Who Speaks for the Kids?

There can be few scarier experiences for a person than going to a courtroom, seeing the judge in the black
robe, and attorneys for everyone.  This is especially true for a young person, perhaps involved for the first of
several times in a courtroom where their ongoing interest and welfare is going to be discussed, debated,
decided, and implemented.  

The effectiveness of the court system on a young person, brings this into a sharper focus. As most recently
seen in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, regarding the juvenile court system, and the increasing focus on child
abuse that will be implemented based upon the Penn State University/Sandusky concerns peak our attention.
Particularly as many foster children either are adopted or age out of the foster care system, the importance
and significance of a voice for the children has become more apparent.  Recent adoption and legal meetings
often present a panel of former foster children and youth who comment on their involvement in the legal
system.

A youth, when asked to comment on an attorney who had represented him in court couldn’t even remember
his name, and wouldn’t know him if he saw him on the street.  A young woman who estimated that she had
been in court hearings for ten years while in foster care, said she only met her attorney four or five times,
even though the court allegations involved child abuse and neglect circumstances.

State laws, particularly in the criminal setting, require that attorneys be appointed to represent indigent
defendants, and parents who maybe subject to children and youth matters as well as ultimate termination of
parental rights proceedings.  The majority of state laws now require that an attorney be appointed to
represent a young person in a dependency and foster care setting, to be known as their “guardian ad litem”.