2016 Delaware Code
Title 31 - Welfare
CHAPTER 36. COURT-APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE PROGRAM [EFFECTIVE UNTIL MAR. 5, 2017]
§ 3601. Purpose and construction of chapter [Effective until Mar. 5, 2017].

(a) Children who appear in Family Court as the subject of custody, visitation, guardianship, termination of parental rights, adoption and other related petitions that involve a dependent, neglected or abused child often are situated in the middle of an adversary process. These children have no one to represent their best interests, as opposed to the interests of the petitioner and respondent. Furthermore, when the child has no one specifically to represent what is in his or her best interests, the Family Court may only receive information that supports the position of the petitioner or respondent. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to provide for a system to ensure that children who are the subject of these proceedings before the Family Court have their best interests represented in those proceedings. To this end, the Family Court will establish and administer a Court-Appointed Special Advocate Program.

(b) This chapter shall be liberally construed that these purposes may be realized.

65 Del. Laws, c. 95, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 72 Del. Laws, c. 451, § 11.;