Children in foster care usually have very little stability. Most children are moved around from home to home, and the unknown in their young lives can be overwhelming. Unfortunately, turnover of caseworkers is also high, adding further to that instability. A child will probably not have the same worker during the time they are in foster care. It is for this reason that CASA workers are so valuable and important.
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) workers are greatly needed all over the country. With the recent opioid crisis, the need has become even greater. CASA workers get assigned a child and are the child’s voice. In addition to meeting on a regular basis, they are the voice for their child in court; they stand up for the child’s rights, and they offer recommendations of what is best for the child. This is their sole goal as a CASA worker.
So how does one become a CASA worker? It is relatively simple. An individual must be over 21 years of age and will need to pass a background check. After the background check, training follows that will detail the CASA requirements. Once the training is complete, the CASA worker will be assigned a case. Most workers are asked to spend at least 10 hours a month and stay for at least one year with their given child. The goal is to establish stability with the child, an attribute which is so valuable and lacking for most of these children, as stated in a local news article. The biggest requirement of a CASA worker is this: they must have a heart for children.
There is a need for CASA workers all over the country, two of those mentioned in this article were Carroll county and Hancock county. For those interested in becoming a CASA worker, research of the local area on the Internet will link a person to the correct information.
It is important to meet this need for our children, children that are waiting for a CASA worker. How incredible would it be to have a pool of workers ready and waiting instead of children waiting for them? Let’s end this shortage and make a difference in the lives of children.
