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My husband and I are just finishing our training to become CASA's. We have been foster parents for 2+ years and have had eye-opening experiences on how "the system" works. The need for an advocate for the child is immense. In July, our state (INDIANA) came up with a rule/law that says all CHINS kids must have a CASA. Well, really great- the need is certainly there, but now there is a huge shortage of CASA's- since it is totally volunteer, it's hard to find people to do this. Currently in our county, there is close to 50 children awaiting a CASA. There are 4 CASA's in the county now, and after Monday our class will add 8 more. That takes it up to 12 CASA's... We have had 6 foster kids and none of them were ever assigned a CASA, so I have never worked with one. My question is to all of you, Is there anything you saw your CASA do that you liked or disliked? Oh- and this is awesome... we were discussing the first cases to be assigned to us... we will be getting to work with a toddler that we had in foster care- he is going TPR and we will be working with him and get to see him placed in a forever home as the TPR finalizes. I have been so excited since I heard that- you cannot believe it (ok, maybe YOU can) Also, ya know the people who tell you how awesome you are for being foster parents and 'I couldn't do that'??? THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MAY MAKE GREAT CASA'S!!! Find out in your area who they need to talk to for CASA training and carry that contact info with you and hand it out to those people - it could help one of your kids someday!
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Congratulations! You will do a great service to the kids!
My only complaint regarding the CASA volunteers that I have worked with thus far is when they forget their role. I have had two CASA workers try to become another caseworker for the kids, which was neither appropriate nor necessary. Thankfully, my kids have a GAL in addition to a CASA.
Sam
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V8 Momma, CONGRATS to you and your hubby!! I think that Indiana is in need of some CASA's that truly have the need to put the CHILD'S needs first. We have only dealt with two CASA volunteers. They are as different as night and day. Gregory's CASA vol. has been quite and became "putty" in the hands of the birth parents. I am not saying this because we are loosing Gregory - I am saying this because it's true. The birth parents have claimed to have found "GOD" again and since the CASA vol. is religious - she fell for it "hook line and sinker". She became uninvolved for some time in this case. We think that she was dealing with some "family issues". She does not communicate with us. Whyatt's CASA vol. is AWESOME. In fact, I believe that she was the CASA vol. of the year a few years ago. All I can say is PLEASE put the needs and rights of the child first. I believe that this is the most important job of the CASA. You need to be the best voice for these kids that you can. In most cases, you are the only voice that these kids have. Good luck to both of you. I have every bit of faith in you and I know that you both will do a WONDERFUL job. Oh, why don't you cross post this on the Indiana forum? I would like to read some feedback from other Hoosier foster parents!!! Christina
I am very excited for you and your husband!! Congrats!! The only thing about my FD's CASA worker is that everytime she visits she brings a gift for her. The FD has been doing alot of "stealing" and lying, I don't think this should be rewarded. I can understand brtinging something at first to start a repore with the chikd but not everytime. I have to say the CASA worker and I are on good terms and I tell her what is going on all the time. She has been up to the school a few times also to make sure things there are going ok. Which they are, except for the stealing and lying. Good luck and may God Bless you for your work! Momof2redheads
CASA can be wonderful. Once our own situation is resolved, I hope to do this service, too. I think sometimes the concept outweighs the reality, though; in some courts, CASA has more power than SS, psychologists, etc. and when that weighs against the benefit of the doubt for the child and returns them to a dangerous situation, I think it goes too far.Like the above posters, my concern is to limit the scope of your advocacy to the child, not the family as a whole. It is not that the family as a whole doesn't need an advocate, it does. But that is someone else's job. Focus on getting to know the child and his/her situation and issues. Getting to know the parents is for the purpose of seeing how they view/do parenting, view/handle their issues and other things related to the child. You may or may not find things to like or dislike about them, but you're there to learn about them, not develop a relationship with them. Our niece/FD's CASA on her first removal buddied up with the parents, even taking them out of state on a trip to visit other family. Thanks in large part to that woman's assertions, she was returned against the recommendations of all the professionals, suffered another 14 months at home then was removed again and put through an extra move for four months before finally coming home to us. Blessings on this new endeavor.
I have only had one placement who had a CASA.
What she did great was get sibling visits restarted even tho the judge and caseworker had not wanted them (due to behavior problems being encouraged by the older siblings, but that had been because their bmom was telling them to, and visits with the bmom were not restarted).
I liked that the CASA was willing to either take the child out, or to the sibling visits, with or without me.
I wasn't very thrilled with her 'no fun visits' rule, but the CASA said the therapist had said the visits should be low key.
I liked that the CASAs of my fd and her sibs seemed able to connect with all the different ages and understand each ones interests and concerns. They brought them gifts that were really in touch with each kid (bags of nice used clothes for the teenaged girl, diary and journals for the preteen, etc).
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In our county all GAL's are attorneys. We met the one assigned to "our" kiddos the other day and she was amazing! She has both bio and adoptive children and found herself as a non-relative custodian like we are, so REALLY understands the unique challenges we are facing at this point. She spent 3 hours with the kids and us, and really got nitty gritty into what all has gone on to these kids. The dependency hearing is in a few weeks and she will be there for the kids and petitioned the court so they don't have to testify in front of their mom. She took the time to really talk to the kids and treat them like they were important. She definitely has their best interests in mind. I think what was just the best was the fact the kids were made to feel like they had a say in what they wanted, and our AAL didn't treat them like a "client."
CHINS: Child in Need of Services. This is a child that the court has found to need help, whether it is in-home services and keep the child in the home and help the family fix whatever problems are there, or the court may order the child be removed from the home and put in foster care.CASA: Court Appointed Special Advocate- also called GAL or Guardian Ad Litem- a trained volunteer that the court appoints to look over the whole CHINS case, interview all parties involved (parents of children, family members, teachers, doctors, anyone who knows the child or family) and report back to the court on their recommendations of WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD. CASA's have no agenda except for looking out for the child's needs/wants. CASA/GAL's interview the child also, not necessarily regarding the incident that caused the removal form the home, but in general to get a child's wishes and then the CASA/GAL makes that known to the court. CASA/GAL's can also be used by the court in guardianship or custody matters.My husband and I were sworn in today and handed our first two cases. Our first review hearing is in the morning. The weight of how we can affect a young life is immense, powerful. I can't wait to get started.
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love2scrap- since this site is to be annonymous and because of the confidentiality of foster kid's lives, I choose not to reveal what county I'm in. From time to time I will mention vague references to my kids and if I were to give a county then it would be too easy for someone local here to know who I was referring to. Hope you understand.