School: Regent University School of Law

I came into this summer not really knowing what to expect. Many people asked me what I would be doing in my internship, and I was unable to give them a good answer. I quickly learned that work in child advocacy will probably always be hard to describe- mainly because there is so much that goes into it. Saying that I spent my summer investigating cases, interviewing children and attending Court hearings just does not capture all the legwork, energy and emotion that went into this job. I have learned a great deal, both professionally and personally, and I will always be grateful for the experience.

The first interview I did alone was of a 16 year old boy who was in RYDC, mostly because he had nowhere to go if he was released. Little did I know that my meeting with him was just a preview of things to come. I feel like I spent my summer with 16 and 17 year old boys. The Center requires that interns can work alone only on cases of children over 10 who have not been exposed to sexual or severe physical abuse. I visited a few younger children and a couple of girls, but for some reason my caseload was mostly teenage boys. When I received a case file, I would spend some time, or a great deal of time for the kids who had been in care for a while, reviewing the old child advocate reports, school report cards, and psychological evaluations. Then, I would attempt to contact the DFCS case manager to obtain an update on the child's case. Getting case updates from DFCS workers was undoubtedly the most frustrating part of the job! (More on that later…) After confirming the child's placement, I would make an appointment to see him and conduct the home visit. Looking back over the many interviews I conducted this summer, I am most impressed by these children's ability to articulate their feelings and wishes. I talked to these kids about issues and decisions I did not have to deal with until I was in college. I never had to think about where I wanted to live or if I wanted visits with my parents or if I thought I would function better in a mainstream or alternative school. No one needed to know if my therapy was helping me to deal with the anger problem I inherited from my father or the exposure to drugs courtesy of my mother. Listening to these young men tell me that they felt "neglected" or "depressed" and explain that they could not understand why no one wanted them broke my heart every time. On the other hand, I was immensely encouraged by their willingness to express their feelings and their hopefulness for the future.

Interviewing was my favorite part of the placement, but I also spent quite a bit of time contacting case managers and observing court proceedings. I met some very efficient and helpful case managers this summer. I also met (or attempted to meet) several case managers that drove me to stomping through the office maligning their names! I know that DFCS case managers care about children as much as I do. I understand that they are overworked and underpaid. However, I have also realized that there is something terribly wrong with the relationship between DFCS and the Child Advocate's office as it currently stands. I was always taught not to complain about a problem if I cannot offer a solution. So, perhaps I should stop my rant right here. I can only suggest a different, more efficient mode of communication. I also think some work might need to be done to help child advocates and case managers better understand each other's roles and how to support each other in them.

I observed proceedings in juvenile court part of last summer, and I enjoyed it immensely. The experience was even better this summer. I felt like I knew some of the children and foster parents involved, and I was at least emotionally invested in the outcome of the cases. I do not envy juvenile court judges their jobs. Of course, every decision any judge makes impacts someone's life. However, deciding what happens to children and their parents seems like a greater responsibility to me. I saw many decisions I agreed with and a few that I did not. My court observation time also piqued my interest in perhaps sitting on the bench myself one day.

Now, if anyone asks what I did over the summer, I may tell them that I conducted interviews, and researched for cases, and wrote reports, and observed in court. I will also tell them that I fell in love with three little boys who wanted to show me that they knew karate and who really miss their mommy. I will tell them that I had my heart broken by a tough looking 16 year old who told me how neglected he felt by the mother who will no longer talk to him or let him visit. I will tell them I cried while listening to the Celebration of Excellence speaker who overcame a host of negative predictions to reach his destiny. I will tell them that I know now, more than I ever did before, that I am a child advocate, and whatever job I end up with after law school will never change that.