Center for Elder Law & Justice (CELJ)

438 Main Street, Suite 1200
Buffalo NY 14202
Phone: (716) 853-3087
Phone: (716) 878-9297 (Kinship Legal Services Intake Line)
Agency Contact: Cheryl Kostrewa
Email: ckostrewa@elderjusticeny.org
Email: info@elderjusticeny.org
Website: https://elderjusticeny.org/

Counties Served: Erie and Niagara

The Center for Elder Law & Justice is a non-profit civil legal services agency, providing free legal representation in eight Western New York counties.

Kinship Care: https://elderjusticeny.org/services/kinship-care-legal-services-program/

The Kinship Care unit provides free legal representation to kinship caregivers of all ages in Erie and Niagara counties.

Services provided include:

• Assistance with petitions
• Representation in neglect and abuse, custody, guardianship, adoption, child support, family offense, and administrative matters.
•  Assistance with applications for public benefits
•  Eligibility: Must be a resident of Erie or Niagara County. If caregiver is age 54 or younger, income eligibility is at 200% of federal poverty guidelines. If caregiver is age 55 and over, there are no income eligibility guidelines
•  Legal advice, consultation, and representation are available to caregivers who are actively in care of relative children and child is in danger of being placed in non-relative foster care.
•  Legal advice, consultation, and representation are available to caregivers who are actively in care of relative children, with no Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement, on a case-by-case basis.

*Relative caregivers not in care of the child, or caregivers who already have legal support will not be eligible for CELJ’s kinship legal services*

Additional Services Include:

• Housing: https://www.elderjusticeny.org/housing
• Health Care: https://www.elderjusticeny.org/health-care
• Elder Abuse: https://www.elderjusticeny.org/elder-abuse
• Aging with Pride: https://www.elderjusticeny.org/aging-with-pride
• Consumer Protection: https://www.elderjusticeny.org/consumer-protection
• Legal Advice Helplines: https://www.elderjusticeny.org/legal-advice-helplines
• MedLaw Partnership of WNY: https://www.elderjusticeny.org/medlaw-partnership-of-wny
• Safety Tool and Risk Detector: https://www.elderjusticeny.org/risk-screening-tools
• Medicaid and SSI Pooled Trust: https://www.elderjusticeny.org/pooled-trust
• Older Refugees and New Americans: https://www.elderjusticeny.org/older-refugees-and-new-americans-immigration

What to Expect at Family Court
June 2021 NYS Kinship Navigator Lunch and Learn Webinar
Click Here!