The community review board is free to be more critical of the agency involved, but the board members are less knowledgeable and may have been selected for reasons unrelated to their special competence in this area. Some jurisdictions have worked out a combination that they hope captures the best of each plan. Whatever the format, the goal and process are the same. Active involvement and participation of the children and their families in the review process are always to be encouraged. The intent is not to review the professional decisions that have been made, but rather to assure that for each child careful attention was paid to the decision-making process, and that those decisions have attempted to provide stable caretaking and a sense of permanence.
CASA volunteers work within the court system on behalf of individual children.
These volunteers are trained in the basic tenets of child welfare and the role of the court and the agencies involved. They are there to make certain that the child's rights are protected and that agencies follow up in accord with the court's findings and recommendations.