Investigations and Court Report
Writing
Improving how we
advocate for our
children in Davie and
Davidson Counties
Investigations
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What are we doing right?
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What do we need to adjust?
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Speaking to Social Workers
Keeping in contact with placement
Keeping in contact with GAL staff
Sources of info
People we talk to
Frequency of seeing child
What are the barriers?
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Time
Gas/reimbursement
Social Workers and others returning calls
Investigations
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What is wrong with
this paragraph
being in a GAL
report?
The Social Worker told this GAL
that the child is seeing therapist
Jane Doe at Daymark and is
really enjoying those sessions.
The respondent mother told the
GAL that the child made all A’s in
school this semester and gets
along with everyone. Also, the
grandmother the child is living
with told the Social Worker that
the child doesn’t like to visit with
his father.
Investigations
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Why is it important to get first hand information?
How much time will it take to get that information?
How do I know who to call?
Examples……
Typical Investigation:
• Set visit with placement to see the child
• Call to Social Worker….what will they tell you?
• Call to mom and dad
• Call to therapist
• Call to doctor
• Email to teacher
• Visit with child and placement
=
about 5 hours
Investigations
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Time-Saving Solutions
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Set a time and date for visit each month with kids (i.e. first
Friday of each month)
Find out who therapist, teacher, and other service providers
are right away…GAL office will fax appointment
Tell Social Worker to email you if it’s more convenient
If your case is continued, make one more round of phone
calls and give updated info to GAL office
Call or email service providers once a month. Get them to
give you reports to attach to your report….remember they’re
in it to help kids too!
New Template
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Why do we need a new template?
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Court is relying on our information more than ever
Save time for you and staff
Gives you an easy guide to address everything
the court wants you to address
New Template
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Changes to our template
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Cover sheets
Breaking down and listing out
Recommendations to make every time
Easy explanations so you know what the court
wants
“Other” sections to let you expand
In The Matter Of:
Child(ren)’s name
DOB:
xx/xx/xxxx
Guardian: Your name
File Number:
xx JA xxx
Attorney Advocate: Laura Beck
Hearing date
1. History of involvement with DSS: This should be a short sentence of how the child came
into DSS custody, the date of the petition and allegations (abuse, neglect, dependency), and
any prior involvement by DSS with this child and/or siblings and parents.
2. Previous hearings and outcomes: List all the previous hearings and dates (you don’t need
to list non-secure hearings). Include the outcomes of Adjudication and TPR hearings, and any
big changes such as a change in permanency plan or guardianship being established.
3. Most recent orders of the Court: List what the Court ordered at the last hearing and any
prior orders that are pertinent to the case today.
4. Persons interviewed and Dates: List everyone you have spoken to since the last hearing.
Make sure to speak to the child, the social worker, the current placement and the service
providers. Also speak to anyone else you feel has important information such as parents/family
members
5. Current and Proposed Permanency Plan: List the current permanency plan the court has
establised and what you are recommending the plan be in this report.
6. Summary of the facts of the Guardian ad Litem investigation:
Current location and status of children: Tell the court where the children are placed and how
they are doing in that placement. You can also include the placement history for the child
since being in the custody of DSS.
School progress/concerns/needs: Include compliance with prior orders of the courts and
new concerns since the last hearing. Make sure to write a paragraph for each child.
Medical concerns/needs: Include compliance with prior orders of the courts and new
concerns since the last hearing. Make sure to write a paragraph for each child.
Psychological concerns/needs: Include compliance with prior orders of the courts and new
concerns since the last hearing. Make sure to write a paragraph for each child.
Status of visits with parents/siblings/family: Let the court know where you learned this info.
Also let the Court know if you observed a visit. It is important to tell the court about both the
frequency and quality of visits if you are asking to increase or decrease visits.
Other pertinent information concerning the child(ren): This section will include any info that
will help justify other recommendations you are making or that will not fit under any other
heading.
