Volunteer as a Court Appointed Special Advocate
CASA for the Children
CASA is a non-profit organization that advocates for the best interest of children who are in the Foster Care system.
The children, themselves, have not caused the situation that landed them into State Custody. It is the parents or guardians that have introduced the child(ren) to the Foster Care system by their acts to the child or lack of supervision of the child.
Many children are living their lives out in foster homes or with relative placement. How do the children end up in these situations? Sometimes the parents/guardians are arrested for illeagal/criminal reasons. Sometimes it is because of alledged abuse of the child. If there is no favorable, responsible, willing relative that is readily available to take the child into their home at the time the parent is arrested or the child has been taken into State Custody due to abuse/neglect, the State Office of Child Protection or Social Services is called in to pick up the children. They have to find a suitable home in which to place the children, at least temporarily.
After children have come into state custody, otherwise known as the "system", there is a judicial hearing and at that time a CASA volunteer is appointed by the Judge to advocate for the child's best interest. That is when the CASA volunteer enters into the case and begins sorting out all of the facts and soon begins to work toward the "best interest of the child". Many children have no idea that they have someone on "their side". The role of the CASA volunteer is to assure that the child's best interest is served in this case.
The CASA volunteer visits with the child and tries to reassure the child that they are looking out for their best interest. The CASA talks to the caretaker often to ensure the child is doing well and adapting to the new home. The CASA makes reports to the Court in regards to the CASA's recommendations for the child. The Judge reads the CASA reports as well as any submitted by the state and the parent's/family's attorneys. The Judge knows that the CASA has no interest in the case other than to see that the best interest of the child is being met. A CASA's report is a valuable tool for the Judge to use in making a decision. Most often the CASA has spent more time with the child, the parent, and the caregiver than any of the others involved in the case. Therefore, the CASA can make a recommendation to the Court that the Judge can trust. The CASA has no personal interest to interfer with making an unbiased recommendation to the Court.
There are visits to make, reports to write, court hearings to attend, family visits to attend . During the family visits the CASA gets to see first hand how the parent/child relationship is progressing. The time spent volunteering with CASA is very rewarding when you see the outcome of the case has ended in the best interest of the child being served. Some cases are time consuming while others don't require that much time. It is a big committment to make; but any committment is only worth what you put into it.
For the children who need someone to speak for them, the CASA is, in most cases, all they have to depend on.
Published by monme`re
I am a wife of 36 years, mother of three, grandmother of 7. I like to sew,crochet, and do craft projects. I teach kindergarten religion classes at my Church, and I love my volunteer work as a CASA (Court Ap... View profile
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6 Comments
Post a CommentMy responses to the comments from "Das Ding" were not an attempt to: "undermine the credibility of the complaining poster" (as you wrote in your comment). It was very evident that the poster "Das Ding" did not know the role of a CASA volunteer. Das Ding's comment made it sound as if he/she believed that CASA volunteers are a part of OCS/DCFS system. We are not.
You made several comments that I took as offensive. One of these comments by you; "In general, CASA workers are unethical and unsafe and they don't even realize all the ways they oversimplify and manipulate everyday." is totally false! CASA volunteers (not workers) are highly trained, have gone through thorough background checks, have to complete continuing education hours, are supervised by CASA Coordinators and we are only interested in the BEST INTEREST of the child/children we advocate for.
Another comment you made; "CASA's are often people who either don't have the emotional strength or determination to get an education and work full time but want something to do." is very far from the truth. Many CASA volunteers hold College Degrees. CASA volunteers come from all walks of life.Some of our CASA volunteers are former OCS Caseworkers, as well, as Educators (on all levels), Engineers, Bankers, former Law Enforcement Officers, and yes, even the lowly housewife whose only "job" has been to have a family, bring her children up to be honest individuals in pursuit of a meaningful life, and manage to run a household. To say that we don't have the emotional strength or determination to get an education, etc. is slanderous.
This particular comment you made is totally untrue; "They can not be cross examined and generally the parents will not even know what the CASA said about them. The cout requires that all other members of the team give testimony on the stand where they can be cross examined. Further the court require the professionals to only stick to what are prooven facts rather than their opinions, whihc are far more educated and experienced than the CASA's opinion." CASA volunteers can be and very often are required to give testimony on the stand and they can be crossed examined. CASA volunteers also have proven facts, documents to back up their testimony, and professionally written reports that are presented to the Judge, District Attorney, Attorneys for all parties involved and to OCS.
