Child Advocate Research Paper

Child Advocates works with court appointed volunteers to break the cycle of child abuse. Child Advocates works with people of all races and social classes. Since abuse and neglect is not specific to a particular race, gender, age, or social class. Each court appointed advocated is assigned one case at a time. A child advocate is guided by their advocacy coordinator which enables them to perform a thorough investigation of the case.

Child Advocates play a major role in health education. As a child advocate it is our responsibility to make sure the child’s medical, and dental needs are being met while in foster care. Many of the children involved in cps also require therapy. As a child advocate you ensure the child is receiving all services

that they require. This requires obtaining all medical records and following the development of the child. Many aspects of health are considered. The overall family health is also important. In seeking the best interest of the child we seek to obtain the safest environment for the child to develop into a healthy adult. This also includes finding appropriate resources for the parents so they can succeed in being a competent parent.
As a court appointed advocate I was assigned a child abuse case which involved two children. My role as their guardian ad litem was to seek the best interest of the children. One child was two years old, and the other was five. The five year old child is autistic. My major responsibilities started with investigating my case. This involved reading all materials provided in the file. I also had to set-up interviews with parents, and visit the children in their foster placements. I also attended a mother-child visit at the CPS office to observe how the children interacted with their mother. I made weekly calls to the foster placements to check on the well-being of the children. Home visits to the children were made once a month. My internships hours also included researching autism and helping locate a local autism support group. I was also able to participate in several trainings which prepared me as a child advocate. I was also responsible for communicating with parents, attorneys, CPS workers, and anyone else involved in the case. I also attended court and testified on behalf of Child Advocates. One important responsibility was obtaining all medical and dental records for the children. Since I currently work full-time most of my internships hours have been after hours. Next week I will volunteer the whole week at the Child Advocates office. While on-site I will work with a special projects groups as they prepare for a back to school program they have for school aged children.
This experience was important to my career since I want to work in health education and promotion.

As an advocate you are given the opportunity to be a voice and represent those who are most vulnerable, abused children. This opportunity has given me a chance to learn how to engage with the community. It has also exposed me to many resources that are offered to those in need. One of the main things it has helped me realize is where our community is lacking. Being a Spanish speaking volunteer I learned how the Hispanic community is desperately needing more education on health topics. Also, there is a stigma when it comes to mental illness that needs to be addressed. Being a child advocate has shown me in which areas I can focus on in teaching health education in the future. For example, the mother of the autistic child explained to us that her husband did not want to get their child the care he needed because he didn’t not want to accept that he had a special needs child. I look forward to incorporating these issues into my future career. I am now a stronger communicator. I am also able better at planning which will be essential in my career. I know that being and effective communicator will enhance my career in many ways. I have learned many skills and have a vast amount of knowledge that I will depend on as I pursue my

career.
Since most of my work was done away from the child advocates office, I was responsible for my work space and materials required. Child Advocate did a great job in providing training. They have many professionals come in and train volunteers to ensure that all volunteers are equipped with all the information that is required of them.
My advocacy coordinator is someone who I highly admire. She is always available by phone or email if I have any questions. She always guided me in which information I had to gather. She also accompanied me to child visits and court hearings. She is there to proof read and edit each of my court reports before filing them with the court. I feel that I was adequately supervised and guided. I maintained very good communication with advocacy coordinator at all times. My advocacy coordinator supervised all of my work.
I felt many of my classes prepared me for this experience.

Especially, since my minor is human development and family studies. I was able to recognize different developmental stages. Also, I was aware of many health risks that children face. I was able to recognize different risks that I otherwise might not have known if it were not for my academic work at the University of Houston. I felt that I was not as prepared in dealing with special needs children. Especially, when referring to autism. I felt that this material is not commonly covered. Aside, from recognizing that it is not caused by vaccines. My course work also prepared me to write concise and detailed court

reports.
On a scale of one to 10 I would rate my experience as a 10. Not that it is the most enjoyable experience at all times. At times it can be frustrating. Many times there can be miscommunication or lack of communication with the parties involved. Also, it is not easy working with children who have been abused. Emotionally it can be very discouraging.
I would recommend being assertive and attend as many training as possible. Also, to take very good notes. Know that your advocacy coordinator is there to guide you in everything. It is also very important to be very respectful to everyone involved in the case. You deal with many different people so professionalism is very important. It is important to stay focused on the mission of child advocates, which is to seek the best interest of the child. Persistence is also very important. Especially, when trying to find services for a family. Networking is very important. Most people are willing to help you or lead you in the right direction when trying to help a family. This applies to all areas of health care. We should never be afraid to ask for help.
I would highly recommend volunteering with Child Advocates, Inc. For a long term volunteer opportunity, it is a great place to be involved. Due to minimum commitment requirements of at least on year I would only recommend this agency to students who are looking for a long-term volunteer opportunity. The training is 30 hours and is only offered every few months. Each case assigned usually last a minimum of one year. It is important to be committed to your case since CPS has a high turn over rate. The child advocate is crucial because they offer continuity in the case.
To conclude, my experience at child advocates has helped me to prepare for my future in health education. I have learned the importance of communication. I have also learned of many health resources that are available in our community. The training provided covered many topics such as child development, abuse, and neglect. It is my desire to work with underprivileged minorities. Through this experience I believe that I am better equipped to serve our community. Being that I am a Spanish speaking advocate I was able to be an essential part of my case. This experience has also taught be to be very organized. I look forward to being a child advocate for many years to come.