custody cases
Challenge: Our work with migrant children has filled a critical gap in NYC’s legal services. Through it, we’ve noticed a marked uptick in complex, international custody cases. NYC lacks a dedicated provider focused specifically on representing these children, leaving many without adequate support.
Your contributions would help us in:
- Expanding legal representation for children involved in international custody cases
- Partnering with international law firms and pro-bono attorneys
- Giving our attorneys and social workers training in handling international family law
Pro-Bono Work
Challenge: With a dedicated pro-bono coordinator, CLC could expand our ability to serve more children, in more specialized cases.
Your support would help us in:
- Hiring a pro-bono coordinator to expand partnerships with attorneys and law firms
- Developing a training and mentorship program for pro-bono attorneys
- Increasing the number of impact litigation and amicus brief projects
The Future of Children’s Law
Outside of our specific aims for this year, we will always strive to support the youth of New York City. With your support, we aim to:
- Expand legal services to serve more children in crisis
- Reduce barriers to accessing Family Court legal aid
- Build stronger legal protections for children
Thank you for joining us in this mission.