Court appointed child advocates: wards.

Existing law requires the Judicial Council to establish a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program, under which volunteers serve as court appointed child advocates to provide designated services and support to dependent children and nonminor dependents in juvenile dependency proceedings. Existing law provides that a minor, under certain circumstances, is subject to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. If the minor has violated a law or ordinance, existing law authorizes the juvenile court to adjudge the minor to be a ward of the court. This bill would authorize the appointment of a CASA in a juvenile delinquency proceeding, and would provide that a CASA shall be considered court personnel for purposes of inspecting the case file of a dependent child or ward of the juvenile court.