How Legal Advocacy at Birth Can Keep Families Together with Adam Ballout Artwork

Community In-Site

Community In-site is about the family well-being movement. Hosts Tecoria Jones and Elliott Hinkle bring their lived expertise with the child welfare system as well as their professional insights to each episode. We'll be talking to leaders, advocates, and community members who are working from the grassroots to the grasstops on strategies to invest in the well-being of families and communities in order to prevent child welfare involvement. The show will feature stories and lessons from community sites (featuring Thriving Families, Safer Children sites) that make the family well-being movement real and personal. Each episode will unpack a specific topic (e.g. racial equity or community partnerships) and what can be learned from the challenges and successes. The hosts hope to leave listeners with something they can take into their own work to help grow the movement in their community.

For more information about the family well-being movement and Thriving Families, Safer Children initiative you can visit, Thriving Families

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How Legal Advocacy at Birth Can Keep Families Together with Adam Ballout

January 30, 2025 • Imagination Factory & 14th Street Studios • Season 2 • Episode 2

Valerie talks to Adam Ballout, a public defender and co-founder of the F.I.R.S.T. (Family Intervention Response to Stop Trauma) Legal Clinic in Washington state. The clinic takes an innovative approach by partnering with healthcare providers and community organizations to offer free legal advocacy to mothers facing substance use challenges. The goal is to keep mothers and their babies together while providing the support they need, including treatment and other resources.

Adam explains how early intervention at birth can help avoid the lasting trauma often caused by foster care and the court system. He highlights the importance of seeing the family as a whole and how prioritizing family preservation, rather than separation, results in better outcomes for both parents and children.

By taking a holistic approach and offering support before a crisis occurs, the F.I.R.S.T Clinic is able to keep the infant and mother together in 83% of their cases. The Clinic is a great example of how a compassionate, prevention-focused child welfare system can help keep families intact and improve long-term outcomes. Listeners will gain valuable insights into how the clinic achieves these outcomes and discover lessons that can be applied in their own communities. They’ll also learn about specific strategies, like involving peer allies (parents with lived experience) to empower families, build trust, and help them navigate the system.

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Here are some additional resources Adam would like to share with you.

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Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com