Idaho Guardian Ad Litem: 2022 Program Evaluation

Idaho’s Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Programs serve children and youth across the state in child protection cases. These Programs support the state’s guardians ad litem (GALs) who are appointed by the courts to represent children and youth and their best interests in child protection cases. The Idaho Supreme Court commissioned the School of Public Service (SPS) at Boise State University to perform an external and impartial evaluation of Idaho’s Guardian Ad Litem Program, focusing on a number of research questions aiming to assess recruitment and retention of GALs, perceptions of GALs and CASA programs, and alignment with relevant national CASA standards, Idaho statutes, and Idaho Juvenile Rules. KEY FINDINGS Idaho CASA Programs are making concerted efforts to align with national best practices for child advocacy and with key provisions of Idaho Code §§ 16-1632-33 as well as Idaho Juvenile Rule 35 Idaho’s seven CASA Programs effectively train GALs on a variety of statutorily-mandated topics. Magistrate judges, CASA Program directors, and GALs all indicate overwhelmingly that GALs adequately advocate for the best interests of the child. Over the study period (2016-2020) 93% of children and youth in child protection cases had a GAL assigned to their case. Consistent challenges were identified by both GAL staff and volunteers and Executive Directors across the state. These challenges have also been noted in previous reports on child welfare in Idaho and include the need for more GALs and an improved working relationship with other key stakeholders in child protection matters. Many CASA Programs have plans for recruiting and retention, but need additional support in order to have enough GALs to serve children/youth in child protection cases

Engaging Idaho Out-of-School Youth

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) provides funds to create opportunities for youth ages 16-24 who are not working or in educational programs, otherwise known as out-of-school youth (OSY). Participation in WIOA programs can be low because of difficulties engaging OSY. The Idaho Workforce Development Council (WDC) partnered with Idaho Policy Institute (IPI) to identify creative and proven strategies to engage OSY. To do this, IPI reviewed existing literature and worked with regional representatives from the Idaho Department of Labor (IDOL) and educational institutions across the state to conduct focus groups and phone interviews with OSY recently engaged in WIOA programs. The literature review found that successful programs help youth build relationships with supportive adults such as mentors or caseworkers, and other youth to foster a sense of belonging and community. Similarly, literature shows that OSY respond well to direct outreach from other youth or efforts designed by youth. Successful programs also offer unique education opportunities and partner with community organizations to recruit youth and create work experience opportunities. Findings from interviews and focus groups align with themes found in the literature. Specific interview findings are listed below: Learning opportunities should accommodate learning disabilities and mental health Youth desire to learn job application, interview, and networking skills Programs should have more community relationships to connect participants with work experiences closer to their desired area of interest Youth appreciate caseworkers and would like a stronger relationship with them Interviewees mostly heard about the program from family and friends Youth recommend recruiting through social media with updated materials using empowering language and success stories Satisfactory employment and financial stability are main motivators for participation Youth value educational opportunities and the associated financial assistanc

Guardians Ad Litem in Idaho: 2022 Program Evaluation

Guardians Ad Litem serve a critical role in the lives of Idaho’s children and youth. Each of Idaho’s seven judicial districts has a nonprofit organization providing representation to children and youth in child protection cases. These Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Programs support the state’s guardians ad litem (GALs) who are appointed by the courts to represent children and their best interests in child protection cases. These programs are making concerted efforts to align with national best practices for child advocacy and key provisions of Idaho Code §§ 16-1632-33 and Idaho Juvenile Rule 35, enabling Idaho’s GALs to adequately advocate for the best interests of the child. Additional GALs in the state would enable CASA Programs to serve all of Idaho’s children and youth in child protection services (CPS). This is critical in child protection cases, as the children and youth are in especially vulnerable positions