CARE Advocate Volunteer Application Process

Our next 35 hour pre-service training will begin Saturday March 29th 2025 in Fall River from 9am – 4pm and continue with additional training that combines in person and virtual training sessions during weeknights. 

Optional -Thinking about stepping into service but have some questions?

Please use this link to select a 15 – 30 min time that works best for you to meet with Advocacy Bridge staff if you have questions before applying! 

1.   If you haven’t already done so, please use this self-assessment on our website to determine if now is the right time to make a commitment to this work
2. We ask that candidates be able to commit to attend at least 80% of pre-service (miss no more than 6 hours of training) otherwise we would ask that you consider a future pre-service schedule 
3.  Volunteer Application: Please  Click here to complete a volunteer application by Friday March 21st at 5pm to be considered as a candidate for the spring 2025 pre-service training. You can do this through the link and/or through paper and scan it back to Grey via email. 
4. 1-hour interview in person. After completing your application, please select a time If none of these times work for you, please email Grey and we’ll figure out an alternative. We work when volunteers work.
5. Background Check: After you submit your application you will receive separate instructions about this process.
6. Pre-service Training: Following the interview, we’ll discuss if you’re a good fit to move forward and complete 35 hours of pre-service training and which session would work best. (spring/fall/winter)

Day 1: Introduction to the mission, vision, and principles of the Advocacy Bridge and purpose of the CARE Advocate Program. Training will cover a history of the child welfare system, and the current landscape of volunteer GAL services. An overview of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) will be presented by a guest speaker who is an Attorney for DCF. Key legal principles like “parental fitness”, the “best interest standard”, and the roles of child welfare partners will be covered. The session concludes with a discussion on the role, priorities, and boundaries of CARE Advocates.

Day 2: Introduces the sample case that will be referenced throughout the remainder of the training from various perspectives, exploring the CARE Advocate role. A panel of lawyers will discuss their successes and challenges in representing children and parents in DCF cases as well as their experiences with volunteer GAL advocates appointed to a case.

Day 3: Unpacks the systemic root causes of child welfare involvement, shifting the framework from individual to broader societal factors. Participants explore how language shapes perceptions of children and families, how advocates can identify and challenge the conflation of poverty with neglect, and engage in discussions on substance use, dignity-based advocacy, and family resilience. The day also includes skill-building in interviewing, information gathering. A guest speaker, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, will provide a holistic perspective on how advocates can collaborate and navigate the mental health system to support child and family well-being in the role of a CARE Advocate.

Day 4: A guest expert will present on understanding the realities, dispelling myths, and building trust with children and families who live and/or work in neighborhoods that are impacted by community violence. Participants will be equipped with the awareness and skills for how to conduct themselves effectively and respectfully while building meaningful relationships with the child/children they are appointed to as a CARE Advocate.

Day 5: Delves deeper into the root causes of child welfare involvement by examining the impact of domestic violence on children and families in our communities. Through discussions and practical applications, participants will dispel myths, learn how to show up with empathy and sensitivity, apply their understanding of the court process, and empower families with hope and support.

Day 6: Explore what is “permanency work,” emphasizing that true permanency extends beyond legal definitions to include cultural, relational, and emotional lifelong connections as defined by children, youth and families, especially for older youth in foster care. Through personal and professional insights from presenters with lived experience in the foster care system, advocates will gain a deeper understanding of the unique challenges faced by older youth, including LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals. Participants will be equipped with tools to support reconnection with severed relationships and learn strategies for creating and expanding “social capital” for youth in foster care. Trainees will explore the concept of ‘normalcy’ in foster care. Advocates will learn about the barriers youth in foster care face to access common rites of passage—like opening a bank account, obtaining a driver’s license, getting a part-time job, or attending a sleepover. Trainees will learn strategies to advocate and overcome these systemic barriers.

Day 7: Juvenile Court Judges will join as guest speakers to share what they find rewarding and challenging about being a judge, what advocates need to know about the child welfare and court system and how they believe CARE Advocates can make a difference for children and families. Additional topics that will be covered include confidentiality and the responsibility of honoring children’s and families’ stories. Through breakout discussions and casework exercises, participants reflect on their learning so far, explore lingering questions, and refine their skills in information gathering and reporting.

Day 8: Centers the voices of those with lived experience in foster care, featuring a panel discussion on identity, culture, and authentic engagement in the court system. Participants will reflect on the insights shared, debrief in breakout sessions, and discuss their key takeaways from the pre-service training as they also prepare for court observation.