Annie's Story

This summer a CASA volunteer is driving to a nearby state to visit her former CASA child, Annie (not her real name), who is now happy and living in an adoptive home. Annie's situation was not always so peaceful. Annie was 6 years old when the CASA volunteer was assigned as her advocate. The 6 year old Annie was involved in the child protection system because she had been raped by her father. Annie's father was arrested and sentenced to prison for molesting her and other neighborhood children. Annie had to testify at his trial. Annie's mother had drug problems and was attempting to resolve these problems and reunify with her daughter. Annie was placed with a grandparent. In the grandparent's care, Annie was left without food and unsupervised for days. During one of the CASA volunteer's visits, this information was revealed. The CASA volunteer reported this to the authorities and Annie was removed and placed in foster care. This move was hard for Annie and the CASA volunteer's continuity was important. The CASA volunteer visited often and made sure the new school had up to date records and requested educational testing and tutoring. During this time, Annie had supervised visits with her mother. The mother had setbacks in her drug abuse recovery. Annie would get hopeful about the possibility of returning to live with her mother and then be disappointed when her mother would not show up at visits and forget special occasions. The CASA volunteer worked to make sure Annie was involved in counseling to help her deal with these abandonment and sexual abuse issues. Eventually the mother got arrested for drug related offenses and sentenced to jail. The court got permanent custody of the child but the current foster parents were not in a position to adopt. The CASA volunteer worked with the child protection agency to locate a loving family interested in adopting Annie. The CASA volunteer helped Annie make the transition to another placement, believing this would be the final placement - a loving, safe, permanent home. Annie went on several trial weekend visits and the CASA worked to ensure that Annie continue in counseling and have needed services in place at the child's new location. Court hearings continued. Annie and the family got along well and Annie moved into their home. Annie continued in therapy and began to adjust. School reports showed that Annie was making friends and doing well. Annie told the CASA volunteer that she was having fun with her new family reporting on picnics and hikes. The CASA volunteer corresponded with the child and the adoptive parents for the next 6 months while the paperwork for her adoption cleared. The CASA volunteer attended Annie's final adoption hearing and received a big hug from now nearly 10 year old Annie. Everyone cried!

Annie recently celebrated her 10th birthday with a real party with cake, candles and balloons. The CASA volunteer, over the past four years, had visited Annie regularly, monitored the child's circumstances, interviewed people involved with Annie's case, attended court hearings, pushed the system to address the child's needs such as therapy, special education, and medical treatment, and overall advocated for a safe, stable and permanent home. The CASA volunteer believes Annie now has a chance for a better life. We agree!

Robby and Megan's Story

"Robby" and "Megan" are 6 and 4 years old, Robby came home from school one day and discovered his mother unconscious and called the police. His 4 year old sister Megan was unsupervised in the apartment. The mother was taken to the hospital and found to be under the influence of drugs. Robby told police that his mother is often passed out and that mother's boyfriend yells and hits his mother. The mother is addicted to prescription drugs and narcotics and has been referred for treatment in the past but has never successfully completed drug treatment. Mother and boyfriend have had several drug related arrests and domestic violence altercations in the past 2 years. Robby says he is afraid the boyfriend will hit his sister because he yells a lot at her when she cries. The school report states that Robby sleeps in class and is often absent. The children were removed and placed in the home of relatives. A CASA volunteer is assigned. The CASA volunteer talks to the children, to the social worker, to the relatives, to the parent, to the school staff and others related to the children's case. What is best for these children? What services do the children need ? Are other relatives available? What will happen to the children? Will they be safe? There are many questions to be answered.

The relatives who are caring for Robby and Megan have several young children of their own and the placement falls apart after 6 months. A maternal aunt steps in to provide care for Robby and Megan. She states that she can only care for the children for a limited time as she is in the military and possibly be stationed overseas. During the next several months the mother left the county and cannot be located. The CASA volunteer pushes to get services of day care and after school care in place for Robby and Megan. The CASA volunteer finds out that children's father was living out of the area and had lost contact with the children over 3 years ago due to the mother's nomadic, drug- involved lifestyle and numerous evictions. He and the mother had never married. The father was then investigated by authorities and found to have a clean background. He was currently employed and interested in connecting to the children. Supervised visits between the father and the children were set up. Robby and Megan were apprehensive but excited to see their father. Robby told the CASA volunteer he remembered his dad but Megan did not. The CASA attended these visits to help ease the transition for the children. The CASA volunteer attended court hearings to ensure services were in place for the children - such as play therapy, needed medical exams and educational tutoring. Paternity tests were positive. Visits with the father and children continued and soon the CASA was seeing smiles and happy faces on the children in place of the previous grim, worried looks. The CASA volunteer pushed for the required papers from out of state to verify the father's home situation. Within 2 months the court closed the children's cases. The children would be moving to live full time with their father. The CASA had worked with the children for a year and had seen them make remarkable progress. The children's aunt thanked the CASA volunteer and felt she could now leave without a heavy heart and now she has no worries about the children's future. The CASA volunteer was happy for the children's smiles. We are grateful for the CASA volunteer!

Words from a CASA child - Pamela age 19

The police arrived to take me away from my family when I was just 7 years old. Foster homes came and went. Schools were here and there. Caseworkers drifted in and out of my life. I had just moved from an awful six year placement with alcoholics when the court assigned me a CASA volunteer. My CASA came to see me quite often and called when she couldn't come in person. My CASA was there for me the entire way, advocating for visits with my old foster family, making sure I was seeing my therapists regularly, and checking with my teachers to make sure I was managing in school.

I never had someone to stand up for me like she did. She stood before the judge, the lawyers, my mother, and caseworkers and wasn't swayed by their opinions. It completely amazed me. I trusted her more with every visit and every call and found myself enjoying her check ups and questioning. She became not only my advocate, but a friend I could truly count on. My life has improved and has been amazing. My CASA volunteer is still a big part of my life. She attended my senior project and my graduation from high school. With her encouragement I applied for and received scholarships to pay for more than 4 years of college. I want to make a difference for children lost in the sea of the child welfare system. Earlier this year, I testified to a state legislative committee on behalf of the CASA program. At the end of the testimony I said "To give a child a CASA is to give them a voice. To give them a voice is to give them hope. To give them hope is to give them the world. I believe that with all my heart."

At PARACHUTE - we agree with Pamela.