Summer 2004

KIDS Legal Aid of Maine Begins

KIDS Legal Aid of Maine is a new state-wide project at Pine Tree Legal Assistance. There are 3 parts to KIDS:

  1. Represent children and their families in education, housing, medical care, and financial security issues;
  2. Give trainings to the public and to community providers, and
  3. Offer case consultations to staff working with low-income children in Maine.

How can KIDS help you?

Has a school kept your child from enrolling?

In one case, a KIDS attorney helped a homeless student who was staying with her boyfriend's family enroll in school without having to go through a guardianship case in court.

Is your child identified as special education?

A KIDS attorney can make sure the school identifies your child if he or she is special education and seek educational services from the school that meets your child's individual needs.

Is your child out of school because of an expulsion?

A KIDS attorney can represent you or your child before the school board to either stop an expulsion or request readmission to school after an expulsion.

Is your child only getting 2 hours of tutoring a day for school?

A KIDS attorney can advocate for appropriate school programming, which is more than just 2 hours of tutoring a day.

Is your child refusing to go to school?

A KIDS attorney can represent you in developing an alternative program for your child to stop the truancy and work toward preventing your child from dropping out of school.

Are you under 18 and pregnant and applying for TANF?

A KIDS attorney can help you apply for TANF and represent you if you are denied because you do not live at home.

Have you gotten an eviction notice from your landlord because of your child's behavior?

A KIDS attorney can look into whether your child needs mental health services and ask the landlord to not evict your family while your child is getting those services, as a reasonable accommodation.

Is your child being beaten up by his or her girlfriend/boyfriend?

A KIDS attorney can represent you in court to ask for a protection order for your child.

Who to Contact:

Currently, KIDS staff is Sara Meerse, Legal Coordinator/Directing Attorney and Alison Beyea, KIDS Project Coordinator. A full-time KIDS attorney will be hired for the Bangor Office by September and a statewide KIDS intake worker will be hired this summer. Starting this Fall, KIDS will work in the Penobscot Tribal Court to provide legal services to juveniles charged with misdemeanor or felonies in related civil matters - school, mental health services and stable housing. For now, call 1-800-879-7463 to reach Pine Tree's Native American Unit and ask for KIDS Legal Aid. Your call will be transferred to KIDS staff.