Kids Matter, Inc. is a small grassroots organization that puts volunteer energy into improving the lives of the many Milwaukee County children involved in the child welfare system. Founded in 2001, the organization has since developed into the largest Court Appointed Special Advocate program in the state and has just launched a bold, new Second Acts pilot project to engage Wisconsin’s transitioning and retired attorneys in working to better the lives of special needs foster children.

As part of the Pro Bono Institute’s Second Acts pilot project at Kids Matter, transitioning and retired attorneys from law firms and corporations will have opportunities to advocate for special needs foster or kinship children in guardianship cases and complex special education matters, and will remove barriers to independence for foster children who will age out of care by, for example, creating a limited liability checking account system with local banks.

The project also seeks to engage transitioning and retired attorneys on significant law reform and policy issues over the three year project period. The opportunities in this Second Acts project at Kids Matter will offer a range of opportunities to leverage the significant experience of transitioning and retired attorneys to help foster children and to improve the systems that affect their lives.