Arizona officials are telling Tempe and West Chandler residents that they need help in expanding awareness of the volunteer program that reviews cases of children in the state’s foster care system. The request comes from Gioia Kaid, who works with the review board overseeing such services within the Dependent Children’s Services Division of the Arizona Supreme Court. Here’s a bulleted list of what Kaid hopes will be useful details: • We have 55 boards in Maricopa County.
- Each board consists of five citizens from across the community
- The board members are appointed by the presiding judge of Maricopa County’s Juvenile Court to a three-year term and can request to be reappointed when their term is up. Most do (usually over 90%).
- The board members commit to meeting virtually one weekday per month to review the cases of children who are subject to a dependency court action and in out-of-home care.
- They review the same cases every six months until permanency is achieved.
- As children return home, are adopted, have guardianship granted or age-out of the system, new cases are added to the board’s review day
- The board makes recommendations regarding services and permanency options to the Juvenile Court and interested parties in the case.
- Currently, the 55 boards review the cases of about 5,175 children in Maricopa County.
- Current need is for 43 volunteers to become board members in Maricopa County.
- Statewide, the FCRB has approximately 108 boards and 540 dedicated volunteer positions.
- Volunteers receive training and participate in continuing education opportunities. Prior to the Review Day
- Board members review material via a secured website about 10 days before the review date.
- Board members review the case material that includes progress reports, case plans, service participation documentation, CASA reports, etc.
- They prepare questions to ask the attending interested parties the day of the review. On the Board Day:
- Board members meet in a virtual format from home.
- A FCRB staff member (program specialist) facilitates the review day.
- As each case is reviewed, interested parties associated with that particular case have an opportunity to appear before the Board and speak about their concerns, successes, wants and needs.
- The interested parties consist of case managers, attorney’s, biological parents, foster parents, counselors, licensing workers, court-appointed special advocates and selected others.
- The board members ask questions to clarify and corroborate information.
- The board members identify and make recommendations to the Juvenile Court.
- The FCRB staff member (program specialist) prepares a written report detailing the statements given by the interested parties and recommendations made by the board.
- The report is forwarded to the Juvenile Court and mailed out to all interested party of the case. To Become a Volunteer:
- You must be available one weekday per month.
- You must be at least 21 years old.
- You must be able to pass a fingerprint background check.
- To volunteer for the FCRB, request an application by going to: www.AZFCRB.org or consider Court Appointed Special Advocates, in which volunteers are appointed by the court to advocate for specific child with whom they are paired. To learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer visit AZCASAVolunteer.org
