KIND: How Angelina Jolie’s NGO provides free legal aid to children

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), the organisation co-founded by Angelina Jolie in 2008, provides free legal representation and support to unaccompanied children in the United States and Mexico.

The organisation connects children with pro bono attorneys who understand immigration and child-protection cases. KIND says it has helped more than 17,000 children through this work.

The legal support is designed for children navigating proceedings without a parent or legal guardian. Many have experienced trauma, making legal assistance alone insufficient. KIND also provides psychosocial support and coordinates comprehensive services for children and families, according to the organisation’s official programme information.

KIND’s model combines legal representation with social and psychological assistance. Its lawyers help children understand their cases and pursue available legal protections, while partner services address needs linked to safety, trauma and wellbeing.

The organisation’s work extends across the US and Mexico, where unaccompanied children may face complex immigration procedures and limited access to qualified legal help. KIND’s official materials describe pro bono representation as a central part of its approach.

Children who appear in immigration proceedings without legal representation can struggle to explain their circumstances or identify the protections available to them. A lawyer can help present a child’s case and ensure that proceedings account for the child’s age and vulnerability.

KIND’s support also reflects the wider needs of children who have experienced displacement or trauma. The organisation says its services are intended to connect legal aid with psychosocial care rather than treat the legal case in isolation. The programme’s stated reach and service structure are also documented in KIND’s official impact information.

Jolie’s role in KIND has contributed to her public profile as a humanitarian and child-rights advocate. The practical work, however, is carried out through the organisation’s network of attorneys, social-service providers and staff in the countries where it operates.

The next step under KIND’s model is case assessment and connection with an appropriate pro bono attorney. Children may also be referred for psychosocial support and other services, depending on their circumstances.

KIND’s ongoing focus remains expanding access to representation and coordinated support for unaccompanied children. Its official service information does not announce a new deadline or separate legal programme; the confirmed process is continued assistance through its existing US-Mexico network.

The programme matters beyond the individual cases it handles. It shows how nonprofit legal networks can help children navigate immigration systems while addressing the trauma and practical difficulties that often accompany separation from family.

Angelina Jolie co-founded Kids in Need of Defense in 2008. The organisation helps unaccompanied children obtain free legal representation and access psychosocial and other support services.

Kids in Need of Defense, known as KIND, is an organisation that assists unaccompanied children in the United States and Mexico through legal representation and coordinated services.

KIND says it has helped more than 17,000 children by connecting them with pro bono attorneys and related support.

Yes. KIND connects eligible unaccompanied children with pro bono attorneys who provide legal assistance for their cases.

KIND provides services across the United States and Mexico.

Many unaccompanied children have experienced trauma. Psychosocial support can address those needs while legal professionals handle the child’s immigration or protection case.