On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Child Protection Services and the Child Welfare Section of the Mississippi Bar will offer a continuing legal education class for lawyers to learn more about Mississippi’s adoption process, specifically the legal process helping children in CPS custody who are legally free for adoption make the final step to their forever family.

“There are countless families ready to open their hearts and homes to children in need,” said General Fitch. “Finding good legal representation and paying for an adoption proceeding should not be barriers to connecting them. Regardless of the type of law you practice, all lawyers have a special ability to help these families, including through pro bono services. This CLE will give you the knowledge you need to be the one who can step in this gap. I am grateful to Commissioner Sanders and the Mississippi Bar for working with my team to host this important class.”

“Over six-hundred children in State custody every year find a forever home with Mississippi families that foster and then adopt them,” said CPS Commissioner Andrea Sanders. “I am continuously amazed at the outpouring of love from families and communities that choose to wrap around our children and offer them a safe haven in which to grow. State government will never be a good substitute for family, and I am grateful to General Fitch, and the entire Mississippi Bar for helping children navigate the legal path to permanency.”

The CLE will be held on Zoom on February 14, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 1 p.m. One hour of CLE credit will be offered. Interested lawyers can register here.

Last year, General Fitch rolled out The Empowerment Project, an initiative to build stronger Mississippi families, which included initiatives to streamline and improve the foster care and adoption systems. Learn more at The Empowerment Project here.