Once that opinion has been formed, I am no longer neutral. At that point, I am an advocate for the child's wishes and best interests. Anyone can be a child advocate. Parents are often advocates for their children with schools, physicians and other professionals and agencies. Child protective caseworkers are also advocates for children when they counsel parents on how to be better parents or bring cases to court asking the court to issue orders designed protect children.
Ordinary citizens fighting for changes to laws to improve our care of children are also advocates.
CASA volunteers often work with abused children who have been removed from their homes, helping the family make the changes that need to be made so that the child can go home or helping the professionals assure that the steps are taken to promptly free the child for adoption. For more information, see the CASA site on the Internet. Review safety issues for the children in your life. For more information about how to do this, visit the Rate A Child's Safety site on the Internet. In the United States, one good resource for information about how to do this is Pandora's Box.