Thorough and Accurate Reporting Allows Child’s Voice to Be Heard in Courtroom
Judge Leslie Kirkland Riddle, Richland County Family Court, Columbia, SC
Lela Allen Haines, Program Manager, Richland County CASA, Columbia, SC

Summary
Court reports that provide visible documentation of a volunteer’s involvement and that are presented in a consistent format increase a CASA volunteer’s ability to give children a voice in the decision-making process.

Article

The CASA/GAL volunteer’s primary role is to be the “voice of a child.” The court report is the volunteer’s primary tool in effectively communicating the child’s perspective. The report also ensures professionalism, consistency and objectivity. Most of the information the court receives is derived from the CASA/GAL volunteer’s written documentation, which is made record at each court hearing. The court report provides a way to systematically organize pertinent information and give the court a clear mental image of the child’s situation.

The facts stated throughout the report are the foundation of the CASA volunteer’s recommendations and should be clear, concise and easily distinguished from opinions and assumption. When writing the document, it is imperative for the volunteer to respect all of the individuals involved in the case. A report written from an honest and objective view can eliminate defensive attitudes and ease implementation of the volunteer’s recommendations. The volunteer will have greater success defending their written documentation on the witness stand and representing the best interests of the child if the report is free from bias.

Documented Involvement Instills Credibility

The dates of contact with the child should be listed and easy to find within the report. This allows the court to see the level of involvement of the volunteer and also strengthens the recommendations stated in the report. The CASA/GAL volunteer may have done a wonderful job in conducting a thorough investigation and gathering all the necessary information for the court hearing, but if visitation between the volunteer and the child is infrequent, the advocate has lost sight of their primary role: to be the voice of the child.

A record of frequent involvement gives the CASA/GAL volunteer credibility and helps to assure the court that the child is in a safe environment either in the child’s home or in the out-of-home placement. The volunteer cannot guarantee the safety of the child but can be instrumental in monitoring the safety of the placement. The documentation of the visits with the child “personalizes” the child by giving the court the chance to get to know the child without direct personal contact. Through the report, the court is able to see the child’s personality and gain insight on the attitudes and behaviors of the child. This assists the court in determining whether the decisions made are in the best interest of the child.

Consistent Report Formatting Imperative

Inconsistency in court report format is particularly challenging to visiting judges. The court dockets for each county are usually large, and the cases are bound by strict time constraints; it is efficient to have a general report format throughout the judicial circuit. Consistency provides judges who reside in the district and visiting judges the same ability to quickly retrieve the important information that informs their decisions by reviewing headings and recommendations of the CASA/GAL volunteer.

The CASA volunteer is the eyes and the ears of court and allows the child to have a voice in the decision-making process. The court report is the most effective tool in representing this voice in the court system.