The New York City Family Courts hear all matters relating to the well-being of the City's families, with the exception of divorce, including the abuse and neglect of children, domestic violence, foster care, adoption, and child custody. Despite the importance of the matters addressed in Court, it is under-resourced and over-crowded. There are only 47 Family Court judges responsible for the nearly 250,000 cases filed each year, and legal representation is in short supply. As a result, few families get the assistance they deserve and require, and the majority of litigants proceed without legal representation. Yet few litigants have the tools they need to navigate a complex bureaucracy without assistance. LIFT’s Education & Information Sites (EI Sites) address the challenges these families face. At our EI Sites, located in heavily trafficked entranceways and waiting areas of the Family Courthouses in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, our bilingual (Spanish/English) Site Coordinators:

• Disseminate LIFT's original Family Court Resource Guides (available in Chinese, English, Haitian/Creole, Korean, Russian, and Spanish) along with helpful information from over 50 community-based organizations serving children and families;
• Work individually with litigants to provide legal information about Family Court, family law, and child welfare; and
• Provide referrals to neighborhood-based social and legal services.

Empowered and equipped with newfound knowledge, families are increasingly likely to accomplish their goals in Court and exit the system with their stability and well-being intact. LIFT is the only organization providing these services in Family Court.

In September 2008, we began a partnership with New York Law School - Justice Action Center, whereby students work at the Sites for law school credit.

In 2007, LIFT worked with nearly 31,000 people at our EI Sites, answered more than 127,000 questions, distributed 106,000 resource guides, and provided 50,237 referrals to neighborhood-based social and legal service providers.  The majority of those served at our EI Sites were either Black (46%) or Latina (36%) mothers (55%). A staggering 89% of the people we served at the Sites did not have legal representation.

Data from our 2007 client satisfaction surveys demonstrate the importance of LIFT's EI Sites to the people we work with:

• 100% of those we served felt that the EI Site was helpful, with 87% saying the Site was "very helpful."

• 100% felt they had been treated with respect and were willing to refer LIFT to a friend.

• 91% reported that LIFT's bilingual EI Site Coordinators provided them with a better understanding of their case or situation.

• 93% reported that, as a result of visiting an EI Site, they knew what steps to take next.

Below, please find a list of the locations of each EI Site.

Family Court EI Site Locations and Hours of Operation:

Bronx Family Court:
900 Sheridan Avenue

Site I
Located in the lobby on the left before the elevators

This Site is not staffed - Only LIFT's materials are available here

Site II
Located on the 7th Floor outside the Petition Room

Hours of Operation: Monday –- Thursday, 8:00 a.m. –- 4:30 p.m.,
Friday, 8:00 a.m. –- 1:00 p.m.

Brooklyn Family Court:
330 Jay Street

Site I
Located on the 5th Floor outside the Support Petition Room

This Site is not staffed - Only LIFT's materials are available here

Site II
Located on the 6th Floor in the Petition Room waiting area

Hours of Operation: Monday and Friday, 9:00 a.m. –- 5:00 p.m.;
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 10:00 a.m. –- 6:00 p.m.

Manhattan Family Court:
60 Lafayette Street (between Franklin and Leonard Streets)

Site located in the lobby directly past the metal detectors

Hours of Operation: Monday –- Friday, 8:45 a.m. –- 12:00 p.m.

Queens Family Court:
151-20 Jamaica Avenue

Located in the lobby, to the right of the Petition Room

Hours of Operation: Monday –- Friday, 8:30 a.m. –- 4:30 p.m.

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