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Those who are (or once were) teachers, day care workers, homemakers, social workers and more may make an easy transition to being a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).

Right now, Maricopa County is home to more than 9,000 children in foster care and many of them could benefit tremendously from having a helpful figure guide them through this difficult period in their young lives.

CASA of Maricopa County provides advocates for children who ensure that each child experiencing foster care is treated with dignity and respect and are provided with the care they deserve. These advocates are volunteers — everyday members of the community lifting their voices to protect the rights of vulnerable children who may have endured abuse or neglect.

Some of the likeliest candidates to fit the profile of a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer share current or past vocational experiences that have prepared them to lend compassionate services to youth living in foster care. Here are some of the common occupations and preoccupations that prepare many of these volunteers for the experiences they may encounter as a CASA.

Teachers and School Staff: Those who have worked at all levels of public and private education are well-suited to take on volunteer work with children in the court system — especially for those having extended breaks during the summer and winter. Using that time to take on a unique assignment will go far toward helping a child in foster care navigate the intricacies of their parents’ legal case. This is an invaluable way to give back to some of the most vulnerable members of the community. What’s more, teachers and school staff have experience in navigating the school system for children who are in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) or have a 504 plan.

Early Childhood Caregivers: In a similar way, early childhood caregivers are ideal candidates to provide the nurturing assistance and basic childcare to youth of all ages in the care of the court system. People who spend their days working in daycare facilities or preschools understand the complex physical, social and emotional developments taking place at critical young ages. When children of preschool age enter foster care, the attention and nurturing they receive can have a lasting impact and can significantly shape their ability to cope with the challenges ahead.

Early childhood caregivers are also trained to be very observant of behaviors in pre-verbal children that help them read and react appropriately to each foster child’s needs. They can communicate those needs directly to a judge to ensure the child’s best interests are kept at the forefront of the proceedings.

Social Workers and Medical Professionals: Social workers, physicians and nursing professionals possess some of the ideal skill sets for being effective CASA volunteers. By virtue of their intensive training in clinical practices, both social workers and medical professionals are excellent observers of child welfare and will understand how to properly communicate their observations to the court for consideration throughout the proceedings.

In the day-to-day of their professional lives, social workers and physicians may have frequent interactions with courts of law as advocates or expert witnesses, making them familiar with the court environment that can be very overwhelming for a child who lacks an adult advocate.

Homemakers and Empty-Nesters: You do not have to be employed in an official role to be a perfect CASA candidate. Stay-at-home spouses and empty-nesters looking to fill their free time with a meaningful activity that gives back to their community will find volunteering with CASA of Maricopa County immensely rewarding. A large percentage of CASA volunteers are at or above retirement age and benefit from the experience of a lifetime spent raising children of their own.

If you think your past experiences have prepared you to become an advocate, see what it takes to be a CASA.

How to Become a Volunteer

There are no special requirements or skills needed to begin your journey to becoming a CASA volunteer. In fact, it is beneficial to the children served by CASA that volunteers represent all areas of society, coming from different cultures, professions, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.

Simple requirements include:

• Volunteers are at least 21 years old
• Volunteers can complete a background check and provide references
• Volunteers will participate in at least 30 hours of pre-service training
• Volunteers are available to attend court appearances
• Volunteers are willing to stay involved with your child’s case until it is closed

Get started on your CASA journey today by starting with What Is A CASA?

As a CASA, you’re giving back to your community in a way that goes beyond the holiday volunteer gigs — you’re giving a child a brighter future.

Today, many feel driven to give back to their community. Those who feel they’ve received good fortune in their own lives, have made the important choice to use their influence and intellect to try to assist in challenging issues and build a foundation for those less fortunate. The problem lies in making the choice between all of the incredible volunteer and community outreach opportunities available in Maricopa County’s thriving nonprofit spaces.

If this sounds like a familiar scenario and you are looking for a way to give back and support your community, becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer is one of the surest ways to make a lasting impact.

Here are just 10 ways making a commitment to the foster population served by CASA of Maricopa County can create a positive and enduring mark on your community. As a CASA, you can:

• Ensure abused and neglected children have a voice
• Provide emotional support for children going through a period of uncertainty in their lives
• Provide stability to children in school, allowing them to focus on their studies
• Assist teenagers and older youths in being aware of their options after foster care
• Children who have regular access to their CASA advocate are half as likely to reenter foster care
• The presence of a CASA volunteer can decrease the amount of time a child is in foster care
• Provide kids in foster care with a consistent adult role model
• Enable greater access to valuable services
• Children in foster care without proper guidance have an increased likelihood of going down the wrong path
• CASA volunteers can help ensure that children under their care are moved less frequently from one foster family to another

Federal, state, and local officials whose responsibility it is to process children through the court and foster systems have come to rely heavily on CASA programs to improve outcomes and prevent delinquency. For instance:

• The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) give their highest recommendation to CASA programs
• The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention categorizes CASA as an important safety net for abused and neglected children
• The National Bar Association fully endorses the use of child advocates to prevent bureaucratic backlogs in cases involving children
• The Council of Family Court Judges has highlighted the work of CASA programs in keeping children moving properly through the foster system and ensuring long-term homes in safe environments for abused children
• The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) also found in their case studies of CASA interactions with foster children that court cases involving CASA volunteers are more often resolved than those without

By upending the status quo and providing foster kids with a path to a more positive outcome, CASA volunteers provide immeasurable impact to the community around them.

