Certified Child Advocate Manager (CCAM)

The Guardian ad Litem Certified Child Advocate Manager (CCAM) is the Florida Certification Board's professional-level credential for Child Advocate Managers who advocate for dependent children to ensure their safety and best interests. In 2020, Florida became the first state to establish uniform professional standards for independent child advocates, and the CCAM continues to recognize the managers at the center of that work. The CCAM serves on each child's multidisciplinary advocacy team alongside a volunteer child advocate, a Guardian ad Litem attorney, and a child welfare professional. CCAMs achieve advocacy outcomes through effective coaching, relationship building, monitoring, and managing an assigned team of volunteer child advocates. Volunteers carry out much of the direct work of visiting and assessing children, advocating in staffings and meetings, and participating in court hearings, and the CCAM serves as the advocacy team's subject matter expert, providing guidance, technical assistance, and training. When no volunteer is assigned to a child, the CCAM performs the child advocacy and court activities a volunteer would otherwise carry out. The credential covers four performance domains: Child Advocacy Management; Volunteer Coaching, Relationship Building, Management, and Support; Court Preparation and Participation; and Legal, Ethical, and Professional Responsibilities. Initial certification is completed through the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office and the FCB. Requirements include a level 2 background screening, a bachelor's degree, completion of the Guardian ad Litem Child Advocate Manager training program, 1,500 hours of work as a Child Advocate Manager I or II in Florida within the last five years, three supervised field observations each followed by a case consultation, at least 20 hours of supervision, and a passing score on the CCAM exam. Our courses do not replace the Guardian ad Litem Office's Child Advocate Manager training program. They are designed for continuing education. CCAMs renew their credential every year by June 30 and complete 40 hours of continuing education annually (the requirement is waived for the first renewal period only). CE must relate to at least one of the four CCAM performance domains, and the same course cannot be claimed more than once in a credential period. Credential holders also follow the FCB Code of Ethical and Professional Conduct, and the credential stays with the holder even after leaving a Child Advocate Manager position. Review the full CCAM standards on the Florida Certification Board website. Our CCAM continuing education series is built around the four performance domains, with one 10-contact-hour course per domain, so the full series equals the entire 40-hour annual CE requirement. Child Advocacy Management covers best interest representation, the guardian ad litem's duties under section 39.822, Florida Statutes, hearing the child's voice, tracking cases toward permanency, and managing both volunteer-supported and unassigned cases. Volunteer Coaching, Relationship Building, Management, and Support covers recruiting, training, coaching, and retaining volunteer advocates with varying experience levels. Court Preparation and Participation covers preparing volunteers and cases for staffings and hearings, court reports, and effective participation in dependency proceedings. Legal, Ethical, and Professional Responsibilities covers the legal framework for guardian ad litem advocacy in Florida, confidentiality, ethical boundaries in child advocacy, and professional conduct standards for CCAMs and the volunteers they manage. Courses are grounded in current Florida law, including Chapter 39 and the statutes governing the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, and each module includes a realistic case study and a practical advocacy tool. New courses in this series are released as they are completed. In accordance with Florida Certification Board (FCB) standards, our training is delivered exclusively through compliant self-paced online courses. To verify learning and earn a certificate of completion, participants pass a post-test with a minimum score of 80% and complete a Level One evaluation (attitude questionnaire). Certificates are available for immediate download upon completion.