Dvorchak led NACC from its 40th to its 50th anniversaries, grew the organization’s reach, programs, and impact for children’s legal representation nationwide.
DENVER, CO — The National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) announced today that Chief Executive Officer Kim Dvorchak, JD, will step down, concluding ten years of leadership that has significantly expanded the organization’s programs, reach, and national impact. NACC’s Board of Directors has begun a search for the organization’s next leader, to start their tenure in the spring of 2027.
Dvorchak joined NACC in 2017 and led the organization through a period of significant growth and greater national influence. During Dvorchak’s tenure, NACC substantially expanded its organizational capacity and national reach, shepherding the organization through the pandemic and federal government changes. Through two strategic plans, NACC grew its programs and services, strengthened its national training and certification programs, and increased its policy advocacy on behalf of children, parents, and families. During Dvorchak’s leadership, NACC:
- Launched Counsel for Kids, a national campaign to advance the right to counsel for children and youth in child welfare proceedings, and published Seen, Heard, and Represented: A Policymaker’s Guide to Counsel for Kids;
- Adopted revised NACC Recommendations for Legal Representation of Children and Youth in Neglect and Abuse Proceedings, co-designed with young professionals who have lived experience in foster care, which will serve as a benchmark for lawyering for years to come;
- Published the 4th Edition of Child Welfare Law and Practice: Representing Children, Parents, and Agencies in Neglect, Abuse, and Dependency Cases, substantially revising the cornerstone book’s organization and content;
- Expanded training, professional development, and support for the national child welfare legal community, including launching NACC’s biennial Race Equity Training Series;
- Deepened the organization’s commitment to engaging people with lived experience in the design and implementation of its work, including launching the National Advisory Council on Children’s Legal Representation (NACCLR)—a group of lived experience experts who advise the board and are embedded with staff to guide projects;
- Strengthened NACC’s Child Welfare Law Specialist (CWLS) certification program and the evidence supporting specialization in child welfare law;
- Relaunched the Children’s Law Office Project and published the 2nd Edition of the Children’s Law Office Guidebook, developed with law office leaders across the country;
- Relaunched Law School Student Chapters, and published NACC on Campus and the Child Welfare Law Career Guide;
- Launched the Children’s Justice Fund to build philanthropic support for protecting and advancing the rights of children;
- Steered NACC through the pandemic and drastic changes to federal policy, positioning the organization to best support advocates providing essential legal representation and the people they serve;
- Grew the attendance of NACC’s annual National Child Welfare Law Conference;
- Enhanced NACC’s presence in earned media and influence on the public discourse around child welfare law, especially the urgency of access to counsel for children.
“When I arrived at NACC during its 40th anniversary year, I knew I was joining an organization with an extraordinary history and an important role to play in the future of children’s law,” said Kim Dvorchak, JD, NACC Chief Executive Officer. “Ten years later, as NACC prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, I am incredibly proud of what our Board, staff, members, lived experience experts, partners, and supporters have built together. We have grown not simply for the sake of becoming a larger organization, but so that NACC can more effectively promote excellence in legal representation, build a more diverse professional community, and advocate for justice for children and families. The time is right for the next chapter of my career, and I am proud to leave NACC ready to continue to thrive under its next leader.”
Board President Dawne Mitchell praised Dvorchak’s decade of leadership and the organization’s trajectory under her tenure. “Kim has been a transformative leader for NACC,” said Dawne Mitchell, NACC Board President. “She took an organization already forty years into its mission and helped it grow into a stronger, more visible, and more effective voice for children’s rights and child welfare legal representation nationwide. On behalf of the Board and staff, I want to thank Kim for a decade of vision, dedication, and steady leadership — and for the care she has taken to ensure this transition sets NACC up for continued success. We are excited for what the next chapter holds as we approach our 50th anniversary.”
“Kim will leave big shoes to fill for the next leader of NACC. But she has also laid the foundation for a smooth transition into NACC’s next chapter, grounded in our mission, values, and conviction in the need for this work,” said Allison Green, JD, CWLS, NACC Chief Legal Officer.
The Board’s search for NACC’s next Chief Executive Officer has begun, with candidate outreach and applications open now. The deadline to apply is November 30, 2026. Dvorchak will remain actively engaged with NACC throughout the transition to ensure continuity for staff, members, and partners, and looks forward to seeing everyone at NACC’s 50th Anniversary Conference and Gala in Denver in August 2027.
Media Contact: Evan Shepard, Communications Manager, [email protected], (339) 707-0406