Prerequisite(s): CHAD 501 or SOWK 501 or SOWK 503 or SOWK 522. This course will explore the three major components of cultural competency necessary for effective child advocacy: value base, knowledge, and skills. The course will focus on enabling students to examine the values that are necessary for a culturally competent understanding and response to children and families, specifically accepting the existence of biases and developing a commitment to strengths-based models that rely on respect for diversity and working toward empowerment as a goal for intervention. Culture is defined broadly, and the course will expose students to a range of belief systems common in different groups concerning child rearing, child maltreatment, and health and mental health. Students will work on issues in interviewing and engaging children and families from different cultural groups.