What are the educational requirements for a career in family advocacy?

Question

What are the educational requirements for a career in family advocacy?

Answer 1

I would say that your education should be centered around the kinds of advocacy that you want to do. There are health advocates, special ed advocates, disability advocates, legal advocates to name a very few.

There is an advocacy program that requires no specific college education, though you would receive training through the agency involved. This is the Guardian Ad Litem program. Almost all states have them. This is a program for kids who are for whatever reason are left without a guardian. Often the Guardian will represent the child in court or at school. The child does not live with their guardian.

Often family advocates pursue degrees in social work, clinical psychology or teaching special education. Again, it relates to the field you want to be in.

If you like the school environment, it is best to major in special education because that is what you need to understand the system. Our family advocate is hired by the school district to help mediate IEP disputes and take the parent's position.

If you want to be very high up in the advocacy issues, then getting a law degree in your area of interest would be best.

Since you mentioned a career, I am making the assumption that you want to paid for what you do. There are many volunteer opportunities, usually through church groups or groups specific to a certain disabilities.

If I was going to study to be a family advocate, I would get a degree in social work. That would give me a good background in family system issues and would provide me with the most job opportunities after college.