welcome to jfc
WHO WE ARE / WHAT WE DO
Justice for Children’s Call Center helps when the child protection system fails to protect a child. We offer information, guidance and assistance to adults who are trying to keep the child safe.
Our Pro Bono Legal program provides free legal help when it appears that a court or agency will return a child to an abusive situation. Our Court Watch program sends observers to courts in cases where a know abuser might be on the verge of obtaining custody or unsupervised visitation.
Justice for Children does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and age in the delivery of services.
Your tax deductible donation to help us help children will change lives.
The purpose of Justice for Children is to provide a full range of advocacy and services for abused and neglected children; that includes pro-bono legal advocacy, public policy monitoring, guidance through a complex child protective system, professional referrals, mental health services, court watch, research, education, and emotional support. The following is a brief explanation of our advocacy and services.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
in the news…
CHILD ABUSE REPORTS BACKLOGGED…
Burton, a former prosecutor and the founder of Justice for Children is constantly fighting for children who have been abused and or neglected – whether by family, caretaker, city or state.
Randy Burton, Founder
Ayudar a un niño que lo necesita ahora.
Justice for Children provides guidance through the legal and judicial processes, assists in court watch, and advocates on behalf of children to law enforcement and other governmental agencies. JFC connects individuals with legal resources including pro bono attorneys and helps with protective orders. Justice for Children JFC is also involved in a variety of legal research projects and has contributed to amicus briefs, researching legal issues and providing data on important legal issues affecting the rights of abused children.
Justice for Children assists and refers several thousand callers annually through the complicated and unsympathetic maze of governmental agencies established to protect abused children. Advocating for an abused or neglected child takes on many different forms of participation and involvement. These include researching and gathering supporting documentation; reviewing supporting documentation; referring persons to professionals; guiding them through the legal and judicial process; providing legal assistance with protective orders; initiating child abuse investigations; serving as a liaison to law enforcement and other governmental agencies; generating advocacy correspondence and amicus briefs; acting as facilitator of professional services; court watch; and providing pro bono legal representation and connecting persons with attorneys.
Justice for Children has proposed and drafted legislation to improve the laws pertaining not only to child abuse and child protection, but also laws concerning the funding for protective services. We have also presented legislation designed to make the legal process more child-friendly. Additionally, because of its experience in this area, Justice for Children receives numerous requests to provide testimony regarding various pieces of legislation around the country.
Justice for Children has traditionally provided information and materials to combat child abuse and to educate the public of the signs and symptoms of child abuse or neglect in its efforts to interrupt its dismal cycle. In 2012, it is initiating a project called “Just in Time”, to develop a series of informational and instructional modules to be placed on its website. Each is designed specifically to aid a field on the front lines of identifying and re-mediating child abuse: the community, medical first responders, school personnel, pediatricians, court personnel, and counseling professionals.
We seek to collaborate with other concerned national and community leaders, professionals, institutions, non-profit organizations, and governmental agencies to further a common goal of solving the deficiencies in our present child protective systems. By expanding our relationships within the community and on a national level, we are working to create a system that will effectively handle a child’s initial report of abuse, provide immediate safety, and ultimately, prosecute and convict the child abuser.
Justice for Children’s expert opinion continues to be recognized and valued by local and national media, legal and medical professionals, child abuse experts, and various other children’s rights organizations. We have been featured on ABC’s Primetime Live, ABC’s prime-time documentary entitled ‘Crimes Against Children,’ a PBS documentary entitled ‘Boy Crying, Baby Crying,” as well as appearances on Good Morning America, Donahue, the Discovery channel’s “Justice Files,’ HBO and in 2011, the BBC.
713-225-4357
Houston is the primary site of Justice for Children’s Call Center, and the site of its National Headquarters. It began its operations in a Houston church basement. Historically, most National Board members, including founder Randy Burton, have lived in and around the Houston area.