You claim to be "a 20 year veteran of Social Services". If the reports you have written for Social Services for 20 years are anything like the comments you posted here, you should not have lasted that long. I would think that a 20 year veteran of Social Services would not make as many grammatical errors as you have made in your comments. I'm not professing to be perfect, but I do watch my on writings/comments for spelling errors, grammar errors, etc.
By the way, CASA volunteers don't have "clients". We have children that we advocate for. That may be one child or a family of many children (I have had as many as 6 children assigned to me in ONE case). At times, I have had three cases going with a number of children in each case.
All in all, I found your comments to be unjustified, biased, and downright erroneous.
This is a great example of what CASA workers do. Here is the comment by the CASA worker above:
I am sorry if you don't understand the role of the CASA. It sounds as if you may have had some dealings with Child Protective Services.
I wonder if this was a concious or unconscious choice on the posters part to undermine the credibility of the complaining poster. To say to the reader, don't listen to them, after all they had their children removed by the state. They are unfit.
I am a well established therapist who has moved on from the world of Child services and so I am free to now say whatevery professional in the field can't say because they are forced to work co operatively with the CASA. So here it is on behalf of all my fellow Chid welfare workers.
In general, CASA workers are unethical and unsafe and they don't even realize all the ways they oversimplify and manipulate everyday.
I am a twenty year veteran of social services and spent 12 years of that time working with children. While working in the child wealfare professions, I had contact with a few CASA workers. Casa workers are very poorly trained and most people inthe profession cringe or groan when the word CASA is spoken. They are well intentioned, I am sure of that, however their lack of clinical training and healthy detachment often leads them to incorrect assumptions and conclusions. They only haveone client and can be tireless in working towards what they see as the right thing. They can manioulate, lie and deceive in their desparation to "fix" things the way they think they should be. They are disrespectful of all of the other team members and see only there opinion as correct, even though they are generally the lowest educated/experienced person at the table.
The big problem comes in that they are mandated to speak privately with the judge and to give their opinions about the case. They can not be cross examined and generally the parents will not even know what the CASA said about them. The cout requires that all other members of the team give testimony on the stand where they can be cross examined. Further the court require the professionals to only stick to what are prooven facts rather than their opinions, whihc are far more educated and experienced than the CASA's opinion.
CASA's are often people who either don't have the emotional strength or determination to get an education and work full time but want something to do. They are also often people who experienced some type of victimization as children, whihc they project onto their clients and then feel they must save the client from which ever parent they feel to be nasty. Doesn't matter if they can proove, it cause they have a "bad feeling" about the parent. They generally fall into the uneducated and unfair opinions and then God help the parents, they act as if it is true, despite any lack of evidence. They go off half cocked, they get unprofessional, they manipulate children by asking leading questions to get them to agree with their often cockeyed view of the family.
I hope you can see that this is a good idea gone bad. The fault lies more with the set up of the program than with the very limited people involved. The conception of the program gives them alot of power and little accountablility. Many CASA programs have ben started and all of them deeply regretted by the people they come into contact with.
I assure you that this article was not taken from a brochure and is most definitely exactly how CASA really operates. There is no Propaganda. I have only stated what I do as a CASA and what the organization stands for. The CASA and the Social Services and/or Child Protective Services are not "one and the same". They are 2 different entities working separately. As a CASA volunteer I stand up for the BEST INTEREST of the Children I am sworn to Advocate for. In the situation, the CASA is the "outside", "non involved" person within the problems that put the children in Foster Care.
I am sorry if you don't understand the role of the CASA. It sounds as if you may have had some dealings with Child Protective Services.
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CASA representatives can now be held liable and more often than not, this will be in federal court rather than state court. No laughing matter as some have found out the hard way. Like any other govt. program, CASA started out with good intentions but ended up being another CPS stooge.
This article seems to be taken from a brochure and in reality, this is not how CASA really operates. In other words, PROPAGANDA. If anyone wants some valid insight into the child protection industry read: This is Child Protection? By Gregory A. Hession, J.D. This article is probably the most accurate article I have read exposing the secretive world of CPS. Ever wonder why the juvenile/family courts are not open to the public, know you will know! State CPS regulations are just for show and it's all about the funding stream and the social worker culture. What's the difference between and terrorist and a CPS social worker? You can negotiate with the terrorist. Who ever thought of giving these incompetent buffoons govt. immunity had a screw loose. Oh, and yes, SW's "IMMUNITY REVOKED" is what happens when you are locked into a federal court trial for civil rights violations. You are not above the law! Lie, perjure, and YOU WILL BE EXPOSED FOR WHAT YOU ARE! Also, in certain states, CASA r