CASA COURT REPORT
Date:
Date of Court
IN THE INTEREST OF:
Child: Full Name DOB: 00/00/00 Sex:
Biological Mother Full Name
Biological Father Full Name
Docket # 2010
This section is intended to catch the readers attention and to focus on what is most important about this case. Make your recommendations based on the important issues you want to see the court address during this particular hearing. Your recommendations should be supported by the facts and/or concerns you present in the Findings to Date section.
FINDINGS TO DATE:
As the CASA Volunteer, I was assigned to this case on <Insert Date>. The children have been in care since <insert date>, or X months.
Inform the court of what facts you have gathered since the last court report and what the current progress is. Always assume that whomever is reading this report has no prior knowledge about this case. Give full, factual details about all situations. Do not state your opinions here, they come later. You should provide enough information so that the reader knows this case as well as you.
Brief history of the case: Keep this very brief but be sure to include any history that you think may have been forgotten or overlooked or otherwise needs to be brought to the court s attention. (The Instanter Order is a good source for brief history).
Placement History: In this section you will list each placement the child has had since coming into care. You will include the name of the placement and the date the child entered the placement. If the child is placed in a foster home and requires a brief stay in the hospital for psychiatric care, that would be two placements with the third being the home he goes to after his release from the hospital. You should detail the placement history.
THE FOLLOWING ARE SUGGESTED QUESTIONS TO ANSWER IN THIS SECTION, IF THEY APPLY TO YOUR CASE:
- Where is the child placed: Regular certified foster home? Therapeutic foster home? What are the foster parents names and where do they live (city only)?
- Who lives in the home: Foster mom? Foster dad? Any foster siblings? Any biological children of the foster family or of the child?
- Describe the conditions of the home: Is it neat or dirty, cluttered? If dirty, describe: dirty dishes in sink, trash on the floor. If cluttered, describe: newspapers and magazines stacked in corner, on tables, clothes piled on ironing board, etc. Does the child have his own room or shares with how many children? Describe the neighborhood: apartment complex or single homes? New neighborhood or old?
- Does the child have any responsibilities in the home: Washdishes, clean room etc. and does he regularly do them and who told you that they were done/not done regularly?
- Is there any special concern about others in the home: Is there a pregnant child in the home? Is there one child with whom your child is especially close or has a problem with? Are there lots of people coming in and out or tremendous activity in the home that might be disruptive?
- How is the child adjusting? State: foster mom says or child says
- Anything else that is pertinent.
Educational History: Each school the child attended should be included in this section. The dates the child attended and location of the school should also be noted. This section should also be detailed. THE FOLLOWING ARE SUGGESTED QUESTIONS TO ANSWER IN THIS SECTION, IF THEY APPLY TO YOUR CASE:
- Where is the child attending school?
- What grade is she in?
- Regular or special ed? What is special ed exceptionality? Date of most recent IEP?
- Any problems with behavior or attendance? Give number of suspensions/detentions/behavior reports and behavior that resulted in disciplinary actions. How many days missed due to behavior problems. Give number of days absent.
- How are her grades? Be specific: 4 Bs, 3 Cs whateverdont say theyre good or bad, that is your opinion, just state them.
- Is she seeing a school social worker: Does she qualify for a school social worker?
- Is she active in any extra-curricular activities at school? (clubs, sport, etc) Does she want to participate in any?
- Any special needs: Tutoring? An updated IEP? Rehab services?
- Anything else that is pertinent?
Psychological Concerns (Paragraph Form):
- Is the child in therapy?
- With whom?
- What type of therapy: Family? Group? Individual? Sexual abuse victims? Sexual abuse perpetrators?
- How frequently are they scheduled?
- How often do they actually attend?
- Is the therapy in-home, at the therapist office, at the mental health clinic?
- What issues, in general, are being addressed?
- What progress, if any, is being made?
- How much does the child participate in therapy?
- Prognosis and/or recommendations?
- Date of most recent evaluation?
- Any other pertinent information?
Social Concerns (Paragraph Form):
- With whom does the child socialize: Friends in the neighborhood? Foster sibs? Children at school or church?
- In what type of activities does the child engage? Boy Scouts? Church youth groups or choir? Skating? Sports? Anything the child does not participate in but would like to?
- Does the child have a boyfriend/girlfriend? Best friend? A few friends or many?
- Any other pertinent information?
Medical Concerns (Paragraph Form):
- Are the annual dental and physical examinations up to date?
- Is the child on any medications?
