Justice for Children & Families

When parents aren’t able to care for their children, family members oftentimes step in to serve as caregivers. Bet Tzedek supports these caregivers by helping them secure legal guardianship of these children, and in the process ensuring the children’s physical and emotional well-being. We also support adults caring for children by helping them access benefits and navigate processes that ensure their family’s well-being, including adoption, foster care benefits, and educational benefits.

Bet Tzedek connects undocumented children with legal guardians to ensure their wellbeing and prevent them from falling into the foster care system. We also help obtain Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, asylum, or other forms of relief for undocumented children so they can remain safely in the U.S. As a national leader in this effort, we train pro bono volunteers in special proceedings and advise legislators on changes to improve immigration policies.

Bet Tzedek partners with Harbor-UCLA Medical Center to provide free legal services to help patients and their families with legal problems that harm their health. Our legal team works closely with hospital physicians and social workers to holistically address patients’ wellbeing.

If you are a patient at Harbor-UCLA, please call (426) 306-7205 to make an appointment with the legal team or ask your provider to refer you.

Since 2016, Bet Tzedek has worked with organizations, such as the LGBT Bar Association of Los Angeles, to ensure transgender youth have access to medical care and coverage, live free from discrimination at school, and receive accurate gender identity recognition under the law.