For those considering giving back to their community by becoming a foster parent, but don’t necessarily have the ability, consider becoming a CASA.

Become a CASA Volunteer

To become a CASA volunteer, contact your local CASA program to begin the application process. As soon as you have completed the minimum required hours of training, an Order of Appointment (OA) will be drafted to officially assign you to a case. Begin your CASA journey today by visiting What Is A CASA?

For those considering becoming a foster parent — but don’t necessarily have the space or ability to bring a child into their home — becoming a CASA may be the perfect solution.

With more than 9,000 children in the foster care system in Maricopa County, there are no shortage of reasons why many could consider becoming a foster parent. But not everyone who wants to help a foster child has both the means and the space to take one or more young people into their home. CASA of Maricopa County provides a volunteer opportunity for those who are passionate about helping transform the lives of our state’s most vulnerable children.

Here are three of the main reasons why becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate with CASA of Maricopa County could be a good fit for you.

You learn how to become a child’s advocate.
As a CASA volunteer, one of the main functions is to act as an advocate for a child in foster care, making sure his or her physical and emotional wellbeing are taken care of as his or her court proceedings progress. CASAs are the “glue” that holds each piece of a child’s complex life together, managing relationships and connecting them to services that can help make his or her time away from his or her family as simple to endure as possible.

You learn how to observe and gather critical information.
In this committed volunteer role, CASAs will gain vital insight into the life and day-to-day wellbeing of a child in foster care. Making sure that all of his or her needs are accounted for and that documents and records are accurately handled, volunteers act as an observer of his or her life, which is vital to ensuring he or she receives the care he or she deserves. Any concerns that arise about the child’s physical and mental health, as well as his or her education, can be addressed in the most comprehensive way possible with the aid of a CASA volunteer.

You learn how to work within the court and foster care system.
Part of the job of each CASA volunteer is to report on any and all findings during the information gathering process, provide testimony on the child’s behalf when necessary and keep the court informed about any developments between agencies and family members. Because of the close relationships that develop between the children and their CASA representatives, CASA volunteers are often in the unique position to provide comfort and real emotional support during what is often a tumultuous, confusing and potentially traumatic time in a child’s life.

Learn More About Becoming CASA

Those even considered becoming a foster parent are probably ready to join the legion of CASA volunteers hoping to serve the more than 9,000 youth in need throughout Maricopa County. To become a CASA volunteer, fill out an online volunteer application and you will be contacted to set up an in-person interview. Following the online application, you will be set up for an interview and background check, and complete 30 hours of pre-service training.

Once you have finished training, you’re eligible to be matched with a foster child and an Order of Appointment will be drafted to officially assign you to a case.

It’s time to begin your CASA journey! For more information, visit our Advocate Information Center.

Contributed by Valerie Neumann, CASA Volunteer

As we all know, being a CASA is an endless rollercoaster: some days are very rewarding and others are frustrating.  Sometimes we let “perfect” hinder us and make us feel worthless.  Let me explain.  Our CASA kids have been removed from their homes for a reason – they did not live a perfect life.  Their parents or caregivers were not perfect, their homes, apartments or the streets were not perfect, the situations that adults put them in or let them see were not perfect.   My struggle is that I want perfect for them!   I want them to be in a loving home with two parents, plenty of food, access to medical care, a working vehicle, books to read, someone who checks their homework, takes them to the park, teaches them manners, and tucks them in at night.  This was how I raised my children; this is a no-brainer, right?   But, this is not the case for the majority of the kids who are in foster care.  It is difficult to comprehend that the very people who are supposed to be taking care and protecting our foster children do not have the same expectations.  I worry that these children will not learn how to be responsible adults, how to be in a long-term relationship, how to raise a family or to obey the law.   I want the chain to be broken.

I was fortunate to be selected to attend the National CASA/GAL Annual Conference this month in Boston.  Although we had to leave the conference early due to inclement weather, it was very inspirational to be around so many others who want to make a difference in the lives of foster children.  The conference offered numerous workshops and based on your interests, you could attend as many as the day offered.  The workshop that resonated with me the most was “Interviewing with the Brain’s Stress System in Mind”, which discussed how stress can actually change a child’s brain and behavior.  The speaker gave an example of when a child gets hurt on the playground and their parent comforts them and tells them they will be okay.  The brain remembers these non-stressful moments and in the face of future stresses, the child is able to calm him/herself.  The good news is that as CASA volunteers we can help re-wire the brain by simply letting a child know that you look forward to seeing them again, how you will be thinking about them often until your next visit, how clever they are, how pretty they are or how proud you are of them.  These positive interactions help teach the child’s brain to come back to these nice calming thoughts when they encounter a stressful situation.  What an easy way to help a child relieve stress without them knowing it!

