I began this summer with many questions and preconceived notions. As an MSW student, I had worked for a year as a caseworker in Philadelphia. I wondered what it would be like to represent children and families from a law perspective, how the child welfare system in Georgia differs from what I had experienced, and what difficulties I would face adapting to this new placement and geographic location. I further asked myself if I was equipped for the fast pace of a Juvenile Court and how my interactions with the Judge would be. My first day in Court, I learned the answers to many of these questions. I was asked to quickly interview a child and prepare the interview notes for a hearing that same day. When I later returned to court after having completed this interview, I learned that I had been paged over the intercom to come present a brief for another case I was assigned to. Momentarily irritated, I wondered how anyone could expect me to do two things at one time. After a few moments of speaking with the investigator, I learned my first lesson that was to guide the rest of my summer: I must always be flexible and ready to handle whatever comes my way. The field of child advocacy is full of caseworkers, child advocate attorneys, judges and other staff who are given more work than they can handle yet who must complete everything and be held accountable. As child advocates, we must all learn how to juggle the multiple responsibilities of our roles.

Also, on my first day at the placement, I observed a Citizen's Panel Review. The panel was reviewing a case that involves a father who had been a suspect in the murder of his wife and mother of their three children. The father then moved to New Jersey, where he was jailed for another offense, but came back to Georgia for this Termination of Parental Rights hearing. Being in the same room with this man and hearing his convincing argument, I began to pity him and could not understand why his children were immediately taken from him and placed with another relative. I thought these murder accusations were not yet official charges and believed that he deserved the right to have his case reconsidered. The next morning as he returned to court for the hearing, he was promptly arrested and charged with the murder of his wife. Watching the news later that evening, I realized that this man had been on Georgia's Most Wanted List for the past year and was to be apprehended in New Jersey that next day had he not returned to Georgia himself. Since my supervisor, Dorothy Murphy had assigned me that case, I was in shock to realize that I had met a murderer for the first time. Furthermore, after hearing about the tumultuous nature of the mother and father's relationship and other disturbing details surrounding her murder, my feelings of pity for him quickly turned to anger and disgust. I learned on this day, the truest meaning of an unfit parent and realized that those who are biologically connected to children are not always the most suitable caregivers.

Being in a hurried state of mind and confronting parents who do unimaginable things to their children were only two of the obstacles I faced this summer. Another major concern centers on the lack of resources and monetary support for the field in general. From the condition of the Emergency Shelters, to the overworked and underpaid case managers and child advocate attorneys, and from the low numbers of suitable foster homes and adoptive homes, to the numbers of children who linger in care and age out of foster care each year, it is easy to become overwhelmed with a system that seems to barely work. However, due to the tireless dedication and amazing productivity of the individuals I've met this summer, I believe that the system in Georgia is run in a good manner. The lawyers, case managers, social workers, therapists, and judges I've been exposed to have been some of the best in the field. I was privileged and honored to see such collaboration between the professions and in many ways consider this co-existence as a model for other states to look to. Perhaps after the impending lawsuit against the state of Georgia is settled, we will witness even greater results.

This summer has truly renewed my desire to pursue Social Work as a profession and child advocacy as a concentration. Through a conglomeration of activities and experiences, I have had an internship experience that surpasses any other summer employment I could have imagined. I have researched cases, written legal documents, presented before a Judge, conducted numerous home visits and child interviews, and visited other residential treatment facilities. Furthermore, I am more aware of the problems that exist within the current system and see what changes need to be made.

It is my opinion that failure to invest in the well being of children is a failure to invest in the future of the world. It is these souls, who we make life-altering decisions for each day who must eventually grow up to lead and live in this world. Of course, until a national dialogue is had and until national attention is given to child welfare, we will not see the sweeping reforms needed to implement a system that deserves to be funded and executed to the highest extent possible. In the meantime, we will do the best we can with the resources we are given.

My overall experience has been one that has been simultaneously fulfilling, exhausting, and rewarding and one that was over before I could believe it. I am thankful to the Barton Clinic for giving me the opportunity to participate this summer.

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