State of Mississippi Judiciary

The Parent Representation Task Force began as a collaboration between several state entities and funding organizations to help bring subsidized representation to indigent parents facing child removal proceedings in court. The original partners included the Court Improvement Project, Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services, Casey Family Programs, University of Mississippi School of Law, Mississippi College School of Law ‘s Mission First Legal Aid Office, the American Bar Association, Mississippi Center for Legal Services, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, and the Mississippi Judicial College.

The effort began in 2012 with four sites which soon expanded to six. After 2016, the Kellogg Foundation and the Office of State Public Defender joined the effort. As a result of this collective effort, state funding has been appropriated. In 2018, the Parent Representation Task Force became institutionalized through the Mississippi Commission on Children’s Justice. The Task Force continues to meet quarterly, and a Strategic Leadership Team was created in 2019 to provide direction for expansion of the program.