123 West Main Street
Suite 308
Durham, NC 27701
Ph: 919-354-7230
Staff
Additionally, the Office of Indigent Defense Services and the UNC School of Government collaborate to create quality, cost-effective indigent defense education, including innovative training programs, manuals, and online resources, to ensure that indigent defenders have the qualifications, training, and support they need to be effective.
Timothy E. Heinle, Civil Defender Educator, UNC School of Government.
Profile and Contact Information
Mission
Our office was created to assist attorneys representing indigent parents in abuse, neglect, dependency (A/N/D) and termination of parental rights (TPR) proceedings. We accomplish this goal through training programs and resources, providing consultation to attorneys and maintaining listservs. Our office is also responsible for evaluating and assigning A/N/D and TPR appeals to qualified appellate attorneys including assistant parent defenders within the Office of the Parent Defender.
History
Created in 2006, the Office of Parent Representation was part of the Office of the Appellate Defender.
The office was created to assist attorneys representing indigent parents in abuse, neglect, dependency (A/N/D) and termination of parental rights (TPR) proceedings. The office was also responsible for evaluating and assigning A/N/D and TPR appeals to qualified appellate attorneys including assistant appellate defenders within the Office of Parent Representation.
On March 2, 2018, the IDS Commission created the Office of the Parent Defender.
On June 8, 2018, the IDS Commission appointed Wendy Sotolongo as NC’s first Parent Defender. On September 21, 2018, the IDS Commission updated the IDS Rules to permit the Office of the Parent Defender to maintain responsibility for assignment of appeals in AND/TPR cases, civil contempt cases and Chapter 35A cases.
The IDS Commission re-appointed Wendy Sotolongo as the Parent Defender on July 15, 2022.
Annual Reports
- 2022 OPD Annual Report Dec 2022
- 2021 OPD Annual Report Dec 2021
- 2020 OPD Annual Report Dec 2020