The most impactful moment of the conference for me was the presentation of a scholarship to a young lady who had been in foster care since she was five years old.  She lived in an abusive foster home until she turned 18 where these people belittled her, threatened to send her “back”, had their biological children make fun of her, and who never loved or believed in her.   This young lady left home at 18 years old and to this day has never had any more contact with her foster family, nor plans to anytime in the future.  She graduated high school and wants to attend college.  This young lady had a CASA.  This young lady said without her CASA she would not be where she is today.  Was her foster home perfect?  No, but she did have someone who was there for her, who would listen, and made her feel special.

After hearing her story, I am coming to terms with the fact I can’t make everything perfect for my CASA kids, but they know I care for them, I am proud of them, and I believe in them.   This just might be their “perfect”.

Contributed by Roger Lurie, Volunteer

Two of my most memorable experiences in recent years have taken place in Boston. In 2006, I had the privilege of running the Boston Marathon, a 26.2 mile run through this fascinating and historical city; then, this year, I returned to participate

in the 2018 National CASA Conference. As with running a marathon, being a dedicated CASA means that we are focused and committed. We have drive and determination and will keep going when we hit the wall. Unlike running a marathon though, being a CASA also means we are attentive to children that are far less fortunate and need us to provide continuity and stable, long-lasting relationships.

The theme for this year’s National CASA Conference was “Working Together for Their Best Interest.” In my professional career, I participated in many conferences, but found this to be the most rewarding. 1,200 volunteers and dedicated professionals gathered together in one place with a common purpose and commitment to serve children that have suffered and have come from broken homes. There was no pretentiousness or competition; instead, I met folks from all over the United States that share a similar bond in their caring and tenacity to work for improved conditions and support for the 433,000 children in the United States that are in dependent care. Understanding the behavior of our youth, finding new and creative ways to support them, and building on the success of our national CASA movement were themes of almost every session I attended.

There were too many excellent presentations to highlight all of them; two in particular stand out in my mind:

1. Interviewing with the Brain’s Stress Response System in Mind, presented by Candace Saunders, MSW from the Simmons School of Social Work.

In this session, Ms. Saunders explains how our right brain provides sensory, emotional and non-verbal characteristics; the left brain provides more focus, thinking and verbal queues. In stressful situations experienced by abused children, the left brain shuts down making it difficult for the children to think clearly. In extreme states of stress, these children go into a fighting, freezing or fleeing mode that is best contained through meaningful relationships. In these situations, as CASA volunteers, we need to focus on a child’s strengths and remind them of many people care about and love them, acknowledge their silence and focus on building trust over an extended period of time.

2. Where Brain Science Meets Policy: Supporting Youth Transitioning from Foster Care, presented by Molly Doran, Alexandra Lohrbach and Kayla Eckerman from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Based on research done through the Jim Casey Initiative, in this session it was shared that in the United States, 23,00 youth age out of foster care every year. Of these, 1 in 4 will become homeless within 4 years, 71 % of women in this population will become pregnant by age 21 and only 50 % even graduate high school. Their research has demonstrated that a brain is not completely developed until a person is in their mid 20’s, yet in over half of the states, dependent care ends at age 18. In this study, these three articulate speakers spoke to the need for 3 R’s:

1. Rewards – providing these youth opportunities for some risk taking in a relatively safe environment.
2. Relationships – ensuring that they have at least one caring adult consistently in their lives.
3. Regulation – supporting them in making sound decisions and providing a structured environment that is not emotionally charged.

Furthermore, the Jim Casey Initiative has developed a model for delivering life skills training so critically important to our foster youth that will age out and face a world in which they need to know how to manage finances, drive a car, and get admitted to a community college or university.

Several of the sessions that I attended had a deeply moving personal impact on me. The conference also has given me a new sense of purpose and resolve. I am more committed than ever before to view my CASA children through a new lens of caring and support. I am more determined than ever before to ensure that my time with them counts and leaves them assured that I care and am there for them. I am committed to find new ways to support those children that are aging out of the system with a path forward and mentorship to help them succeed in the next chapter of their lives. And, similar to the theme for this conference, I am committed to being there to support my peers and professionals that are “working together for their best interests”.

I am honored and humbled that I was selected by Voices for CASA Children to represent the community at this conference. At the same time, I am honored by the opportunity to serve as a mentor, friend, and advocate for foster children and am resolved to live up to the expectations that this entails.