Georgia's web site guide to free legal information and legal services.

Family Law and Domestic Violence >  View All Subtopics   Read information about your legal rights. There are 142 resources     Page 1 of 3 Abuse, Neglect and Foster Care      Foster Care in Georgia Fact Sheet (Separate Website) Foster care is a state program that provides temporary substitute homes for children whose families cannot provide a safe and nurturing environment for them. It is one of the many programs administered by the Georgia Department of Human Resources? Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). This document contains statistics and additional information about Georgia's foster care program. By: Georgia Department of Human Resources           Foster Parent Manual for Georgia (Separate Website) This manual, developed by the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services, is for individuals and families proving foster care to children in Georgia. By: Division of Family and Children Services           Juvenile Court Glossary of Terms (Separate Website) This document contains a list of terms frequently used in juvenile court case and their definitions. By: Cobb County Juvenile Court           Protecting Children: How to Report Abuse or Neglect (Separate Website) This document describes how to report suspected child abuse or neglect. By: Georgia Department of Family and Children Services        Adoption     Adoption Process and FAQs      Adoption: Where Do I Start? (Separate Website) This fact sheet is a "gateway" to the many possible paths to building a family through adoption. It attempts to provide an understanding of the basic steps in any adoption process and a guide to resources at each step. A list of additional resources is provided about general adoption, domestic adoption, foster care adoption, intercountry adoption, kinship adoption, and special circumstances adoption. By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services     Read this in: Spanish / Español           Adopting a Child (Answers to Common Questions) This document contains answers to questions many people have about adopting a child who is 17 years old or younger. By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society             When Children Are Adopted This document describes the basic rights related to adoption, excerpted from An Introduction to Law in Georgia, Fourth Edition, published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 1998 (updated 2004). By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia     Read this in: Spanish / Español           About the Georgia Legal Services Kinship Care Adoption Project The Georgia Legal Services Program Kinship Care Project provides critical legal help and outreach to low-income grandparents and other relative caregivers of children who need stable loving homes. By: Georgia Legal Services Program       Other Formats:   RTF File           Relative Adoption: Issues about Access to Education A school must allow the child to go to school for 30 days while waiting for proof of age, residence, or other requirements. The school may give more time for special reasons. The family?and not the school?should make the decision about the type of relationship that helps the family. By: Georgia Legal Services Program       Other Formats:   RTF File           The Georgia Legal Servces Program Kinship Care Adoption Project Brochure The Georgia Legal Services Program (GLSP) Kinship Care Project provides civil legal services to low-income families in forty-two (42) counties. The GLSP Kinship Care Project focuses on stabilizing the legal relationships between the relative and the dependent child and fostering the economic stability for this newly formed family. GLSP utilizes a holistic approach to address the legal and the economic needs of relative caregivers. By: Georgia Legal Services Program             The Georgia Legal Servces Program Kinship Care Project The Georgia Legal Services Program (GLSP) Kinship Care Project provides civil legal services to low-income families in forty-two (42) counties. The GLSP Kinship Care Project focuses on stabilizing the legal relationships between the relative and the dependent child and fostering the economic stability for this newly formed family. GLSP utilizes a holistic approach to address the legal and the economic needs of relative caregivers. By: Georgia Legal Services Program             The GLSP Kinship Care Project: Helping Relatives Raise Children - Creating Stable Relationships The proper legal relationship between the relative caregiver and the child is important. Before filing any court action, the relative should find out how a relationship will affect public benefits. The information in this brochure does not discuss how legal relationships affect public benefits. By: Georgia Legal Services Program            Adoption Assistance      Adoption of Special Needs Children General information about adopting special needs children. By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society             Relative Adoption Benefits Can Affect Your Eligibility for Other Benefits Programs Adoption can change healthcare coverage or other benefits programs. By: Georgia Legal Services Program             Kinship Care: Legal Relationships and Public Benefits Guide Information for relative caregivers adopting children including definitions of benefits and adoption By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society             $50 Supplement and Emergency Cash Grant for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren DFCS adopted regulations on the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program