We have another warrior for vulnerable children in Indiana joining our legal services team, and we are excited to introduce you to Joel Wieneke. Joel is one of our new Direct Representation attorneys who will represent older children in the child welfare system.
Before joining Child Advocates, Joel was a senior staff attorney with the Indiana Public Defender Council who trained Indiana attorneys representing children in the juvenile justice system. He also provided legal rights orientations for children committed to prison in Indiana. He is a certified Youth Defense Advocacy Program Trainer and a graduate of the National Juvenile Defender Council’s Summer Academy.
And Joel is a recipient of Indiana’s Gault Award, which is recognized as the highest honor for attorneys who defend juveniles in court. The Supreme Court case, for which the award is named, gave youth many of the same due process rights as adults, including having an attorney. The director of our Direct Representation program, Rachel Vilensky, won the same award in 2021 for her work as a public defender before joining Child Advocates.
Joel says, “I worked with Rachel on a federal grant program designed to improve juvenile justice in the State of Indiana. I know that if Rachel is doing something, it’s worth doing. And I highly value the need for competent, passionate attorneys representing children.”
Joel notes that of the 1,000 children he represented in the juvenile justice system, “I would estimate a dozen had stable two-parent households. Most children sent to prison could have been served by the child welfare system due to the extreme family instability, neglect, or abuse they had suffered…and many children expressed that they did not fully understand legal proceedings and felt powerless in them.”
Joel adds, “This work is a part of my faith, and I hope I honor it in that way. A repeated refrain of the Bible is to provide ‘justice for the fatherless’ or to ‘vindicate the fatherless and the oppressed’. I am truly blessed to be in a field where such an indispensable part of my faith can be embraced in my daily work.”
Child Advocates CEO Phyllis Armstrong says, “We are honored to have Joel on our stellar legal team. His unique experience will strengthen the work we do and, ultimately, help create a better future for every child who interacts with our Direct Representation attorneys and staff.”
Rachel Vilensky adds, “Joel’s creative approach to legal arguments and knowledge of Indiana case law will substantially benefit the children he represents, and all of us working with him. He has already jumped headfirst into his cases, providing thorough and empathetic representation to our clients.”
Last year, alone, our Direct Representation attorneys provided counsel for more than 250 older youth in their cases. And research shows that children who have attorneys spend less time in the child welfare system and can move more quickly into stable and permanent homes.
Child Advocates is the only organization in Indiana offering free, in-house attorneys who provide counsel for older children and give them a right to help determine their future. We believe in advocating for justice, opportunity, and well-being for every child.