Parents’ status/compliance with orders of the Court: You can divide this section into
mother and father. Remember to list who told you this info (parent, social worker,
service provider). You should address all of the orders you listed in #3 and any other
information you have received.
Conclusions/concerns: This is a place to tell the Court your thoughts on the case
and the best interest of the child. Let the court know why the recommendations you
are making are best for the child and their future. Tell the Court your concerns and
what direction you see the case going in.
7. Child(ren)’s Wishes: What the child has told you they would like to happen to themif they are old enough to express their wishes make sure to put them in here! If there are
multiple children, make sure to list each child’s wishes separately.
8. Guardian ad Litem Recommendations:
1. Custody
2. Placement
3. Permanent plan of care
4. Visitation
5. Needs of child (physical, psychological, educational, medical, developmental,
other)
6. Specific tasks required of the parents to get their children back (may be
several)
7. Other
8. Period for review.
Respectfully submitted by,
Your Name
Guardian ad Litem
GAL Supervisor Name
GAL Supervisor Title
New Template
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The Judges have approved the
template and are excited…we
want you to be too.
We want to start using the
template for reports for the
August 17th court date.
We will email you the template,
have it available on the website,
and give you a disk today.
Questions, Concerns
Examples!
Let’s work through the
examples!
Example #1
1. History of involvement with DSS: DSS filed a petition on 6/30/09 alleging that Joe
was a neglected juvenile. Mr. and Mrs. Doe have had several reports made on them in
the past 3 years and Joe was previously found to be in need of services in 2007.
2. Previous hearings and outcomes: Non-secure hearings were held on 7/7/09 and
7/14/09. Adjudication was held on 7/21/09 followed by disposition.
3. Most recent orders of the Court: The court ordered at the first hearing that the
mother have visits twice a week. At the second non-secure hearing the court ordered
paternity testing to occur. At the Disposition hearing the court ordered that the plan be
TPR and adoption, that DSS be relieved of reunification efforts with the parents, that
there be no visits and that Joe receive an assessment for speech therapy, tutoring, and
counseling.
4. Persons interviewed and Dates: Joe- June 30, July 2, July 7, July 9, July 28,
August 12
5. Current and Proposed Permanency Plan: The current plan of care is a sole plan of
TPR and adoption.
Example #2
6. Summary of the facts of the Guardian ad Litem investigation:
Current location and status of children: Who is going to have this information?
Should you list addresses and names?
School progress/concerns/needs: Who would you speak to about this? What if the
child is not of school age? What if you have no concerns and Joe is doing great
Medical concerns/needs: What is a medical concern? Who is qualified to say what a
child’s medical needs are?
Psychological concerns/needs: Joe was ordered to have an assessment for
counseling at the last hearing…how would you do your investigation and what would
you tell the court?
Example #3
Status of visits with parents/siblings/family: How can you find out about visits? What
is the best way to get visits reduced or increased? Should family members other than
parents have visits?
Other pertinent information concerning the child(ren): What are some examples of
other information the court would need to know about Joe?
Parents’ status/compliance with orders of the Court: How will you know what the
court has ordered the parents to do? How will you know if they have complied? Do
you think you should speak to the parents?
Conclusions/concerns: Why is this an important section? What sort of conclusions
do you make in a case?
Example #4
7. Child(ren)’s Wishes: Joe has told the GAL that he wants to go home to his parents.
The GAL believes that Joe is just saying this out of obligation and truly wants to be
adopted!
8. Guardian ad Litem Recommendations:
1. That Custody remain with DSS.
2. That Joe remain in his current placement.
3. That visits continue to be ceased.
4. If you make any recommendations to the needs of Joe, what must you have
in the body of the report?
5. If we want the parents out of the picture, what recommendation do we make?
Other…what sort of other recommendations do we make?
6. Review in 90 days.
Respectfully submitted by,
Awesome Volunteer
Guardian ad Litem
Awesome Supervisor
Program Supervisor