Help the DeLaceys Access Legal Representation

We are raising funds because our youngest foster-adoptive child is severely mentally ill and in need of a higher level of care. In order to access this care, our child must be deemed "a ward of the state."

We would have to surrender custody and be charged with criminal neglect and abandonment. We need an attorney. We've found one with legal experience in this type of case, and the up front fee is $6,000.

Other attorneys we've looked at do not have expertise in foster-adoptive relationships and sibling sets entangled with DHS (child protective services). Our case is incredibly complex, and if we are convicted, Deb will lose her livelihood, and my license is at risk. We are legal layfolk. We need legal assistance both to protect our livelihoods while we seek care for our child, and just to help us understand how to navigate this difficult situation.