- Who prescribes them and follows up on the meds?
- What is the medication for?
- Is the child compliant with medications?
- Does the child need a special examination: Eye? Gynological? Orthodontic?
- Any other pertinent information?
- Dont say the child is in good health, you are not the childs doctor. You can say the foster mom and child state that there have been no health problems.
Visitation and Other Contact With Family and Friends (Paragraph Form):
- Are visits scheduled?
- With whom?
- How often are visits scheduled and how often do they actually take place?
- Where are the visits held: Are they supervised or unsupervised?
- How does the child get to the visits?
- How is the childs behavior prior to, during, and after visits: Is the child anxious prior to visits and acts out after? Acts out after, but shows no outward symptoms of anxiety or fear prior to or during? Who gave you that information?
- How does the child interact with visitors: Plays with siblings? Avoids mom? Who gave you that information?
- Have you observed any visits?
- Any other pertinent information?
Issues of Safety and Protection (Paragraph Form):
- Do the parents know the physical address of the foster parents and if so, is that a concern?
- If visits and phone contacts are to be supervised, are they? By whom?
- Is the child associating with people that may be a negative influence? For example, the child is associating with a child who is on probation or has been arrested or experiences serious behavior problems at school.
- Are there criminal charges pending against a parent/caregiver in which the child is expected to testify?
- Is the child protected from abuse? What abuse and how is the child protected?
- Any other pertinent information?
Financial and Material Needs (Paragraph Form):
- Does the child have any particular needs: Socks? Shoes?
- Does the child get any recreational money from the state? If so, how is it spent?
- Is there anything in particular the child wants to do (lessons, go on camping trip, etc)? How will it be paid for?
- Any other pertinent information?
Wishes of the Child (Paragraph Form):
- What does the child want: To go home? A bike? To go to summer camp? Dye his hair? Drivers license? To visit an incarcerated parent?
Other Concerns (Paragraph Form):
- Is there anything else not covered that you believe needs to be addressed and has not been?
Case Plan Compliance (Paragraph Form):
- In addressing case plan compliance, make sure you have researched the case plan given by DCFS. Look at all requirements of the parents on the case plan. These will include items such as parenting, substance abuse assessment, psychological, housing, etc. Contact people in charge of these areas. What are their recommendations or concerns? Are the parents participating, at what level? Are they demonstrating what they have learned? How so? Be investigative and dont be afraid to ask tough questions.
- Ask the parents if they understand what it is they need to do in order to get their children back. What are possibilities for non-compliance, i.e., transportation issues, will get fired for missing work, etc.
Available resources within the family to meet the needs of name of the child:
- What unmet needs are identified that can be met within the family: Can an older sibling (not in care) provide day care/baby sitting services? Can an aunt be a visiting resource?
- Any other pertinent information?
Available resources in the community to meet the needs of name of the child:
- What unmet needs are identified that can be met in the community: Does the child need healthy after-school activities such as Scouting or the Young Marines?
- Any other pertinent information?
SUMMARY:
First, you may want to state the number of contacts, phone and face-to-face you have had with the child and parties. This lets the court know how familiar you are with your case and how diligent you really are. You can simply say: I visited Sally Jo five times over the last three months. I saw her at her foster home twice, once with her therapist. I also observed two family visits, which allowed me to watch how she and her family interact. I have also spoken to Sally Jo on the phone 12 times. I met with her foster parents 4 times since the last court hearing and spoke on the phoneblah blah blahI spoke to therapistsetc etc.
Here, you can give your opinions, based on the facts of the case,
feedback and input from professionals, and information that you have regarding the child, family and available or needed resources. Your concerns should be addressed first in the Recommendations section. Do you think the child needs tutoring? Why? Explain that the childs grades are below average, that the child is three years behind in school, etc. Do you think the child needs increased visits with a parent or that the child should visit an incarcerated parent? Why? State that you have discussed this issue with the therapist, who believes it is in the best interest of the child and the child has expressed a desire to do so. Pretty much anything that you wanted to say earlier that is your opinion but had to leave out because it was your opinion goes here. (I think the child is unhappy in the foster home. When I visited her on 11/22/02, etc etc)
Respectfully submitted,
_________________________ __________________________
Your Name Here Supervisor Name Here
CASA Volunteer CASA Advocate Supervisor
For a printable version of this document, click here.
CASA COURT REPORT Date: Date of Court IN THE INTEREST OF: Child: Full Name DOB: 00/00/00 Sex: Biological Mother
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