CASA

Lucy, 4 years old, had been in and out of foster care her whole life. Her mother struggled with substance abuse, and domestic violence had disrupted their home. Lucy was taken into foster care for the final time after being rushed to the emergency room, unresponsive, after swallowing strong medication while unsupervised.

In addition to being a volunteer, I enjoy participating in CASA of Lane County events. This is a great way to get my friends involved with CASA with a lighter commitment – like a fun run, or in our case, a fun walk.

Four brothers and sisters, ages 3-8, are on our waiting list for a CASA volunteer. They were removed from their mother’s care when it was discovered she had been leaving them with their father. The father was not allowed to be alone with the children because he had previously committed child sexual abuse.

The one thing you can count on at CASA is it never gets boring. Last week, I might have been frustrated about trying to set up meetings, but this week I had back-to-back meetings with kids from both cases and a meeting with my newest CASA kid’s treatment team. One visit was an hour and the other was about four hours. I am taking back my previous post about waiting to hear back from people.

Tyler was three months old when his doctor noticed he was failing to grow and thrive. Tyler was removed from his parents’ home and placed into foster care with a relative.

Last week, I was a little frustrated. OK, I was quite frustrated. As rewarding as it is to be a CASA volunteer, there are lots of parts that are frustrating. But that’s why we are here. We cannot expect a child to navigate their way through the all the moving parts.

Nicholas (age 6) is waiting to be assigned to a CASA volunteer. He is living in foster care after being exposed to drugs, drug dealing and drug paraphernalia in his home. Nicholas’s mother had agreed to protect Nicholas from his father, who is unsafe due to his criminal lifestyle and drug use. But, soon afterwards, she dropped Nicholas off with his father and left the area.

I have a court report due for my newest case. I’m always nervous when writing court reports because it’s an official file that goes straight to the judge and into my CASA kids’ file. It always turns out fine and I feel fortunate that I have a Journalism degree and writing experience. A court report consists of the facts of the case and the CASA volunteer’s recommendation.