Delaware County
Volunteer Training
Session Five
Writing CASA Reports
Court Report Writing Guidance
STATE OF INDIANA
COUNTY OF DELAWARE
IN THE MATTER OF:
Mickey Mouse
A Child In Need Of Services
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IN THE DELAWARE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT
CAUSE NUMBER: 18C02-1509-JC-xxx
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CASA REPORT
Persons Contacted
Last Contacted
Name of child
12/02/2015
Name of Parent 1
12/01/2015
Name of Parent 2
12/02/2015
Siblings
11/21/2015
Name of Case Manager
10/14/2015
Other relatives, services providers
Relationship to Child
child
mother
father
sister
case manager
Attended Family Team Meetings on 12/18 and 4/30
Documents Reviewed
CASA Case File
Hospital records
Criminal records
First Steps Indiana
School records
11/17/2015
11/17/2015
10/12/2015
10/12/2015
09/10/2015
ASSESSMENTS written in ¶ Form, one ¶ per topic (row)
Formal Name of Child: age
¶ *Brief explanation of why child was detained (how did the child become a CHINS)
¶ *Placement History: i.e. How long have they been there? How are they adjusting to this placement
¶ Developmental / school assessment (if school age)
¶ Significant health information (mental and physical)
¶ *Visitation (what are the visitation arrangements, ie 2x/week; how are visits going?)
¶ Perhaps a paragraph summarizing major changes/issues since last hearing, if applicable
Child’s Wishes ¶ Form
¶ *Paragraph form of child’s wishes, unless the child is not yet talking.
© 2016 Delaware County
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Court Report Writing Guidance
Parent One *even if you have had no contact with them ¶ Form
¶ Compliance with court ordered services: one paragraph for each relevant service ordered
¶ Criminal information (if applicable)
¶ Additional pertinent information, including relationship to child, other parent, etc.
Parent Two*even if you have had no contact with them ¶ Form
¶ Compliance with court ordered services: one paragraph for each relevant service ordered
¶ Criminal information (if applicable)
¶ Additional pertinent information, including relationship to child, other parent, etc.
Placement (Foster home, relative, kinship) ¶ Form
¶ Child’s adjustment to foster/relative home facts
¶ Information from foster parents/relative about child’s physical or emotional condition upon entering foster
care and any relevant changes
¶ Services received in placement are significantly involved in child’s life)
¶ Grandparents, step-parents, other relatives (if they are significantly involved in the child’s life)
SUMMARY ¶ Form
¶ Brief summary of facts outlined in assessment about the child. Some room for opinion or editorial if it flow
from facts presented earlier
¶ Brief summary of the child’s wishes
¶ Brief summary of facts outlined in assessment about parent 1. Some room for opinion or editorial if it flow
from facts presented earlier
¶ Brief summary of facts outlined in assessment about parent 2. Some room for opinion or editorial if it flow
from facts presented earlier
¶ Child’s adjustment to placement and any concerns you mentioned earlier
RECOMMENDATIONS: LIST FORM
In the best interest of Mickey Mouse CASA recommends:
1. Placement recommendation (continue, change, add)
2. Services for child (continual services, change frequency or focus of services)
3. Additional services for parents or change in service (more frequent visits; random drug screens; etc.)
4. Depending on the hearing you might make a recommendation about the permanency plan
Respectfully Submitted,
____________________
YOUR NAME HERE
Court Appointed Special Advocate
Distribution:
Juvenile Court
parents
CASA
DCS
© 2016 Delaware County
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Court Report Writing Guidance
Imagine you are a Judge and have to read a report at light speed. By keeping the format constant, you
assure that the Judge will be able to read and locate key information quickly. Please attend to these
requirements as your write your reports. Your supervisor will expect and appreciate your diligence.
