Justice on Call: Supporting Parents Navigating Violuntary Placement Agreement
Washington State’s Voluntary Placement Agreement (VPA) Attorney Hotline is an attorney telephone consultation service available to parents, guardians, or legal custodians when the State proposes a VPA and there is no pending dependency proceeding. One of the only programs of its kind in the nation, the VPA Hotline provides round-the-clock legal consultation to parents regarding VPAs, the dependency process, and case-specific questions. Session participants will learn about how the VPA Hotline came to be – how the Hotline was initially funded, how the program was stood up, and how the Hotline functions on a daily basis. In a panel-style Q & A session, session participants will also hear directly from the contractors who staff the Hotline and answer calls. The Hotline contractors will share their experiences helping parents navigate issues around voluntary placement, their success stories, the limitations of the Hotline, and their thoughts on areas of future growth for the Hotline.