b'FAMILY CAREGIVERS GET NEEDED SUPPORTThankstoherdevotedAuntLillian,six-year- legalbriefs,exhibits,anddocumentation,the old Amelia has a good home. Until recently shejudge awarded custody to Aunt Lillian. lived with her mother, who struggled with mentalMintzsrelationshipwithDC\x0cinCareisrooted illnesscompulsivelytakingAmeliatotheinafriendshipestablishedinthe9s,when emergency room in the middle of the night whenMarla and \x0caren Lovitch, chair of Mintzs ealthDC KinCare nothing was wrong. When Amelia could not safelyLaw \x11ractice, worked together at a boutique lawAlliances remaininhermotherscare,AuntLilliantookfirm.\x0carennowservesonDC\x0cinCaresboard Amelia into her home, but she found she couldntandoverseesMintzsassistanceonmanyDCpartnership with ensure Amelias well-being without legal authority\x0cinCareprojects.AtDC\x0cinCarelegalclinics,Mintz has been to do so. Thats when DC \x0cinCare Alliance, withheld weekly at DC \x07amily Court before the onset help from Mintz, stepped in to help Aunt Lillianinvaluable to our become Amelias legal custodian.oftheCOVID-19pandemic,Mintzattorneys including Aarti, \x07arrah Short, \x0bohn \x07orrest, andability to serve our DC\x0cinCareprovideslegalrepresentation,Sarah \x03eth \x0cuyers helped family caregivers accessclients fully and education,andadvocacytosupportrelativelegal services and financial benefits. During oneeffectively, and caregiverswhenachildsparentscantprovideclinic, Aarti worked with a grandmother caring care due to incarceration, homelessness, drug use,fortwochildren.\x07irst,Aartiexplainedhowtohas assisted us mentalhealthproblems,adverseimmigrationget the name of the grandmothers son, the fatherin challenging the actions,orotherchallenges.Althoughfosterof one of the children, listed on the childs birth parents care for many at-risk children, DCs Childcertificate.Shethenhelpedthegrandmothersystems of racial and and \x07amily Services Agency C\x07SA often refusescomplete a custodial power of attorney form foreconomic injustice to license relative caregivers. Instead, C\x07SA leavesaparenttosignandapplyforbenefitsforthein DC.relativesmanycontendingwithpovertyandsecond child. In an hour and a half, we improved systemic racial injusticeto fend for themselvesthiswomanslifetremendously,Aartisaid. without foster care payments or other financial\x07arrah will volunteer post-pandemic. Its a greatMARLA SPINDELresourcestoraisethechildren,oranylegalopportunity for attorneys with little bandwidth toExecutive Directorauthority to care for or obtain services for them.do meaningful work in a short period of time, sheDC KinCare AllianceCaregivers like Aunt Lillian are then encouragedsaid.to petition for custody on their own.\x13ecently attorney \x03ridgette \x0celler, with \x0carens \x07or Amelias custody trial, attorney Aarti Shah ledoversight,researchedlegalargumentstohelp a Mintz team including attorney Evelyn \x07rench,DC \x0cinCare advocate for relative caregivers who who prepared motions and direct examinations,hope to access Temporary Assistance for \x0feedy projectanalystMargaret\x0bewett,andformer\x07amiliesTA\x0f\x07andSupplemental\x0futrition projectanalystannahMerrill.TheyspentsixAssistance\x11rogramS\x0fA\x11benefitsbyphone. weekspreparingAuntLillianscase,whichwasSince the pandemic began, theyve had to apply presented in DC Superior Court by DC \x0cinCaresonline, which is dicult for some individuals with co-founders, Executive Director Marla Spindel anddisabilities and for caregivers without computers Deputy Director Stephanie McClellan. In additionorinternetaccess.Inaddition,attorney\x19avier to establishing that Amelias mother was unable toardyandpatentagent\x11oojaVarshneya,with care for her child, Mintz obtained documentation\x0carens input and oversight, researched the history that Amelias father, also petitioning for custody,of community policing in DC and presented via had been arrested for attacking his landlord with\x1boom to DC \x0cinCares community advisory board amachete.\x03asedonMarlasandStephaniesoncommunitypolicinginitiativesandtheir capablerepresentationandMintzssupportingeffectiveness in preventing criminal activity.RESILIENCE // Mintz Pro Bono Journal 23'