The NACC is not only a valuable resource to practitioners, its work has advanced the development of a new field of legal practice involving children.
- Howard Davidson, NACC Member & Director of the ABA Center on Children and the Law.
What is the National Association of Counsel for Children?
The National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) is a non-profit child advocacy and professional membership association dedicated to representation and protection of children in the legal system. Founded in 1977, the NACC is located in the Kempe Children's Center on the campus of The Children's Hospital in Denver, Colorado. The NACC also maintains a policy representative in Washington, DC.
The NACC provides training and technical assistance to child advocates and works to improve the child welfare, juvenile justice and private custody systems. The NACC is a multidisciplinary organization with approximately 2,000 members representing all 50 states and several foreign countries. NACC membership is comprised primarily of attorneys and judges, although the fields of medicine, social work, mental health, education, and law enforcement are also represented.
In the same way that the American Academy of Pediatrics works to serve the medical needs of children and youth, the NACC works to serve the legal needs of children and youth. In 1997, the NACC was awarded the Meritorious Service to the Children of America Award given by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
NACC programs include publications such as the quarterly newsletter The Guardian; The Children's Legal Rights Journal and annual children's law manuals. The NACC sponsors an annual national children's law conference each fall as well as a trial skills training each spring. We participate as amicus curiae in cases of national significance to children and maintain a policy agenda, a national child advocate awards program, and a speakers bureau. NACC state and local affiliates also exist to promote the mission of the NACC on a local level. The NACC national office in Denver serves the needs of members as a children's law resource center. The NACC is currently building its attorney certification program.
If you work with children as an attorney, judge, administrator, care provider, physician, therapist, social worker, teacher, law enforcement office, or are simply a concerned citizen and want to improve your effectiveness while improving the system, the NACC is your organization.
Membership in the NACC is $90 annually. As a member, you will have access to NACC services and your dues will support a cause you believe in. To join, click here or on the "Join the NACC" button above. For more information, contact the NACC office by calling toll free or clicking the e-mail link below.
Click here to view the NACC's 2005-2010 Strategic Plan
Click here to view the NACC's 2005-2010 Strategic Plan Program Chart