Priority Element
1) Formatting and
Accuracy
Introduction
2) Contacts (list in
columns)
Your Goal: Fully Address Topics
 Has all necessary elements as represented by the headings in the Report
Template
 Dates are accurate
 Events appear in chronological order
 Spelling is accurate
 Complete sentences within paragraph
 Formal language
 Included all key players contacted
3) Documents
Reviewed (list in
columns)
Assessments
4) Child
(1 ¶ for each topic)
 All relevant documents reviewed are included
5) Child Wishes
(1 ¶ for topic
typically)
 Includes detailed information about what the child wishes in terms of
services, placement and/or permanency plan
6) Parent One
Information
(1 ¶ for each topic)
 One paragraph for parent one’s compliance or lack of compliance with
each service ordered for the case
 Criminal information (if applicable)
 Additional pertinent information (if applicable)
 Key information is complete for the child including
 Placement history
 Why child was detained
 Developmental/school assessment
 Significant health information
 Visitation
 Summary of issues since last hearing (if applicable)
Use Dipositional Order
7) Parent Two
Information
(1 ¶ for each topic)
 One paragraph for parent one’s compliance or lack of compliance with
each service ordered for the case
 Criminal information (if applicable)
 Additional pertinent information (if applicable)
Use Dipositional Order
8) Placement
(foster, relative,
kinship, in-home
CHINS)
(1 ¶ for each topic)
 Child’s adjustment to placement
 Information from adults providing placement about child’s emotional
condition upon entering placement and any relevant changes
 Services received in placement
© 2016 Delaware County
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Court Report Writing Guidance
 Additional information (if applicable) about other people who are
significantly involved in child’s life
Conclusion
9) Summary (1 ¶ for
each topic but can
be 1 or 2
sentences)
 Brief summary of facts outlined in assessments in order that mentioned
in report
NOTE: Some room for opinion or editorial – but opinions must flow from
facts presented earlier
10)
Recommendations
(list format)





Distribution list
 All parties to case included
Written in 3rd person (CASA recommends…)
Placement
Services for Child (maintain, change or add)
Services for Parents (maintain, change, add)
Depending on hearing, may speak to permanency plan
© 2016 Delaware County
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Court Report Feedback
Priority Element
1) Formatting and
Accuracy
Fully Addresses Topics
 Has all necessary
elements as represented
by the headings in the
Report Template
 Dates are accurate
 Events appear in
chronological order
 Spelling is accurate
 Complete sentences
within paragraph
 Formal language
Needs Revision
 Remove bullets
 Use consistent
date format
 Use formal
language
 Check your dates,
spelling of names
etc.
Unfinished Draft
 Missing one or
more elements
2) Contacts (list in
columns)
 Included all key players
contacted
 Section is missing
3) Documents
Reviewed (list in
columns)
 All relevant documents
reviewed are included
 Included
information not
relevant to this
time period
 Omitted key
players that
actually contacted
 Documents
reviewed do not
support facts
reported
 Missing one or
more topics about
the child
 Section is missing
or incomplete
Introduction
Assessments
4) Child
(1 ¶ for each topic)
 Key information is
complete for the child
including
 Placement history
 Why child was detained
 Developmental/school
assessment
 Significant health
information
 Visitation
 Summary of issues since
last hearing (if
applicable)
© 2016 Delaware County
 Section is
incomplete or
missing
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Court Report Feedback
5) Child Wishes
(1 ¶ for topic
typically)
 Includes one statement
about what the child
wishes in terms of
services and/or
permanency plan
 Includes general
information about
what the child
wishes in terms of
services and/or
permanency plan
 Section is missing
6) Parent One
Information
(1 ¶ for each topic)
 One paragraph for parent
one’s compliance with
each service ordered that
is pertinent to the case
 Criminal information (if
applicable)
 Additional pertinent
information (if
applicable)
 Cites source of
information
 One paragraph for parent
two’s compliance with
each service ordered that
is pertinent to the case
 Criminal information (if
applicable)
 Additional pertinent
information (if
applicable)
 Child’s adjustment to
placement
 Information from adults
providing placement
about child’s emotional
condition upon entering
placement and any
relevant changes
 Services received in
placement
 Additional information (if
applicable) about other
people who are
significantly involved in
child’s life
 Missing key
information about
a service ordered
 Missing pertinent,
applicable
information
 Doesn’t cite
source of
information
 Section is missing
or incomplete
 Missing key
information about
a service ordered
 Missing pertinent,
applicable
information
 Section is missing
or incomplete
 Missing key
information about
placement
 Section is missing
or incomplete
7) Parent Two
Information
(1 ¶ for each topic)
8) Placement (foster,
relative, kinship, inhome CHINS)
(1 ¶ for each topic)
© 2016 Delaware County
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Court Report Feedback
Conclusion
9) Summary (1 ¶ for
each topic but can be
1 or 2 sentences)
 Brief summary of facts
outlined in assessments in
order that mentioned in
report
NOTE: Some room for
opinion or editorial – but
opinions must flow from
facts presented earlier
10) Recommendations  Written in 3rd person
(list format)
(CASA recommends
 Placement
 Services for Child
(maintain, change or add)
 Services for Parents
(maintain, change, add)
Distribution list
 All parties to case
included
 Brings up new
information not
addressed earlier
under Assessments
 Summary is not
concise
 Summary not
organized logically
 Section is
missing or
incomplete
 Missing key
recommendation
 Recommendation
not supported by
information in
Assessment
Section
 Missing party to
case
 Section is
missing or
incomplete
© 2016 Delaware County
 Missing
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