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that have been created, or were designed to protect and care for them as children but instead created other life narratives for them as young adults . The lack of access or the crisis that we still face and need to further combat are the cracks in transparency, quality, and quantity to equal access and legal information; if we fail to repair these cracks, the gaps to access to justice will widen . As we evolve as a society, the types of legal needs continue to evolve and the resource development sometimes is outpaced by the legal needs . The allegations against Kay that brought the child welfare system back in to Kay’s life may be false, but she has to submit to the inquiry and lose pay . She cannot obtain a job that provides more money and benefits because she cannot go to school and she is not eligible for certain jobs . Her immigration status instability makes each step she takes difficult . Ollie could not address the problem that his adoptive mother continued to receive money for his care; she did not provide him any support for the majority of his life; and he has lost access to his sibling . Improving access requires a fully resourced system that seeks to evolve and address gaps that the system itself may inadvertently cause . Access to justice must be part of system planning when we look at established areas and new areas that arise, but also these systems need to be cognizant and willing to work to prevent creating the gaps that cause the need for the access-fragile populations, like Kay and Ollie . They were children that were immersed in a system to care for them, but as adults the system as currently structured has caused gaps that impede their access . •
Impact: Collected Essays on Expanding Access to Justice