Description

Family and Child Wellbeing Advocate

The Opportunity:  

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) seeks an experienced advocate, with at least 5 years, and a preferred minimum of 7 years of experience in family advocacy, to lead its statewide family and child wellbeing advocacy.  The advocate will help drive racial justice advocacy in the child welfare/regulatory system in Massachusetts and integrate a race equity lens connecting the child welfare/regulatory system with other substantive areas of advocacy. To achieve this goal, the advocate will develop, lead, and support innovative strategic campaigns to bring about legal, policy, and practice changes to prevent children and parents from entering the MA child welfare/family regulation system.  Major areas of advocacy include minimizing aspects of the child welfare system that create risks of involuntary involvement for vulnerable families and creating a well-resourced community-based system of support so Massachusetts children and families can thrive without involuntary state intervention.  In addition, the attorney will work with members of the statewide MA Family Preservation Project (FPP) and with staff at the Committee for Public Counsel Services, to provide substantive support to project attorneys and other advocates in civil legal services programs across the state who are representing families involved in or at risk of involvement in the child welfare system to prevent removal of their children into the foster system.  This position will report to the Deputy Director of Advocacy/Supervising Attorney of the Families & Children practice group.

A successful applicant would have the opportunity in this position to advocate in multiple forums for system change in the Massachusetts child welfare/family regulation system.  For example, in the past, the advocate in this position:

        worked directly with the child welfare agency and the legislature to overhaul the agency’s fair hearing system to get more timely and fair decisions;

        partnered with a pro bono firm to initiate litigation to win the right to fair hearings for substantiated concern decisions;

        worked with a coalition of advocates to change the law requiring mandated reporting of all substance exposed newborns, and;

        worked with legal services organizations to pilot a statewide pre-petition advocacy program, now being funded and supported by the Committee for Public Counsel Services (the MA court appointed attorneys program.)

About MLRI:

Founded in 1968, MLRI is a nationally recognized nonprofit poverty law and policy center that provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities. We pursue systems change through litigation, legislative and administrative advocacy, coalition building, community lawyering, and other strategies that address systemic harm to low-income people. MLRI is also the statewide multi-issue poverty law support center for the Massachusetts civil legal aid delivery system; our advocates provide substantive expertise and technical assistance to frontline legal aid field program advocates and to many other advocates and providers who serve low-income people and communities in Massachusetts. See www.mlri.org  

Job Responsibilities:

•         Responsible for MLRI’s statewide child welfare/regulatory system policy advocacy, through legislative and administrative advocacy, litigation, coalition building, working with community groups and individuals with lived expertise, and trainings.  
•         Help drive racial justice advocacy in the child welfare/regulatory system in Massachusetts and integrate a race equity lens connecting the child welfare/regulatory system with other substantive areas of advocacy. 
•         Provide substantive support through trainings, and provision of materials to members of the MA Family Preservation Project (FPP) project attorneys and other advocates in civil legal services programs across the state who are representing families involved in or at risk of involvement in the child welfare system  
•         Lead, engage in or support law reform litigation in the child welfare area.
•         Provide or update child welfare related content as needed for external legal information websites (e.g., MassLegalHelp.org, MassLegalServices.org).
•         Work with the Massachusetts child welfare coalition to identify long-standing and emerging issues and strategize solutions to advance a collective agenda.
•         Cultivate and strengthen relationships with community-based groups and individuals with personal experiences with the child welfare/regulatory system to inform and direct MLRI’s work and support the work of community-based partners. 
•         Participate in national child welfare advocacy.
•         Provide client assistance to child welfare system-involved individuals. 
•         Assist with financial and other resource development including grant development.
•         Other responsibilities as needed.

Desired Experience & Qualifications:

•         At least 5 years, and a preferred minimum of 7 years of experience in family advocacy as an attorney or other policy or advocacy work in the area of child welfare, family and child well-being, including experience working with families involved in the child welfare/family system and interacting with a state child welfare agency and with the Court system.
•         Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to racial justice advocacy including an ability to confront, identify, and develop strategies to dismantle structural racism, bias, and oppression.
•         Demonstrated ability to work with people living in poverty, people of color, people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, individuals involved with the child welfare/regulatory system, or community-based organizations and coalitions.
•         Ability to think and act strategically, creatively, and collaboratively. 
•         Experience in supporting other advocates through training, provision of information, consultation, and other forms of technical assistance. 
•         Ability to lead diverse groups effectively and prioritize responsibilities.
•         Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, listening, research and writing skills.

Salary and Benefits:

•         MLRI offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment.
•         MLRI provides a very generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, 403(b) employer match, 403(b) plan employer contribution of 5% after 6 months of employment, as well as vacation, holiday, and family leave.
•         MLRI’s salaries are based on scale and are commensurate with skills and years of relevant experience. For example, for this position the annual salary range is $70,000 - $105,000 depending on the applicant’s level of experience. Internal equity considerations and average salary of the peer range will be reviewed and taken into consideration. MLRI is currently operating on a hybrid schedule with full-time staff in the office two days a week.

How to Apply:

To apply, please email a cover letter, resume and a legal writing sample with “Child Welfare

Attorney” in the subject line to: [email protected]  In your cover letter, please describe your relevant experience with the child welfare/regulatory system and your understanding of the role that racial justice plays in effective child welfare advocacy, and/or that child welfare advocacy plays in achieving racial justice.  

Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit their application materials promptly. 

MLRI’S Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:

MLRI seeks to create a team that reflects our organizational values of justice, equity, and community. This includes hiring staff with connections to the communities we serve whenever possible. We believe that having a staff, board, and volunteers from diverse personal backgrounds enhances our ability to fulfill our mission and creates an environment where all members of our community are reflected in our advocacy. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, immigrants, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with lived experience of poverty, and people from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.