Silence is Not An Option

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Recommended: Legislation to safeguard the welfare of children

CASA are everyday citizens, who judges appoint to advocate for the safety and well-being of children who have been, removed from their homes due to parental abuse and neglect. They stand up for these children and change their lives. CASA volunteers have helped more than two million children find safe, permanent homes. The National CASA association is a network of 955 programs that are recruiting, training and supporting volunteers to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom and other settings.

The paper will focus on the laws, barriers that might prevent families from seeking out an organization such as CASA. Options that may decrease those barriers, philosophy on being a human service professional working with children and families, as well look at values, culture and biases.

First, we look at laws that influence the funding pertaining to CASA, according to the Advocacy Academy Manual (2009), in the seventies, the United States Congress became aware that the child welfare system was not adequately protecting children and their families. In seventy – four Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) Public Law 93-247, amended in 1996, created the national center on child abuse and neglect, and earmarked federal funds for states to establish special programs for child victims of abuse or neglect. The law requires that states, have child abuse and neglect reporting laws, investigate reports of abuse and neglect, educate the public about abuse and neglect; provide a guardian ad litem to every abused or neglected child whose case results in a judicial proceeding(Advocacy Academy Manual, 2009).

As a CASA worker, there are other federal laws that have an impact on child abus...

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...th. Retrieved January 17, 2008 from www.afriprov.org/

http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.5453887/k.7340/Organizational_Profile.htm

National Indian Child Welfare Association Retrieved July 17, 2011from

www.nicwa.org

The Indian Child Welfare Act and CASA/GAL Volunteers: Advocating for the Best Interests of Native Children Retrieved July 17, 2011from http://www.casanet.org/download/tribal-casa/0709_icwa_and_volunteer_0012.pdf

US Department of Health and Human Services Retrieved July 17, 2011from

www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/ij_adopt/support.htm.

Wall, Mr Justice (1997) Strengthening Inter agency Links and Keeping Children in Focus. Workshop Papers, Department of Health, London. Retrieved July 17, 2011from http://web.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ee2b0c8b-14c1-4277-afce-2e22cef92a4e%40sessionmgr10&vid=19&hid=119

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