About Dependency Advocacy Center
Dependency Advocacy Center (DAC), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, provides interdisciplinary family defense legal services to parents and children involved in Santa Clara County’s informal and formal child welfare system. Our adult clients face the risk of permanent separation from their children due to allegations of abuse and neglect. Substance use disorder, intimate partner violence, and mental health concerns are commonly presenting issues, often rooted in the layered effects of poverty, marginalization, and intergenerational trauma.
Vision
Empower families to break cycles of system involvement and marginalization
Mission
Preserve families and restore dignity through zealous advocacy
Impact
Every client will have meaningful access to justice in the pursuit of their family well being
DAC provides zealous legal representation to indigent clients in the juvenile dependency system to promote timely reunification and preservation of families in a safe, healthy environment. DAC believes that every parent and child entering the dependency system has a right to be treated with dignity, compassion and respect.
Our Approach to Advocacy
Comprehensive family defense advocacy at DAC involves a three-pronged approach:
Providing a skilled interdisciplinary team to offer holistic client support
Encouraging system improvement through innovative programming and child welfare best practices
Employing early intervention strategies to help prevent the need for initial or prolonged system involvement
DAC was founded on the belief that traditional legal advocacy is insufficient to adequately represent our parent and youth clients. The holistic support offered by DAC’s interdisciplinary team of attorneys, social workers, and mentor parents provides parents and children with a more comprehensive network of resources and pathways to success.
Through DAC’s approach to advocacy and a proven commitment to client-centered strategies, DAC is making a difference for thousands of families in Santa Clara County.
