HOMEPAGE for this issue: May 25, 2011 Download PDF Version // Click to install/update Adobe Reader on your computer

Volunteer advocates needed for children ‘in the system’ 

By Julie Filby

This story concludes a series on foster care for Foster Care Awareness Month.

Every year in the Denver metro-area more than 4,000 children who have been physically, sexually and emotionally abused and neglected are involved in the social services and court systems.

Through no fault of their own they are removed from their home until a safe permanent solution can be determined. On average a child spends more than two years in the child welfare system and can be moved as many as 15 times, wreaking havoc on their education, friendships and sense of belonging.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are every-day citizens trained to advocate on behalf of these vulnerable children by serving as their voice in court.

“These children need to know that someone cares about them,” said Peggy Rudden, executive director for Advocates for Children, the largest CASA program in Colorado. “People will tell you the one thing that children need most: consistency. The CASA often becomes the one constant in their lives.”

Unlike a foster parent, a child does not live with a CASA. A CASA gets to know their appointed child, or children, by visiting them as often as possible—at least two times a month. They also get acquainted with their foster parents, teachers, health-care professionals, neighbors and relatives.

“The CASA determines what’s going on in the child’s life … and what’s in their best interest,” said Rudden, a parishioner of Risen Christ Church in Denver. “They look at the ‘whole child’ and make recommendations to the court.”

CASAs are trained to write court reports presented at hearings. Each child is also assigned a Guardian Ad Litem attorney and a social worker. Generally, these professionals handle multiple cases simultaneously, while a CASA is dedicated to one family group at a time.

“We make recommendations back to the court about … a child we’ve spent a lot of time with,” Rudden said. “We spend time with a child in a way that other people can’t, because we’re volunteers.”

Marie Stephens—a parishioner of Holy Cross Church in Thornton, wife, mother, grandmother, and semi-retired accountant—has served as a CASA volunteer for 15 months.

She understands firsthand the struggles these children can face. When she was 7 years old her birth parents chose to leave her to be raised in a foster home where she was treated more like an employee of the family’s business rather than a family member.

Though the situation wasn’t ideal, she is grateful she was safe and cared for. Through her experience and that of her siblings who had difficult upbringings, she developed an affinity for victims of violence.

“It just pierces my heart to see women and children abused, especially kids because they’re so dependent,” she said. “They can’t fight for themselves; they can’t take care of themselves. It’s terribly heart-breaking.”

Stephens feels strongly about the call to serve as a CASA.

“As a Catholic it’s such a strong moral issue: I have to work on it; I have to do something to help, that’s all there is to it,” she said. “That’s what Jesus called me to do.”

Advocating for children has been gratifying for Stephens.

“It’s been the most wonderful experience of my life,” she said. “I’ve never had a more fulfilling experience.”

Stephens has advocated for two cases in Adams County: an 8-year-old girl, and a family with three children ages 5, 10 and 13. In addition to visiting the children several times a week and preparing court reports as needed, she has spent many hours on the phone on their behalf: once seeking funding alternatives for tutoring needed to help a child advance to the next grade level, and another time searching for a donor to pay for a child’s basketball camp.

“It’s continually looking, and asking, until you find those resources,” she said. “It’s not easy … but it’s the toughest job you’ll ever love.”

As a CASA works for the child, reunification with family remains the primary goal.

“CASA programs strive to make a positive impact by securing safe, permanent homes for the children,” said Rudden. “We try to make recommendations that would help a child get back with his family. In the 30 years I’ve been doing this I’ve never seen a child that doesn’t want to go back home.”

There is an urgent need for more volunteers and financial support for CASA. More than 2,100 children are in need of a CASA in the Denver metro-area’s four programs: CASA of Adams and Broomfield counties; Advocates for Children of Arapahoe, Lincoln, Elbert and Douglas counties; Child Advocates of Denver County; and CASA of Jefferson and Gilpin counties.

“We’re asking you to ‘be the difference’ in these children’s lives,” said Simone Jones, executive director of CASA of Adams and Broomfield counties. “You’ll provide an invaluable service to the community by helping to stop the cycle of child abuse and neglect, and by giving hope to our most vulnerable young citizens.”

All CASA volunteers must pass an extensive background check and complete 30-40 hours of training. For more information, call 303-752-CASA (2272) or visit www.casa4kids.net.