providing for a $50.00 per month, per child additional TANF supplement. The regulations also provide for an emergency grant called: GRG Emergency/Crisis Intervention Services Payment (CRISP), which is a one time only cash payment equal to up to 3 times the maximum TANF benefit for the Assistance Unit (AU) size. By: Georgia Legal Services Program             Adoption Assistance Information for Special Needs Children AND Form for Requesting Benefits This flyer provides information for relatives adopting children with special needs. There is also a form used to apply for these benefits. Talk to a lawyer about any adoption. By: Georgia Legal Services Program             Benefits for Kinship Care Families Adoption Assistance is available to some kinship care families who are adopting their minor relatives. Adoption Assistance includes the following assistance: (1) a monthly payment per child; (2) Medicaid coverage; and (3) payment of legal fees and costs associated with adoption. By: Georgia Legal Services Program             Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren TANF stands for ?Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.? If you meet certain requirements, you may be able to get the fifty dollar ($50) Monthly Subsidy Payment (MSP) or the Crisis Intervention Services Payment (CRISP). You may also be able to get other types of TANF. By: Georgia Legal Services Program       Read this in: Spanish / Español          Related Information      Are You Pregnant and Thinking About Adoption? (Separate Website) Written for pregnant women who are considering placing their child for adoption, this fact sheet provides practical information about adoption alternatives. It describes the benefits of counseling and reviews the different types of confidential and open adoption arrangements. Tips for working with adoption agencies, independent attorneys, and adoptive parents are included. Special considerations for babies of color also are discussed. By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services     Read this in: Spanish / Español           Georgia Adoption Reunion Registry (Separate Website) Georgia's Adoption Reunion Registry was created as a result of a state law effective on July 1, 1990. The purpose of the Registry is to offer services to birth parents, adopted persons, adoptive parents and siblings who are affected by adoptions finalized in Georgia. The Reunion Registry can provide: (1) Services to adopted persons whose adoption was finalized in the state of Georgia. (2) Services to birth parents whose children were placed for adoption in Georgia. (3) Services to siblings separated by adoption in Georgia. (4) Services to adoptive parents of children under 21 whose adoption was finalized in the state of Georgia. The services include registration, searches for siblings, parents and children (for a fee), and support groups, among other things. By: Families First and Department of Human Resources Office of Adoptions        Changing Names      Access to Vital Records (Birth Certificates, Marriage and Divorce Records, etc.) (Separate Website) This web site contains information about vital records kept by the State of Georgia, including birth certificates, death certificates, marriage and divorce records, and the putative father registry. The web site also contains answers to common questions about vital records (where to find them, fees for certified copies of the records, etc.). By: Georgia Division of Public Health           Changing Names This document contains information about changing your name. By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society          Child Care Issues     Childcare Resources      Information about Child Care Resources from the Georgia Child Care Council (Separate Website) This website provides resources and referral information for parents and providers, a list of funding resources, contractor information, information for employers and businesses, information for child care policy makers, and information about serving children with special needs. By: The Georgia Child Care Council           Healthy Child Care in Georgia (Separate Website) The Healthy Child Care Georgia Project is a collaborative effort of health professionals, child care providers, and families working in partnership to improve the health and well-being of children in child care settings. These web pages contain an array of information about child care resources in Georgia, including: (1) Infant Growth & Development Information, (2) Handbook for Child Care Center Directors, (3) SIDS / Other Infant Death Information and Counseling Program. By: Georgia Department of Public Health           Subsidized Child Care - Children and Parent Services (CAPS) Program (Separate Website) The State of Georgia?s Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program helps Georgia families pay for early childhood and school age care programs. Subsidized care is available for children from age birth to age 13, or up to age 18 if the child has special needs. CAPS is available in all of Georgia?s 159 counties. These web pages provide information on (1) Income Requirements, (2) Work Requirements, (3) Child Care Resources, (4) Child Care Providers, and (5) Answers to Frequently Asked Questions. By: Georgia Division of Family and Children Services          Family Medical Leave Act      Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (Separate Website) The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. It also requires that their group health benefits be maintained during the leave. FMLA is designed to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities by