What Is a Child Advocate?
A child advocate is a social worker who helps and support to children in difficult family situations, often involving neglect and abuse. Their responsibilities include spending time with a child, interviewing their teachers, doctors, and family members, and attending court hearings. Advocates may also provide counseling, recommend substance abuse programs, or help find a child foster placement. After reviewing the case file, they suggest the best step for the child’s health and safety.
What is a Child Advocate? Child Advocates perform child advocacy functions with the benefit of legal training. Their role is to advocate for the rights and interests of children/young people in the child protection system and ensure their voice is heard, mainly when decisions affect them and their care arrangements. A Child Advocate’s advocacy is guided by principles set out in the Public Guardian Act 2014. The main principle is that the child/young person’s best interests are paramount. Other guiding principles include that the child/young person:
• is a valued member of society
• is to be treated in a way that respects their dignity and privacy
• is entitled to be heard, even if others may not agree with their views
• should be able to exercise their rights and participate in decisions that affect their life
• should have access to services necessary to meet their needs.
Depending on the advocacy being undertaken, a Child Advocate’s advocacy will also be guided by other principles such as those set out in the Child Protection Act 1999 or the Youth Justice Act 1992.
Who can a Child Advocate help?
A Child Advocate performs child advocate functions for ‘relevant children.’ The Public Guardian Act 2014 (section 52) defines relevant children as children/ young people subject to • intervention with Parental Agreements, Care Agreements, or a Support Service case • Temporary or Court Assessment Orders • Temporary Custody Orders • Child Protection Orders including Supervision Orders, Directive Orders, Custody or Guardianship Orders, Transition Orders or Permanent Care Orders • an application for a child protection order A child/young person stops being a relevant child if they stop being subject to an intervention, agreement or order, or when they turn 18. However, the OPG may continue to provide advocacy for a child/ young person after they stop being a relevant child where the Public Guardian believes it is appropriate to finish providing help or the child/young person requires particular help to review a decision ending the intervention, agreement, or order. A child/young person transitioning to independence may also seek help from a Child Advocate after they turn 18 if the Public Guardian is satisfied that they continue to need particular help.
How to Become a Child Advocate?
To become a child advocate, you need a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, law, or a relevant field. Some states require a master’s degree in social work and supervised clinical hours. You may volunteer with an advocacy group or after-school program to help you gain the experience and skills you need to succeed in this career.
What Degree Does a Child Advocate Need?
A child advocate must have a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, law, or a relevant field. Some states require a master’s degree in social work and supervised clinical hours. Many advocates have professional or volunteer experience working with children or handling cases of abuse or neglect.
Why is a Child Advocate necessary when a Child Safety Officer and other professionals are involved?
All professionals play an important role in seeking a child/young person’s views and wishes about decisions made about them while in care. However, there may be times when those views and wishes conflict with what the professionals consider to be in the child/young person’s best interests. Children/young people in out-of-home care must have access to an independent advocate who can educate children/young people about their rights and advocate for them if their rights and interests still need to be met. The experience of advocacy can be empowering for children/ young people. A child/young person may feel more confident expressing their views and wishes when they are under their rights and are provided with the information they need to understand what decisions are being made about them.
Essential duties of child advocates
Welcomes, Supports, and Engages the Child and Non-Offending Caregiver
The Child Advocate is responsible for welcoming the child and non-offending family members to the Child Advocacy Center and creating a safe and supportive environment that is free of judgment. The Child Advocate typically conducts a pre-interview phone call to the non-offending caregiver to ease their anxieties and answer any questions or concerns. Once the family arrives at the CAC, the Child Advocate provides the child(ren) with an initial tour and orientation.
The Child Advocate provides immediate emotional support to the child and non-offending caregiver(s) during a crisis by giving on-site advocacy during a forensic interview or medical evaluation conducted at the Child Advocacy Centre. The Child Advocate works with the non-offending caregiver(s) to identify their most urgent needs for themselves and their families and to assist in helping to find resources to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and safety.
Through direct follow-up, the Child Advocate regularly monitors the child’s safety and reports any concerns to the investigating officer or caseworker should the support of the non-offending caregiver be diminished or the child’s safety compromised. The Child Advocate also provides immediate and ongoing education to the non-offending caregiver(s) on the dynamics of abuse and the coordinated multidisciplinary response. The Child Advocate assists the non-offending caregiver(s) in rebuilding a safe and stable home by providing access to trauma-focused, evidence-based mental health treatment and other services such as protection orders, housing, public assistance, domestic violence intervention, and transportation.
The Child Advocate provides timely updates to the child and non-offending caregiver(s) on the status of the investigation and prosecution and seeks answers to their questions or concerns. The Child Advocate provides information regarding the rights of crime victims to the child and their non-offending caregiver(s), including information about their compensation.
The Child Advocate responds to after-hour forensic interview requests and local area hospitals and provides on-site advocacy and support to the child victim and non-offending caregiver(s).
Updates Case Tracking System and Statistical Data
The Child Advocate updates the case tracking system with fact-based, clear, concise, and timely documentation. The Child Advocate also updates the statistics needed to provide accurate data to funders.
Respond to General Information Telephone Calls and Community Referrals
The Child Advocate provides information and referrals to the general community, which contacts the Child Advocacy Center with concerns about possible abuse or neglect.
Criminal Justice Advocacy and Support
The Child Advocate works closely with the multidisciplinary team members to stay current on the investigation and prosecution of the case and share any concerns or needs identified by the child victim or non-offending caregiver(s). The Child Advocate helps the non-offending caregiver(s) secure transportation to interviews, court, treatment, and other case-related meetings. When necessary, the Child Advocate accompanies the child and non-offending caregiver(s) to legal proceedings and meetings associated with the case’s prosecution, provides Court School, and supports the child throughout the court process, including sentencing and assisting with a Victim Impact Statement.
Working as Part of a Multidisciplinary Team
The Child Advocate must foster open and positive relationships with law enforcement, NDHHS Children and Family Services, the prosecuting attorney, and other team members while promoting best practices for child abuse investigation, prosecution, and treatment. The Child Advocate actively participates in regular case reviews.
Ongoing Professional Development
As part of the onboarding process, the Child Advocacy Center will provide the Child Advocate with a minimum of 24 hours of initial instruction as outlined in the National Children’s Alliance Standards. The Child Advocate must also demonstrate participation in ongoing education in victim advocacy and child maltreatment, consisting of a minimum of 8 contact hours every 2 years.