P.A. 90 - 28, Art. In counties with a population of 100,000 or more but less than 8,000,000, each guardian ad litem must successfully complete a training program approved by the Department of Children and Family Services. The Department of Children and Family Services shall provide training materials and documents to guardians ad litem who are not mandated to attend the training program. The Department of Children and Family Services shall develop and distribute to all guardians ad litem a bibliography containing information including but not limited to the juvenile court process, termination of parental rights, child development, medical aspects of child abuse, and the child's need for safety and permanence. Although no such training program exists in DuPage County at this time, the Family Law and Practice and Children's Advocacy committees of the DuPage Bar Association have already begun meeting with Cook County Officials where such a program is in place.
Courts appear to have two options relative to children involved in parentage cases.
The Act also grants authority to the court to appoint an attorney for a child. In this situation, the District Court properly appointed independent counsel to represent the children, so that the Court could have the benefit of an independent advocate for welfare of the children, unprejudiced by the possibly conflicting interests and desires of the other parties. It is true that under certain circumstances, the circuit court has an obligation to appoint a guardian ad litem, particularly when a minor is without proper representation. The appointment of a guardian ad litem is not necessary in every case. In many instances, it is similarly unnecessary to appoint both an attorney and a guardian ad litem.