About

Mission

The mission of the Barton Center is to promote and protect the legal rights and interests of children who are involved with the juvenile court, child welfare, and juvenile justice systems in the state of Georgia, to inspire excellence among professionals, and to prepare emerging practitioners for successful and rewarding careers in child advocacy.

The Center achieves its reform objectives through research-based policy development, legislative advocacy, and holistic legal representation for individual clients.

Guiding Principles

Our mission requires that we:

• Act as a catalyst for improvements in the juvenile court and child protection systems in Georgia;
• Advocate a long-range systematic approach to public policy designed for the benefit of the children affected;
• Provide research-based information about best practices and whether policies and laws affecting children have their intended effect;
• Represent children and youth in juvenile court proceedings and related administrative proceedings;
• Promote the practice of children's law as a specialized area requiring specialized knowledge and skills.

Annual Reports

Historical information about the work of the Barton Center is available in our past annual reports.