Since 1974, under the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), every child subject to an abuse or neglect proceeding must have a guardian ad litem who is either an attorney or a lay volunteer. Last year, Senate Bill 2160 was enacted bringing California into compliance with CAPTA. Currently in California, an attorney represents nearly every child in the dependency system, and approximately 5 percent of these children also have a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) appointed to their case. As part of SB 2160, California's Judicial Council is required to develop a rule of court and guidelines to assist the local courts in determining whether the attorney or the CASA should be the guardian ad litem. As a result, the Judicial Council is eager to develop a clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of guardians ad litem in the dependency context. The demonstration project will inform and contribute to defining these roles and responsibilities.

BPA is working closely with Judicial Council staff and demonstration sites to develop appropriate outcome measures and data collection instruments for this implementation and outcome evaluation. As the lead implementation evaluator, BPA will collaborate with Judicial Council research staff throughout the life of the evaluation. Over the course of the three-year demonstration, BPA will conduct bi-annual site visits to pilot sites. These visits will include interviews and focus groups with CASA staff, attorneys, foster youth, foster parents, CASA volunteers, social workers, and judicial officers.