How would you feel if no one listened to you when you were desperate for it? Imagine if you were crying out for help but no one heard you, despite your pleas. Sadly, this is a reality for many children, especially for those in foster care.
Children in foster care are often unheard and in need of help. They’ll say what they want or need, only for it to be ignored by most adults around them.
You might be asking yourself, “Well, how can I help?”
You or someone you know could volunteer to be a child’s voice. Court Appointed Special Advocates, also known as CASA, started because a Seattle judge felt a child in a case was not being fairly represented, and now they can be.
Volunteering for CASA means you will be meeting in person with a child at least once a month, learning about them and their interests, while keeping in mind what would be best for the child. You fight for the child in and outside the courtroom. For example, if you believe a child should have therapy, you can start fighting for them without having to wait 90 days for court.
If one decides to volunteer, they’ll communicate with schools, foster parents or family members, doctors, and the judge of the case. With the judge, you can make recommendations for the child. Sometimes you might provide resources to what is called origin parents.
If you’re worried about it taking too much of your time, it’s only about 10 to 12 hours a month at many of the needed meetings, such as with doctors, DHS and schools, and more can be done over the phone, too.
Children are fragile and sensitive–they notice things, their brains are sponges taking everything in. When they see no one standing up for them, they’ll begin to think it’ll always be that way, which can be harmful to their development.
However, these volunteers listen, see and help these children. They’ll see someone trying to help like Jenny Crosby, training and outreach coordinator of CASA.
“They have someone who chose them, not someone who was assigned,” Crosby said. “Children are more likely to open up to those who choose to be around them rather than those who are paid or forced to be there for the child.”
Crosby said volunteers have such a huge impact on children, and the children impact the volunteers.
“One time a volunteer came back after a break just so they could continue to help a child, because a bond had been made between the two of them,” she said.
Crosby said the goal is to be the voice for the children that do not have one in most settings.
“The volunteers are the heartbeat of our program because they are unbiased and unpaid people who focus on one child at a time and are representatives of the children. They’re there because they want to be there,” she said.
The volunteer’s work is not unnoticed, and is greatly appreciated by children, staff and family members.
Crosby said spreading the word about CASA is important, especially because there is an urgent need for volunteers in Sequoyah County. Crosby is happy to come into churches, programs or clubs to speak about CASA if asked.
“These children deserve to be heard and to have normalcy in their lives,” she concluded.
If you would like to volunteer, contact Crosby at 918-685-1501 or go to www.casaok.org to apply.
