Office of Public Policy and Client Advocacy

The Children’s Aid Society has provided innovative programs to support the well-being of low-income children and families in New York City for over 155 years. Since 1997, that has included legal advocacy services within the Office of Public Policy & Client Advocacy (OPPCA), which serves all of the 150,000 children, youth and families at Children’s Aid.

Through OPPCA, we ensure that all clients have access to immediate, high-quality legal services as we work to stabilize households and help disconnected youth secure their futures. Building on an established infrastructure and utilizing the staff in Children’s Aid’s 50 sites, OPPCA has created a unique safety-net through a comprehensive fabric of integrated services that has provided assistance on over 10,000 individual cases.

The Office of Public Policy and Client Advocacy focuses primarily on housing, low-income subsidies, domestic violence, child support, access to health care, juvenile justice, special education, credit, immigration, foster care, and the rights of teens, and collaborates with over 25 pro bono legal providers when litigation is needed.