Legal Advocacy for Children
Every child in foster care deserves more than a lawyer. They deserve a champion.
Our Mission
At ACCT, our mission is to recruit, equip, and empower skilled, passionate attorneys to stand beside children in Mid-Missouri’s foster care and juvenile justice systems.
ACCT attorneys are not only trained litigators with specialized knowledge of child welfare and juvenile law. They are relentless advocates who hold the system accountable and make sure children are not lost in the process. By combining legal expertise with a child focused approach, they ensure cases move forward with urgency, compassion, and a clear focus on the child’s best interest.
Our Standards
To deliver meaningful advocacy, ACCT attorneys commit to rigorous standards that place the child at the center of every case. At a minimum, our attorneys serving as Guardians ad Litem:
- Visit the youth they represent at least once between court hearings
- Attend monthly foster care case team meetings
- Advocate at every court hearing
- Speak up in Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and school disciplinary hearings
- File legal motions to advance the child's best interest when necessary
- Complete a minimum of 15 hours of annual child welfare law continuing education
Our Impact
Research is clear: when children have engaged legal advocacy, their lives improve. Across the country, children with strong representation experience less time in foster care, fewer placements and disruptions while in care, a lower likelihood of reentering foster care, and greater access to critical resources and supports for themselves and their families. At ACCT, this isn’t just data. It’s the daily reality we work toward for every child we represent.
- Less time in foster care
- Fewer placements and disruptions while in care
- A lower likelihood of reentering foster care
- Greater access to critical resources and supports for themselves and their families
Are You an Attorney Who Wants to Make a Difference?
ACCT partners with attorneys who share our commitment to advocacy, providing them with training, resources, and ongoing support to serve effectively as Guardians ad Litem. By teaming with ACCT, you’ll join a network of child centered professionals dedicated to ensuring that every child in foster care has a strong voice in court and a path to a safe, permanent home.