Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor
My husband, Ed, has been a CASA volunteer for six years this month. Since I was sworn in three and a half years ago, we have been working our cases together as a team. When my husband decided to become a CASA volunteer, I admit to wondering exactly what he was going to be doing. After all, there is a Department of Family Services (DHS) caseworker who is responsible for the care and well being of every child in foster care. There are attorneys for the parents, for DCFS and the children. There are foster families and group homes and residential facilities. There are school counselors, therapists and other folks providing services for children in care. All these people are dedicated to the welfare of these children, so what is the point of CASA anyway?
It did not take long for me to see the benefit of having an advocate who has one or two cases as opposed to having 30 or 40 or more. The heavy demands placed on those working within the system makes having someone with the time to get to know a child and understand their situation, to listen to them and to make sure that their concerns are heard in court is more important than you can imagine.
The CASA slogan of ‘I am for the child’ is exactly the point. The child is our focus and we will do whatever we can to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks, that every child has what they need to be healthy, to succeed at school, to be productive and proud of themselves. Some children in foster care will go back to their families or find homes through adoption. Some have no families to go home to, but if they have a CASA volunteer there will be someone there for them regardless of what happens to them or how many times they are moved. It is sometimes the only constant in an otherwise chaotic life.
If you would like to make a difference in a child’s life and in the future of our community, please consider becoming a CASA volunteer.
Glenda Barnes CASA of the Arkansas Delta Volunteer
[ Editor’s Note: For more information on becoming a CASA Volunteer, please contact Jeannetta Gilliam @ 870.702.5950]
To the Editor:
