Follow the Story

I became a CASA because I wanted to make a difference in a child's life. I signed up, was interviewed and trained, assigned to a supervisor, and was handed my first case. The little boy had been physically abused by his stepfather and he and his half-sister were placed in foster care with his grandmother. I was so excited to begin – a little boy and girl would have a better life because of me.

Excitement turned to apprehension as I reviewed the thick case history file. As the children’s mother said, “Everybody in my family has either been abused or is an abuser.”

What would be best for the children? This question stayed in the back of my mind as I drove to work, ran on the treadmill and cooked dinner. The mother had good instincts, but she, along with her husband, would need to complete required programs that had been ordered by the judge. I started meeting with everyone involved, gathering as much information as possible so I would be able to see the entire picture.

Even though the mother and the boy’s stepfather began parenting classes at the Relief Nursery, it wasn’t going well. The stepfather was taught to get down on his knees and make eye contact with the children – but refused to do so. After about eight months, the mother gave up custody of her son to the boy’s birth father, who lived in Iowa. I was playing checkers with the little boy when I told him I felt his father would create a good home for him. With solemn eyes, he looked up at me and asked, “But what if he’s tricked me?”

Being separated from her brother was difficult for the little girl, but at least she continued to live with the boy’s grandmother. Meanwhile, her dad wasn’t completing a class on domestic violence prevention. Then the girl’s parents demanded that she be removed from the older woman’s care, alleging a number of reasons. At the same time, a new caseworker was assigned to the girl. The next day, she was taken from the woman she considered her grandmother.

...to be continued.

Abused and neglected children here in Lane County are waiting for a CASA volunteer. If you or someone you know can volunteer to speak up for a child, please contact us today.