NCJ Number
131172
Journal
Child Welfare Volume: 70 Issue: 4 Dated: (July-August 1991) Pages: 477-487
Date Published
1991
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs, which use trained lay volunteers, are an increasingly popular alternative for assisting permanency planning in child abuse and neglect cases. The Fresno Amicus Program in Fresno County, California, makes a major commitment to recruiting and training minority and bilingual volunteers who are then matched with families from similar ethnic, cultural, and language backgrounds.
Abstract
The amicus program tries to present the best interests of the family as well as of the child. A research design was incorporated into the program's implementation plan for evaluation purposes. Data were collected on 28 amicus families and 28 comparison group families; a total of 122 children were included in the sample, most of whom were from ethnic minorities. Significantly more children from the amicus group were placed in adoptive families and fewer in long-term foster care than those in the control group. The program is cost effective in its use of volunteers and its success in preventing families from reappearing in court. 3 tables and 14 references (Author abstract modified)