CASA/Guardian Ad Litem Training

Last week, I participated in CASA/Guardian Ad Litem training at the Summit County Juvenile Court. CASA stands for court appointed special advocate. CASA is an organization that provides training to volunteers so that they can become a guardian at litem (GAL) for abused, neglected, and dependent children. Once a GAL is appointed to a case, it is his or her job to represent the best interests of the children at court hearings. 

The reason why I decided to blog about this training is because I found it very interesting, and I believe it will lead to many rewarding experiences. In Summit County, many GAL's that serve the court system are volunteers. You do not have to be an attorney to volunteer! It is a great way to volunteer in our community and give children who have been abused or neglected the voice they deserve in court. If you would like more information on volunteering, see the Ohio CASA website: http://www.ohiocasa.org/. For those of you located in Summit County, also check out http://www.summitcasagal.org/.

I definitely recommend the program. I learned a lot about not only the legal processes of abuse, neglect, and dependency, but also about child development, cultural awareness, and child welfare in general. I am looking forward to getting my first case assignment!