Read one man's story about what it's like to serve as a CASA volunteer and how your time can make a world a difference in the life of a young person.

It was a small story, at the bottom of the page in the local newspaper. "CASA," it said, "is an organization of volunteers who help neglected and abused children after they have been removed from their family." The story described the surprising number of children in foster care because of a wide variety of difficulties, and talked about how CASA volunteers help children find some form of permanency. It sounded like a perfect match for a retired university professor with a background in education and parent involvement, so I called.

After ten minutes of conversation about requirements, training, and how difficult but rewarding the work would be, I was hooked. After a voluntary background check, I found my self a student again - enrolled in 33 hours of CASA College.

The training was aimed at the work we would do, serving as the eyes and ears of the juvenile court as we do whatever is necessary to keep our charges safe, healthy, learning and as happy as possible. We found out that we had to visit homes, talk with teachers, review records, go to lots of meetings, keep careful records and testify in court.

That last one sent a chill through most of us - I think we were conditioned by all the courtroom television dramas. We even had a chance to conduct a simulated case in an elaborate role-play where we could "try on" our new found skills and insights.

One saving grace of the CASA training and support program is that every volunteer has an Advocate Supervisor - a staff member who provides guidance and can steer us in the right direction. The supervisor introduces the volunteer to the details of the new case, tells as much is known about the child and family, and helps lay out a plan of investigation and advocacy. Luckily, the volunteer only manages one case at a time. Some take just a few weeks, but two of my cases have each taken more than a year.

In every case we spend the most time with the child or children, meet frequently with their parents or guardians, visit them in their foster home settings, and gather information from schools, health providers, social workers and sometimes law enforcement. Our daily target is to assure a positive living experience for the child.

The target for the case it to make recommendations to the court for the best permanent placement of the child. Sometimes the outcome is reunification with parents or moving in with other relatives. Sometimes children are adopted, often by the same foster parents who have been caring for them. Foster care is always considered temporary, and our goal is to make that step in the journey as short as we can.

My first case resulted in reunification with the young parents and a new cooperative support plan for the grandparents. My second case placed the children with the parent who demonstrated the highest level of commitment and parenting skill. In another case with several siblings, two are being considered for adoption and we are helping one complete his applications for college.

The court must make life-altering decisions about these abused or neglected children and the CASA contribution usually improves their future prospects. What could be better than to feel like you are giving an innocent child a better day and a better tomorrow?

3 others have done this "5 minutes of caring" To date, you've cared for 0 minutes on CoolPeopleCare.org

Comments

Post a comment

You must be a registered user to post comments.
Log in or create an account.