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	Helping abused and neglected children

'Seminars like ‘Developing legal expertise’ offer a valuable resource of learning and knowledge exchange that can help support and develop our work'

Sarah Sergeant, Director, Kansas Children’s Service League

There were more than 8000 confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect in the State of Kansas, USA in 2000, according to Sarah Sergeant, director of legal services at the Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL).

KCSL is a private, non-profit agency dedicated to improving the well-being of children. The agency was established in 1893. Today it provides a variety of services to more than 12,500 children and families throughout the State. KCSL’s aim is to reconcile abused or neglected children with their parents, or to place them in adoptive families.

Sarah works closely with social workers investigating cases of child abuse and supports them in the presentation of cases in court. She also trains members of staff at KSCL in law and policy, works with groups of attorneys, and runs legal education seminars.

‘Ninety-five per of children leaving foster care organised by us are known to be safe in the 12 months after returning home,’ says Sarah. ‘However, we recognise that there is always room for improvement and development.’

With this in mind, Sarah is eager to learn, and pass on all she can to ensure that the high success rate continues to be met. She presents papers at legal conferences in Australia and the USA, and is currently teaching a course, Children and the Law, at Washburn Law School, Kansas. ‘High-quality seminars, such as ‘Developing legal expertise’, offer a valuable resource of learning and knowledge exchange that can help support and develop our work,’ she says.