What I have come to love most as a CASA GAL is the trust that is established between me and each of my CASA children, in their world of turmoil. They have dealt with the trauma of being torn from their families, often placed with strangers in unfamiliar surroundings, and they are so scared. But as they come to realize, each time I come to visit, I don't cause any problems, I just bring a hug and a smile, maybe a toy. I get to play with them, take them for ice cream, no strings attached. They finally get it, that I am there just for them. They really are important to me. Then I get hugs again when it is time to say good by - see you next time. I ruffle their hair, I hug them again. I go to my car and ask God, "How will this end?"

Soon I'm back in court with the Department, the parents, the lawyers, and the judge. We all "know" what is best for these children. We often don't agree. And all these precious children want is to go home and be with mom and maybe dad, if they are lucky enough to have a dad around. They don't care that mom and dad won't comply with the Department's request to take a few parenting classes and learn to deal with their anger issues so they won't hurt them anymore. The kids don't get it that their parent's addiction to drugs overcomes their need for love and affection. They just want to go home. So we all stand before the judge and offer our best solutions for these children's lives.

What an awesome responsibility! Oh, but I love it. To be able to speak up for a child in this world of chaos. To know that the judge will listen to what I have to say, and respect my recommendations, gives me a sense of accomplishment. It doesn't always go the way I want it to, but it has always been well worth the fight! Well worth the effort. Well worth the time.  I feel I have achieved something that is truly valuable and everlasting to each child; because I know that most children growing up in foster care have a slim chance of really succeeding after they age out. Those who have  a CASA GAL on their side - to make sure their needs are being met, to give them hugs, to let them know they are fighting for them, to take away some of the sting of rejection - they are the ones who have a much better chance of succeeding. It makes me feel so good to leave them with a hug, because it shouldn't hurt to be a child.

As is often true with a “first”, my first case is still my first love - not only because my involvement with that child continued right alongside my work on the next and following cases, but also because that case brought out qualities in me that I didn’t know I had.

That first case involved real detective work: searching for Mom, searching for Dad while the child was in an emergency shelter; leaving messages at favorite eating places for Mom; spending hours on Mom’s doorstep, until she came home; and having endless discussions with Mom about Life and the Universe. That Mom was different.

But I had a wonderful experience with the child, and with the foster parents. The foster parents were totally informed about the role of a CASA, and we worked as a team from the beginning. I attended all of the school functions, ball practices, birthday parties, and even a Super Bowl Party given by the foster parents.  I had so many good times with that child - outings to local points of interest, trips to the pizza parlor, playground activities (including tossing a football), singing silly songs in the car, and looking over homework. 

But there was also holding on to him, when bad memories came over him.  There were some tough moments.  I cried sometimes, worried if the child could stay safe and loved.  But I was always assured by my CASA Supervisor and the CPS Caseworker that everything possible would be done to achieve whatever was in the child’s best interest.  And then he began to shed the problems from his past – slowly, but with great “hurrah” praises by all involved in his life.

Eventually there was a trial for termination of parental rights, and that was one of the scariest chapters of my life – I admit there were sleepless nights, and I said to myself “You could be a crossing guard at a local elementary school, why did you become a CASA Volunteer, and put yourself through this?”  Well, as scary as that trial was, looking in my CASA child’s eyes (without even thinking about the huge file that contained all of the paperwork connected with his case) – I knew that I had to fight for that kid and his future.  And then I was not afraid anymore of the jury, the judge, the attorneys, and all of the expert witnesses.  

That child on my first CASA case has now been adopted by those wonderful foster parents, he is doing great in school and sports, and it is a true joy to be able to look back on that case as a real success story for all of us – CASA, CPS, and the entire System.

I had other cases, some children were adopted, some were reunited with their parents. I feel that I made a difference in most of those cases. Even though there may have been additional removals in one or two instances, I believe that I still made a positive difference at least for a time. 

When I moved to another state, thousands of miles away, I could not imagine NOT becoming a CASA once again. And so I am now a CASA here, in my new home state – huge case, huge file (17 volumes at CPS), nobody at the CASA Office wanted that case – people think I’m crazy to take that case; but it involves kids needing someone to care............ what’s crazy about that ????

My CASA Experience