FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Bernardo Kohler Center’s Casitas Program Receives Grant to Assist
Abused, Abandoned, and Neglected Children
AUSTIN, Texas, November 26, 2012…….The Bernardo Kohler Center has received a $20,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation to support its work helping abused, abandoned, and neglected children seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile status.
The Casitas program, a project of the BKC, helps children by providing legal representation to abused, abandoned or neglected juveniles. This program specifically addresses claims for Special Immigrant Juvenile (S.I.J.) Status, a special type of U.S. humanitarian petition, requiring legal representation in both family and immigration proceedings. Casitas assists juveniles, families, and the state in navigating the complex intersection of family and immigration law, identifying the best route for meeting the juveniles' immigration needs, and training the broader legal community in these proceedings. Our juvenile clients are primarily selected through referral by other agencies.
Unaccompanied Alien Children are one of the most underserved areas of immigration law, with over 50% going unrepresented, facing deportation and possible separation from family. It is also one of the most complex areas, making our services vital to the well being of these minors. Casitas strives to assist juveniles, families, and the state in navigating the complex intersection of family and immigration law, identifying the best route for meeting the juveniles' immigration needs, and training the broader legal community.
“Without funding programs like the Texas Bar Foundation, many children would fall through the cracks of the system and continue to be exposed to danger and abuse. The services provided by Casitas are often the turning point in the lives of the children and juvenile clients, guiding them towards the specific services they so desperately need to survive,” said Dottie Laster, SOS Program Director, Bernardo Kohler Center.
Established in 2001, the BKC is a nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas that provides free and low-cost legal services to low-income and disadvantaged clients in a 51-county service area. With the grant from the Texas Bar Foundation, we are expanding services provided under the Casitas program. For more information visit us online at www.bernardokohler.org.
Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $12 million in grants to law-related programs. Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation is the nation’s largest charitably-funded bar foundation.
Company/organization info:
Since 2001, the BKC has worked to bring legal services to Texas immigrants. Our mission is to provide education and assistance to immigrants and legal professionals in immigration issues. The BKC focuses on helping those most in need, such as abandoned children and human trafficking victims.
Contact Information:
David R. Walding, Director, the Bernardo Kohler Center, Inc.
P.O.Box 42185 or
4009 Banister Lane, Suite 352
Austin, Texas 78704
Tel: (512) 626-3719, Fax: (512) 661-0326
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