I began my internship with many questions regarding the relationship between state agencies such as the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), the Child Advocate's Office, and the Juvenile Court. I have always been interested in the legal aspects of children and the law, both in deprivation and delinquency actions. This internship allowed me to view the deprivation of children from many the different angles of the court, child advocate, and DFCS, as well as analyze different aspects of care and legal action for minors in the care of the state.

Throughout the summer, I have been exposed to the many positive and negative aspects within the field of child advocacy. Through my work in the Child Advocate's Office in the DeKalb County Juvenile Court, I have learned many things about the juvenile justice system, the inner workings of a state agency, as well as many different lessons about life. My supervisor, Dorothy Murphy, provided the most influential examples and experiences during my time with the office. Throughout my eight weeks, Ms. Murphy took time to include me in many different types of cases, hearings, and court procedures that I would not have experienced if I were not under her guidance. I visited abused children in the hospital, viewed firsthand the detrimental effect of a neglectful home on the lives of children, and witnessed children grow and develop into valuable citizens in the care of proper guardians and in a good home. Ms. Murphy was very passionate about her work, and did everything in her power to ensure each and every client was getting every benefit possible. She has served as a source of inspiration for me during my time at the Child Advocate's Office, and I am very grateful I have been able to spend my summer working under her guidance.

One great advantage to working with Ms. Murphy was being able to spend time in the courtroom of Judge Robin Nash. In his court, I was allowed to give oral and written recommendations during hearings, as well as observe many different types of cases with some very different outcomes. Not only did Judge Nash provide the "tough love" needed for parents to overcome problems with abuse, drugs, or alcohol, he also showed great compassion and understanding to the children involved in each case. Judge Nash would take the time to hear all evidence and opinions before making a ruling. Although this would mean our court day would often run longer than most, the decisions that came out of his court would be based on the maximum amount of information available for a child.

Another significant influence in my experience has been my frequent interaction with the children our office represents. I have watched a premature baby born with cocaine in his system grow to become a perfectly healthy child. I have also seen a group of four children taken away from their adoptive guardian after being in DFCS care more than three times over the span of their short lives. These children had been removed from three guardians guilty of neglect, yet all four children were optimistic about their new placement and knew things could only get better. I have also seen children who have grown up in the custody of the state act out in school, camp, and court in order to get the attention they have been denied for years. Many of these older children cannot or will not be adopted due to the lengthy process of terminating parental rights and finding an adoptive family. This leaves many children understandably bitter and enraged, as they have been forcibly removed from the only family they knew and are being shuffled between temporary caregivers. My interactions with these children have taught me a great deal about the fallacy of expedited service in the justice system. Although six months in care may seem to be a short amount of time for an adult, six months for a child can be an excruciatingly long period of time. Ms. Murphy and Judge Nash understand the necessity of quick and proper action in deprivation cases, and do all they can to ensure these children find a permanent residence as quickly as possible within the complicated juvenile justice system.

These children served as an emotional obstacle to my internship this summer. Witnessing such sad conditions and circumstances often left me feeling helpless and useless in such a complicated system of bureaucracy. During my first few weeks, I left the office every afternoon wondering if all the phone calls, investigation, and interviews would make any difference in the outcome of these children's lives. As my summer progressed, however, I began to see the benefit of my work and its impact on our office's clients. Being able to witness children reunite with a family member, parent, or sibling proved to be the best reward for my diligent work.

During my first week at this placement, I quickly learned the importance of a child advocate in a deprived child's life. There were numerous occasions in which other investigative sources failed to obtain the entire story from a child or other involved parties, and without the child advocate's investigation to supplement the information given by DFCS, these children may have been placed back into a dangerous situation. I had one case in particular where five children would have been placed with a possible sexual predator and frequent drug user if it weren't for the investigation of our office. While I presented my evidence before the court, other parties were pressuring the court to ignore the serious evidence my report contained and to dismiss the case. Although it may be easier on some state agencies to move children from state custody as soon as possible, this option is not always the best course of action for the children involved. Although the majority of the time DFCS and our office had similar recommendations, there were instances in which it appeared that DFCS was willing to take unnecessary risks in order to remove children from their care as soon as possible. Without the guardian ad litem present to represent the best interest of the child, children may fall victim to inappropriate legal action, removal, or reunification.

Although the DFCS and the Child Advocate's Office occasionally have different priorities and objectives, they do share one striking similarity: both agencies are grossly understaffed and under funded. When I arrived at my placement, there was only one full-time attorney working in the office. As Ms. Murphy cannot handle the nearly two thousand cases that come into our court, she has been forced to rely on her investigator as well as interns and volunteers to do the vast majority of her case investigation. During my work, I would often become increasingly frustrated with DFCS's lack of response to my phone calls and questions regarding cases. However, I began to realize each case worker has an unreasonable number of children under their care and cannot be faulted for their inability to stay atop of each and every one of the children for whom they are responsible. Without the funding to employ the necessary numbers of DFCS case workers and Child Advocates, both offices cannot function to their full capacity. Children at high risk for illegal behavior, abuse, neglect, drug use, and deprivation interact with both offices. These two offices are great tools to be used to steer these high-risk children to a more productive, healthy, and safe future. Without the necessary funding and staffing, neither office can efficiently give these children the amount of representation and attention they deserve. If additional money were allotted to these two agencies, more children might be saved from such a negative future, thus decreasing the overwhelming amount of individuals coming into the criminal justice system.

Throughout my time with the Child Advocate's Office, I had the great opportunity to meet and interact with many individuals who devote themselves to bettering the lives of deprived children and their families. I have encountered phenomenal case workers, exceptional judges, and compassionate legal counsel who work tirelessly to benefit the lives of children. These individuals will continue to serve as a source of inspiration for others who wish to become involved in the representation and care of children in the custody of the state.