Imagine everything changing in your life over a very short time. The people you live with, the people with whom you interact daily, your workplace, your boss are all different now. Life has completely changed for you over the course of a day or two. Truly think about that. What words come to mind as you imagine this hypothetical situation? Fear? Uncertainty, sadness, anxiety, unmoored; all these words come to mind, when thinking of such a scenario. Most of us would have difficulty thinking about such a storyline unfolding without feeling disquiet and dread.
Yet that scenario is a reality for thousands of children in the St. Louis region alone.
Children enter the foster care system when they have experienced abuse or neglect. Overnight, their entire worlds change; they may not see their families, they may change schools and teachers. Over the course of being in the foster care system, homes change, attorneys change, judges change, caseworkers change. This constant flux and uncertainty leads to a lack of stability, anxiety and worry, as the children have no constant person in their lives on whom they can rely long-term.
Although children are appointed a Guardian ad Litem (GAL), a special attorney who represents the interests of the child, these can change as well, as their positions shift or they move.
Enter CASA of St. Louis. CASA serves St. Louis City and County, working with volunteers to advocate for children who have experienced abuse and/or neglect.
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a national nonprofit organization founded in Seattle, Washington, by Superior Court Judge David Soukup. He says he felt that children who experienced abuse and neglect needed someone who could be their voice in court. The function of a CASA is to be that one person who serves as a constant presence in the lives of a child or small sibling group.
“CASA volunteers come from all walks of life,” says Beth Fultz, manager of Volunteer Engagement at CASA of St. Louis. “We have volunteers who work in education, medicine, technology and more. They offer a fresh perspective because they work outside the system.”
Although CASA for Children has chapters all over the United States, CASA St. Louis is one of the oldest, having just celebrated its 45th year.
“We recruit and train advocates for children in foster care. CASAs get to know the children, their families and their foster families. They engage with the child’s teachers, therapists and health care providers. CASAs attend court hearings, offering recommendations to the court and others responsible for the child’s wellbeing,” Beth says.
While Guardian ad Litems work with several children at once, CASAs work with one child (or small sibling group) at a time. The GAL and the CASA work in conjunction with each other for the benefit of the child.
Because CASA of St. Louis is a nonprofit, it relies on grants and donations to fund its mission. Although volunteers work as CASAs, it is crucial that CASA staffs supervisors who oversee volunteers and help them navigate the court system. These supervisors provide support and guidance to the CASAs who work directly with the children in foster care, their families and all who provide care and services to them. Donations are used to benefit local children.