Trainings Available for Court Appointed Special Advocates
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) are members of the community who volunteer to mentor and advocate on behalf of children and youth in California's foster care system. CASAs are screened, trained, and supervised by the local and statewide CASA offices. CASAs aim to ensure children in the foster care system have both a voice and the services they need for a stable future.
(1) Provide independent, factual information to the court regarding the cases to which he or she is appointed.
(2) Represent the best interests of the child involved, and consider the best interests of the family, in the cases to which he or she is appointed.
(3) At the request of the judge, monitor cases to which he or she has been appointed to ensure that the court’s orders have been fulfilled.
All trainings are available in person or through live video conferencing. If you are interested in a CASA training for your group, please contact us!
How to Access the Juvenile Court
Advokids has created this in-depth training to provide guidance to non-lawyers and non-parties attempting to navigate the juvenile dependency court in order to provide critical information about a foster child in California. This training covers the following important topics:
The Flow of Information to the Juvenile Court: Who Can Weigh In?
- The County Social Worker report
- CASA report
- The Foster Family Agency Report, JV-290
- Relative Report, JV 285
- Caregiver Report, JV-290
Caregiver Report Forms, a Critical Connection: When, Why & How?
- Sample juvenile court form JV-290
- Streamlined filing and serving
De Facto Parent Status: When, Why & How?
- Sample juvenile court forms JV-295, JV- 296, JV-297
- Discovery
Request to Change Court Order (JV-180): When is it appropriate?
- Sample juvenile court form JV-180
- What information is necessary to support a request?
Prospective Adoptive Parent Status Designation Request Form (JV- 321)
- Who qualifies for Prospective Adoptive Parent?
- Departmental procedures & notice required BEFORE a change of placement
Improving Advocacy, Access, and Accountability
- Role of the child’s attorney
CASAs and the Juvenile Court: Opportunities to Inform, Advocate, and Intervene
The curriculum for this CASA specific training includes the following topics:
Court Access
- Juvenile Court Process
- For Foster Youth
- Information For Caregivers
- Information for Relatives
- Sibling Information
- De Facto Parent Information
- Prospective Adoptive Parent
- Request to Change Court Order
Advocacy
- Childhood Mental Health
- Placement and Permanency Planning
- Visitation
- Transitions
- The Sibling Bond
- Team Decision Making (TDM)
- Trauma Informed Practice
Accountability
- Reporting and Information Sharing
- Requesting a Grievance Review Hearing
- Protection of the Child Through Juvenile Court
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