You are cordially invited to
Indiana Paralegal Association, Inc.'s
February 19, 2026 Monthly Meeting
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
via Zoom only
A Voice of Their Own: Legal Advocacy for Indiana’s Children
What Paralegals Need to Know About Foster Youth Rights, Counsel, and System Failures (1.0 CLE Credit)
Indiana is only one of five states that does not require at least some foster children have lawyers. Heather Hobbs and Rachel Vilensky are part of a small non-profit that tries to fill in this gap throughout Indiana by representing foster youth. You may wonder why a foster child needs their own lawyer, and wonder whether a CASA or GAL fills in that role? We will go through the rights a child has in the system and the liberty interests at stake for a child in a case involving the Department of Child Services. And finally, we will discuss the failures of our current system in protecting children, and what information you should know to help kids going forward.
Speaker bios:
Heather Hobbs joined Child Advocates in December 2025 as a Direct Representation Attorney, protecting the rights of children in the child welfare system. Her entire career has been focused on bettering the lives of children, beginning in child welfare as a Family Case Manager with the Indiana Department of Child Services. Heather spent nearly four years investigating child abuse and neglect and providing ongoing case management to find permanency for children and families. Upon seeing the additional protection for children she could provide as a lawyer, Heather attended NKU Chase College of Law and graduated in 2015. During law school, Heather represented children in education, custody, and juvenile matters at the Children’s Law Center in Kentucky. After law school, Heather spent almost 8 years at the Indiana Department of Child Services as an Adoption Assistance Negotiator, Local Office Attorney, and finally a Chief Counsel supervising multiple attorneys throughout many counties. Heather has consistently witnessed the need for youth to have their own legal representation when involved in the child welfare system, and is excited to start this new chapter helping elevate their voices at Child Advocates
Rachel Vilensky is the Director of the Direct Representation Program at Child Advocates where she provides legal assistance to children involved in Child in Need of Services (CHINS) cases. Prior to this position, she was the Juvenile Division Assistant Chief at the Marion County Public Defender Agency and provided training on juvenile defense representation through the Indiana Public Defender Council. She graduated from the Maurer School of Law: Indiana University in 2009. Rachel became a certified trainer for the Juvenile Training Immersion Program in 2015. Rachel is passionate about ensuring children in CHINS cases know their rights, are given the opportunity to appropriately assert or waive their rights, and have legal representation where necessary to assist them with the CHINS process, including arguing for less restrictive alternatives.
1.0 Hour of CLE will be provided for all attendees.
FREE for IPA members includes 1 hour of CLE
$35.00 for non-members includes 1 hour of CLE
This meeting is being offered via Zoom only. Once you have registered, you will receive an email with the invitation to join the scheduled Zoom meeting. Please make reservations or cancellations by noon on Wednesday, February 19, 2026. A full refund will be made if cancellation is received by noon on February 19, 2026. Cancellations after that date/time will still require payment.
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