Change a Child’s Story

Imagine being uprooted from all that’s familiar to you, removed from your home, neighborhood, family, and friends. Imagine being thrust into an environment totally foreign to you. This is your new normal, moving from place to place, each one different with its own set of rules and routines. Now, imagine you’re only five years old. Scary isn’t it, feeling all alone and voiceless in an unfamiliar place… but it doesn’t have to be. There is someone who can help.

CASA or Court Appointed Special Advocate is a program of Northern Valley Catholic Social Service based here in Northern California and their mission is to provide advocacy and support to children in the foster care system. The goal is to offer assistance to every child in the system, but as of right now, only 12% of these children are assigned a CASA volunteer to act as their voice. The children they support range in age from birth up to the age of 24, but most are between the ages of 5 and 18 years.

Lisa Michels is the Training Coordinator

for NVCSS CASA and explains that CASA volunteers work one-on-one with their child and “have the opportunity to know the child without an agenda, really getting to connect with the kiddos.” Anyone can refer a child who is in the dependency system to CASA. Referrals are received from judges, social workers, teachers, coaches, and foster families. According to their website, NVCSS CASA “trains and mobilizes community volunteers to advocate and make a difference for abused and neglected children in foster care. They stand up for them, speak up for them, and champion without compromise for what’s in their best interest.”

Tina Wolfe is the CASA supervisor for Butte County and knows firsthand just how important an advocate is for children experiencing foster care. Prior to working for the program, Tina was a CASA volunteer for six years and was assigned to several cases over that time. She shared that many times, “CASAs are the longest-lasting relationship these children have while in foster care. CASAs care, help, mentor, and speak up for what is in the best interest of each child during such a confusing & scary time. But often, they stay in that child’s life long after their ‘job’ is over because they become part of the child’s ‘family’ and support system.” That is the case with Tina and Matthew. Matthew was seven when Tina was assigned to his case and over the course of their five-plus years together, he moved five times, was enrolled in five different schools, and had countless people go in and out of his life, but Tina was the one constant through it all. “The novel that I could write about the things this kiddo and I have been through together in the past five-and-a-half years still blows my mind. Being a CASA hasn’t always been easy and there have been days that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to achieve the outcome I believed in my heart he deserved.”

Fast forward to January of this year, when Tina was invited to attend Matthew’s adoption ceremony, she remembers, “To see this happy 13-year-old young man, surrounded by so much love as his family, friends, social workers, CASA, and teacher came together to celebrate his forever family was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever been part of.”

The special bond that is created between a child and their CASA enables the volunteer to get a different perspective on what’s going on in the child’s life. They meet with them out in the community, sometimes meeting in school, walking in the park, or maybe taking them out for a treat. For instance, one CASA child used to share, “That’s my bench there” when pointing to a seat in front of Shubert’s Ice Cream because that was where he and his CASA volunteer would meet and spend their time together.

Being a CASA volunteer can change a child’s story. Lisa tells of an early volunteer from one of their first training sessions and how years after being there for her CASA child, she would get little text updates letting her know, “I have a career now” or “I have two children now.” She says, “I like to say that we plant seeds and they all germinate at different times.” That change in the child’s story may be apparent early in their time with the CASA or may not manifest itself until the child is a grown adult out in the world.

“It’s important to remember that these kiddos have been detained through no fault of their own due to abuse or neglect, and they are not in their own homes. There are a lot of adjustments going on. To have one person dedicated just to them, with no hidden agenda, and no investment in the process, is crucial. That person’s only goal is to be there for them.”

“To give a child a CASA is to give them a voice. To give them a voice is to give them hope, and to give them hope is to give them the world.” This quote comes from the book "Someone There For Me" published by the CWLA Press and edited by National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association. It encapsulates a large truth so succinctly.

If you are interested in changing the story for a child in foster care and learning more about becoming a CASA volunteer, go to their website at: https://nvcss.org/casa/ or send an email to CASAinfo@NVCSS.org.