CASA protects children?s health, well-being through advocacy

Greene County has one of the highest numbers of children in foster care more than 800 of any county in the state, according to Lori Barnes, president of the board of directors of Court Appointed Special Advocates.

"Those are staggering numbers," she said. "And we currently have over 100 volunteers serving just over 200 children."

That leaves 600 children who don't have CASA's help. The nonprofit entity, a United Way agency, works with foster parents to ensure and protect the health and well-being of neglected and abused children.

"Part of our mission statement is to provide the highest quality care," said volunteer Jenny Waterman, who works with the CASA program through Volun-teers in Service to America. "And that means making sure that their health needs are being met. That includes nutrition and dental and medical care."

CASA case manager Dixie Burns added, "It also includes educational and other needs, such as appropriate clothing, warm clothing."

Shelli Albright, administrative assistant, said, "As far as mental health is concerned, the CASA volunteers work with foster parents and mental health professionals."

CASA clients

Burns cited a recent case of two girls ages 1 and 3 who were spotted walking down Glenstone Avenue in Springfield at 2 a.m. "The mother was passed out in a motel," she said. "Somebody saw them and called the police. That's how they came into care."

Burns said that the Department of Family Services takes neglected or abused children into protective custody, and after they are assigned to foster care, the Greene County Juvenile Office recommends the cases with the most need to CASA.

CASA recruits, trains and oversees the volunteers who work with the children. Each volunteer meets with all of the people involved in the child's life and acts as an advocate for the child in determining the best placement option.

"When the case goes to court and people are represented, there's nobody really speaking up for the interests of the child," Barnes said. CASA volunteers write reports based on their visits, and these are submitted as evidence in the cases.

According to Barnes, CASA began in 1977 when a Seattle judge "realized he was making life-altering decisions for children without a whole lot of information" and with information that was biased. The judge began asking for volunteers to act as advocates for the children. The program took off from there, she said.

"Unfortunately, our (Division of Family Services) system is overwhelmed with cases," Barnes said. Since each CASA volunteer takes on only one or two cases, it is possible to spend more time on each case and to cover them more effectively.

"We're there to help DFS or juvenile services," Barnes said. "We're helping what DFS already has in place. They're the ones who are in there day in and day out, and have all of the cases. We are just able to help with some of the cases."

Advocates' efforts can, however, make a big difference. "Studies show that children will spend approximately one year less in foster care if CASA is involved," said Barnes.

Volunteers go through 28 hours of training before actually taking on a case. A lot of the training, Barnes said, is based on understanding what the children go through and how it affects their physical and mental health. "Most of us can't really relate to someone who's been locked in a closet, burned, shut in a dog cage, or simply been left," she said. "We had one kid whose parents had just dropped him off, saying, We can't handle this anymore.' How do you deal with what that does to somebody's self esteem?"

Events in a child's early years will affect what they'll be like as an adult, Barnes said. "A lot of times the children are very angry," she said, adding that if they've been abused or neglected, their reactions call for help, not normal disciplinary action. "They're often angry and they're acting out, and they may not even know why."

Volunteers needed

More volunteers are always needed, Barnes said. Even with enhanced public awareness, the number of volunteer advocates working at any one time has remained fairly even.

Barnes herself was a CASA volunteer before joining the board. She said the children she worked with were very concerned about things most people are able to take for granted, such as when they were going to eat again.

"A lot of kids will hoard food, sneak stuff from the refrigerator and hide it, or even eat out of the cat or dog dish just basic survival techniques," Barnes said.

When CASA volunteers are sworn in, they must commit to staying with the case until it is over.

"It's important to have at least one person that is stable during the course of foster care, someone who comes consistently and is there to help them," Barnes said.

Volunteering as an advocate can be very rewarding and also make a profound difference in the life of a child, Barnes said. "It's tremendous. It's long term it's not just volunteering for a weekend and getting the warm fuzzies. It can be very frustrating, and very emotionally draining. But a little bit can make such a huge impact."

As the organization has focused on public awareness, Barnes said, "it's been a sobering fact for people to realize just how many children are in foster care in the area."

More and more people are getting involved as volunteers, making donations, or becoming foster parents, Barnes said.

CASA offers several volunteer classes throughout the year. A new volunteer class is starting in October. Those interested in volunteering can contact the agency. "We also have fund-raiser events for which volunteers are needed," Barnes said.

One way CASA is raising funds this year is selling Christmas cards designed by area schoolchildren.

"Children are our future," Barnes said. "If we as a community don't stop to take care of our kids today, what are we looking at in the future? We need to protect this valuable resource."