Court Appointed Special Advocates
One way to get involved in foster care is by becoming a court appointed special advocate, or guardian ad litem as it is called in some states. GAL and CASA volunteers make a big difference in a child’s life becasuse they spend time with a child and represent them in court. That gives judges a wider range of knowledge about children so they can better determine what is in their best interest.
Here’s How It Works
A judge appoints a volunteer to advocate for one or two children or a sibling group in court. In some states the volunteers are called Guardians ad litem, but both serve the same function.
A CASA volunteer works with a child until they are in a safe and permanent placement. The time requirement is about 10 to 12 hours a month. The volunteer regularly spends time with the child and talks to others such as caseworkers, teachers and service providers. This is done to monitor what is going on in his or her life and then report the findings in court.
In 1977, Judge David Soukup, presiding judge of King Co. Superior Court in Seattle, started a volunteer Guardian ad Litem program to make sure he would know all he could about the long-term welfare needs of each child that came through his court room.
From the Washington State CASA website
Volunteers are not professional advocates, they are everyday people who have been carefully screened and trained. The preparation time varies from state to state, but volunteers attend on average about 30 hours of classes.
There are 85,000 people volunteering in 1,000 CASA programs in 49 states, but there is still a need for someone to speak up for over 300,000 other foster children.
Those interested in becoming the voice for a child can visit the CASA website to find information about local programs across the U.S.
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