Volunteer Advocate Tips

7 Ways to Support Children Exposed to Domestic Violence

4 Tips for Saying Goodbye

Advocating for LGBTQ Youth

Working Well with Judges

Seven Tips for Advocating for Children with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses

Five Ways to Advocate for Educational Success: Questions to Ask Teachers

Five Ways to Maintain Perspective

Eight Skills for Building Family Connections

Tips for Working with Children with Mental Health Issues

Four Steps to Maintaining Cultural Connection

Article: The Disproportionate Representation of Children and Families of Color in the Child Welfare System. Includes Tips for Advocating for Children of Color.

Six Tips for Navigating Confidentiality When Gathering and Disseminating Information

Five Secrets for Great Report Writing 
Begin work on your court report with plenty of time before court. This will allow time for you to clarify any questionable information, submit the report to your supervisor for editing and ultimately get the report to the court by their deadline.

Make the report child-centered.

1. Be accurate. This means reporting objectively and factually—presenting exact information free from errors, misstatements and personal judgments.
2. Use the fewest number of words possible to describe an action or occurrence. Avoid using unnecessary words or technical jargon. Don’t give the judge information she or he doesn’t need to know.
3. Make a case in the body of your report that is directly linked to your recommendations.

View the sample hearing report from National CASA’s training curriculum.