Sixteen-year-old Claire, who has had experience with the child advocate program, gives her side of the story. Her name has been changed to protect her identity.

Life before

After Claire's mother died when she was 2, she lived with her father, and they received Social Security benefits. However, he didn't work and was spending the money unwisely, including on drugs. To help support herself, she got a job at Burger King.

You usually have a breaking point. That was just the day I'd had it. I was 14. I was at work and I was really upset 'cause me and my dad had got into a fight. I called Child Protective Services. They just came and brought me to a place called YES, which is Youth Emergency Services.

They set me up with a caseworker, and she had to call my father and tell him, "Your kid is now in custody of the state because of her allegations against you.'' Then she took me to the Guardian Home, and I stayed there for a couple of days.

I called my friend and said what was happening. Then her mom called and she came and got me.

The hearing

Claire attended the hearing with her advocate, also called a guardian ad litem. The child tells his or her advocate what he or she wants to result from the case, and then the adult shares the child's views with the judge.

I'm a minor, and minors basically have no credibility. You have to have proof, and that's very hard to come up with. Plus I had more emotional abuse than physical abuse, so that was a little bit harder to express.

They found my dad not guilty, and I was returned to my dad's house. That was scary. I was there for approximately five days. I wasn't allowed to do anything. I just had to sit at home.

What I did was I took my little tape recorder and I got my dad on there, hitting me and yelling at me and all that stuff. So I had my proof. At first (child protection officials) said that wasn't enough, and I made the statement that if I had to go back, I would kill myself or I would run away. And so they're like, "Obviously it's not safe for you to be there.''

Second chance

Claire is now living with the family of her best friend, who is one of five children. They have supported her throughout the case.

I say "thank you'' a lot for it, and I deeply appreciate it.

It hasn't really affected my friendships at school. Nobody ever teased me about it. Everybody thinks it's really cool that I stood up for myself. I haven't seen my dad in a while.

I believe (Child Advocates) is a good program. It gets you out of trouble if you need to be out of trouble. Anything you need or want, you have to express it to (the advocate) and she'll express it to the judge.

If you're in the program, there is hope.

REPORTER: Lauren Slemenda, 11