by Shauna Kirk

Created on: January 25, 2007   Last Updated: January 07, 2008

I will define child advocacy from a Child Advocate's point of view. As a court appointed Child Advocate, I represent a child's best interest in court. Child Advocates go through extensive training, each being specialized to the laws of the state for which they reside. Child Advocates submit to a criminal background check before beginning their training. Child Advocates are also called Guardian ad Litem (GAL), or more popularly recognized as CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). Child Advocates can be a paid profession or as in the case of Guardian's ad Litem, it can in a volunteer capacity.

A Child Advocate is appointed where the law designates such appointment, to a child who has been adjudicated abused or neglected. Some states appoint Attorney Advocates and some states appoint both Attorney Advocates and Child Advocates. Not all states require the child to be represented by an advocate.

A Child Advocate's main goal is to find the child a safe, permanent home as quick as possible. It is always best for the child that his parents provide him with a safe, permanent home. However, it should be noted that there are many instances when the parents do not understand the quick as possible concept.

Time is of the essence when you begin to advocate for a child. Children do not have a sense of time. When a birthday is missed or a holiday skipped, it is a memory lost forever, never to be replaced. Children can not afford to wait till mommy or daddy get it together "eventually". They need permanency as quickly as possible.

A Child Advocate begin the case by completing a thorough investigation of the case, independent of all other authorities involved. The goal being to determine the facts involved and to make fact-based recommendations to the court concerning the best interest of the child. The Child Advocate also, when the child is old enough, advises the court as to the child's wishes.

Keeping in mind that the best scenario is for a child to be raised by his parents, the child advocate determines what is necessary for the parents to be able to accomplish this. This could be anything from anger management classes and parenting classes to the removal of one of the parent's from the household. Slow down, don't get furious at that statement... perhaps one of the parents molested the child. There are counseling and treatment programs available for most problems that plague our society, however, being in the child's best interest to provide a safe home, this may be a necessary

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