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California Welfare And Institutions Code Section 102

Legal Research Home > California Lawyer > Welfare and Institutions Code > California Welfare And Institutions Code Section 102

(a) Each CASA program shall, if feasible, be staffed by a
minimum of one paid administrator.  The staff shall be directly
accountable to the presiding juvenile court judge and the CASA
program board of directors, as applicable.
   (b) The program shall provide for volunteers to serve as CASAs.  A
CASA may be appointed in juvenile dependency proceedings under
Section 300 and in actions to terminate parental rights to custody
and control, as deemed appropriate by the juvenile or other superior
court judge hearing the matter.
   (c) Each CASA shall serve at the pleasure of the court having
jurisdiction over the proceedings in which a CASA has been appointed.
  A CASA shall do all of the following:
   (1) Provide independent, factual information to the court
regarding the cases to which he or she is appointed.
   (2) Represent the best interests of the children involved, and
consider the best interests of the family, in the cases to which he
or she is appointed.
   (3) At the request of the judge, monitor cases to which he or she
has been appointed to assure that the court's orders have been
fulfilled.
   (d) The Judicial Council, through its rules and regulations, shall
require an initial and ongoing training program consistent with this
chapter to all persons acting as a CASA, including, but not limited
to, each of the following:
   (1) Dynamics of child abuse and neglect.
   (2) Court structure, including juvenile court laws regarding
dependency.
   (3) Social service systems.
   (4) Child development.
   (5) Interviewing techniques.
   (6) Report writing.
   (7) Roles and responsibilities of a CASA.
   (8) Rules of evidence and discovery procedures.
   (9) Problems associated with verifying reports.
   (e) The Judicial Council, through its CASA Advisory Committee,
shall adopt guidelines for the screening of CASA volunteers, which
shall include personal interviews, reference checks, checks for
records of sex offenses and other criminal records, information from
the Department of Motor Vehicles, and other information as the
Judicial Council deems appropriate.

Last modified: January 12, 2009