tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528711106793780153.post4337108163467633317..comments2017-10-22T23:47:03.795-07:00Comments on My Family For Now: Acronym of the Day: GALChristinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17635693504057980715noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528711106793780153.post-32275031025128345212016-10-28T18:08:10.083-07:002016-10-28T18:08:10.083-07:00Interesting. Does the DSS attorney visit them?Interesting. Does the DSS attorney visit them?Christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17635693504057980715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528711106793780153.post-76510556725639737372016-10-28T18:06:47.701-07:002016-10-28T18:06:47.701-07:00Do they speak in court? Ours speaks quite a bit. ...Do they speak in court? Ours speaks quite a bit. In practice, some GALs here are just a warm body and we had one in particular that I felt did nothing for the case. We haven't had any truly tear-out-your-hair crazy cases, so "nothing" wasn't a problem. But at least two I've seen specifically benefit the children. Thank you for sharing your experience!Christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17635693504057980715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528711106793780153.post-83628392941094367392016-10-24T19:20:32.959-07:002016-10-24T19:20:32.959-07:00Here in SC, the GAL is what appears to be your CAS...Here in SC, the GAL is what appears to be your CASA's. Our GAL is a trained volunteer. They are supposed to visit the child once a month to determine what is the best interests of the child, but I have not had that happen. I had my first placement for 13 months and the GAL did not visit once. <br />The children do not have an attorney appointed solely for their interests - they only have the DSS attorney.Allisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08800061668051318904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528711106793780153.post-80871541511052658112016-10-24T06:53:50.238-07:002016-10-24T06:53:50.238-07:00You have a much more positive opinion of GALs than...You have a much more positive opinion of GALs than I do. I find them superfluous at best and totally pointless, other than another warm body in the court room. I might be able to pick my kids GAL out of a line up, but then again maybe not. We only see them when we have court, although at the request of my daughter's mobile therapist, we are asking to be seen before court so my daughter doesn't see her mom at court and have weeks of behaviors afterwards like last time. I think the GAL talked to my son about adoption in whispers when she found out at court that this was the decision for his case. Fortunately, we have good case workers so if my son did have objections they would have made them known in lieu of the GAL. Mostly, the GAL just goes along with whatever the county decides, regardless of the interest of the child, or so it seems in my experience. It's so strange how differently things are done from state to state and even county to county in my state. I'm honestly not sure if there are CASA's in my state. Empty Arms, Broken Hearthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11158910835440188959noreply@blogger.com