Solutions
Pilot Program Evaluation Study

The Child Advocate Pilot Program Evaluation Study is a longitudinal evaluation of CVP’s client-directed Child Advocate Attorney model in family court. Conducted in St. Mary’s and Charles Counties, Maryland, the study examines how different approaches to legal representation for children influence case trajectories, attorney practices, and outcomes in complex custody cases. By comparing cases involving CVP Child Advocate Attorneys with cases using best interests representation, the study generates empirical evidence about how child-centered legal advocacy functions in real-world court settings.

The study follows participating attorneys over time through quarterly surveys and in-depth qualitative interviews, alongside analysis of publicly available court records to track litigation activity, duration, and outcomes. Data collection occurs for a minimum of two years and is conducted under Institutional Review Board oversight, with robust confidentiality and data security protections in place. Together, these methods allow CVP to rigorously evaluate the impact of child-centered legal representation while centering ethical research practices and the integrity of participants’ perspectives.