THE NEED FOR CHILD REPRESENTATION REFORM - POLICY ISSUES AND NEW ROLES FOR FAMILY SPECIALISTS

Victims of child abuse and neglect and children of divorce need indepe ndent representation in court. A 1974 federal mandate requires states to provide representatives for all eligible children but many do not. A review of literature identified three major barriers to effective re presentation: a lack of qualified personnel, insufficient funding, and time and compensation constraints. This paper considers possible solu tions to these problems and identifies ways for family specialists to become involved in the reform process.