1. Tell of two courtrooms
Advocacy tips

2. Post-shelter / pre-arraignment
What the GAL should do post shelter and pre-arraignment hearing:
Do a home visit, access if the home is safe and appropriate
Do the children have any unmet needs (services)
How are the parents doing?
Have all of the parents been identified and found?
Start interviewing each parent
If child is in foster care, explore if an appropriate relative placement is available

3. Arraignment hearing GAL should continue to do all of the above
This will likely be the first time the GAL will be present in court for the case
If GAL has identified any needs, share those needs 72 hours in advance of the hearing
Have calendar available as subsequent dates will be scheduled
Meet parents if they appear at court, exchange contact info.
"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." —John Bingham, running speaker and writer
"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort."

4. Mediations
GAL should read pleadings and discovery / Ensure Recommendations are Reasonable
Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.
We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. It's our basic human right
Be kind to the parent, acknowledge parent, build rapport, ask parent if there is anything the GAL to do
Give the parent an update about the child

5. Initial JR AFTER ADJUDICATion
Report timely, but not too early or too late, ideal reporting is three weeks prior to hearing
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
Make clear recommendations in GAL report

6. PERMANENCY JUDICIAL REVIEW
Make strong recommendations in subsequent JRs for permanency
Should have interviewed parents by now, and observed parent-child visitation
Know how child is doing in school
Know if the parents are engaged in services
Normalcy activities
In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines
Have basis for your recommendations, if you want something be able to tell your BIA why

7. CONDTIONS FOR RETURN SEE HANDOUT
I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.
SEE HANDOUT

8. TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS
We can not reunify and are looking at TPR, what should we consider:
Discuss what has sunk us at TPR
We haven’t interviewed parents
We haven’t observed parents visitation
Evidence is not based on Substantial and Competent Evidence
One sided Evidence all FROM FCM and Caregiver (who wants to adopt).
If GAL has concerns about TPR, be courageous and tell us early
Keep the team updated with any changes
Know what the child wants, if old enough
Keep us updated if the parents have fallen off the radar
Don’t Keep caregiver secrets.

9. Medication Management:
GAL should know what’s going on with child’s meds – speak to child, caregiver, schools, attend medication management appointments if available
The standard GAL should use, is to scrutinized the medications on the same level the GAL would do if it were their own child/grandchild
The time is always right to do what is right.

10. Modifying visitation
No contact orders must be established by a finding of clear and convincing
KCSA, presumption of detriment to child

11. Stay in balance
EXPECT DELAYS  GIVE BUMPS IN THE ROAD TIME  CELEBRATE YOUR WINS  SMALL VICTORIES COUNT AS WINS 

12. MAN IN THE ARENA
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.