[MsRoberts]

I have volunteered to be a CASA. I go Monday for fingerprints and then I have classes to attend and so many court hours. My husband and I are registered foster parents but never had any foster children. (We were told after completing classes that our son and daughter would have to share a room. We are not okay with that so we didn't go forward.)

In doing anything, I want to do the best I can and help as many children as possible.

Can anyone give me their stories involving CASA volunteers? Or any tips or suggestions would be welcomed...

Thanks

[bluebird38]

I don't really have any experience with CASA volunteers. None of my placements had one appointed to them. I do know that where I live foster parents can't be CASA volunteers. They say it's a conflict of interest.

bluebird38

[ca-bigsister]

I was a CASA. Please feel free to pm me and I'll be happy to answer your questions. I had to stop being a CASA when I became a foster parent/guardian for my FD because it was a conflict of interest.

Let me know what your questions are.

[Hadley2]

We had a negative experience with a CASA in that she befriended the parents. That sounds benign, but she became an advocate and enabler for them instead of advocating for the child. She seemed woefully uninformed about the parents' issues and uninterested in the effects their habits and behavior had on the child.

My best thought is to never befriend the parents. (That doesn't mean to be their adversary or to not treat them respectfully, just to never be in a position where you would even begin to consider their wants or needs.) Remember that you and the GAL are the only people who are there just for the child, not the family or the state. Let your work begin and end with the child--get to know the child personally, get to know the child's medical, mental, and emotional issues through records and education, understand the causes, etc., then look at whether the parents are actually changing the conditions that led to removal, not just checking off case plan points. There is a difference. Then look back at the child and think everything through again in terms of what the child needs, not what every other involved adult wants. Understand that no matter what is decided, there will be trade-offs so the best thing is to aim for that which meets the child's needs for safety, physical and mental health, emotional well being, permanency, and legal security.

I also know a very good CASA who has really made a difference in the lives of the children for whom she has advocated. The work has enriched her life, too. I hope it is as good a thing for you as it has been for her.

[ranoutofnames]

I have been a CASA and eventhough I'm a foster parent I could still be a CASA as long as it isn't for a child in my care.

Our experience being a foster parent where a CASA is involved is with mixed emotions and opinions on what went right and where some of it went wrong.

The first CASA we dealt with was with A1. The first CASA was TERRIFIC. She found all kinds of information, provided us with a family tree (as weird as it was), and kept us updated on what was going on with the case because the worker was secretive. The second CASA for A1 was HORRIBLE. She kept insisting for things that were not my responsibility. She wanted me to provide pictures to the bmom and a bunch of other things that were completely inappropriate. The cw (who was so secretive) actually stepped in and set the record straight that I was doing exactly what I should be doing. Within 2 months I had that CASA banned from my home. The courts (including DA and GAL) gave no merit to her reports. She was eventually removed from the case entirely.

From there we had a variety of experiences. I had one CASA that came over and I eventually had to tell him he had to leave. I tried explaining I didn't have time for him to come over that week but he showed up anyway. He followed the child around while he was trying to play (I was fixing supper), he sat in the corner watching us all have supper, and then tried to insist he was going to stay longer. I threw him out and called the CASA office. He never did that again. I knew he was enthralled with the child and has now become the adoptive resource for the child.

Our most recent experience has been positive. She listens to us and how the child is doing in our home. She keeps track of our report on the child's behavior following visits, lets us know when the bparents are in jail or have other tangles with the law, etc.

I think the CASA's who are open with us and keep us informed are the best CASA experiences. The CASAs who are secretive and behave like a really bad cw are our worse experiences and to be honest they don't get taken seriously, and are eventually removed from the case.

[xxsurroundedbyxy]

Originally Posted by MsRoberts

I have volunteered to be a CASA. I go Monday for fingerprints and then I have classes to attend and so many court hours. My husband and I are registered foster parents but never had any foster children. (We were told after completing classes that our son and daughter would have to share a room. We are not okay with that so we didn't go forward.)

In doing anything, I want to do the best I can and help as many children as possible.

Can anyone give me their stories involving CASA volunteers? Or any tips or suggestions would be welcomed...

Thanks

OT: But why did they tell you that your son and daughter would have to share a room? Did they mean share with a foster child or share with each other? Was there only that one bedroom for children? I'm confused. Where I am at, children up to age 4 can share a room regardless of sex (at age 4 and 1 day they would have to be moved if opposite sex). Any age can share with same sex regardless of age. My two sons have their own room and the room for foster children has two twin beds. We chose NOT to have more than two foster children at a time because we would not make our children share a room either and there was no problem with it so I am just curious.

Kim

[MsRoberts]

We have a three bedroom house. One is mine and my hubby's, one is my daughter's and one is my son's. My son and daughter are 13 months apart in age so they are very close in age. I told the agency that we started training with the situation before taking 8 weeks of classes, fingerprints, background checks and medical papers. If we fostered a girl she would share with my daughter, a boy would share with my son. After completing the ENTIRE course they tell me that my kids would have to share a room and the foster child would need their own room. ???? I talked to the director and he said the same thing. So we decided that it would be best for our children if we didn't go forward with fostering.

[MsRoberts]

Like I said I haven't taken the classes yet but I was wondering...
Am I suppose to call the foster parents and make an appointment or make random visits?

I don't to want impose on anyone schedule.

[ca-bigsister]

In Los Angeles, the CASA training was over 40 hours. It was very intense. They gave you a huge binder with all kinds of information on it. You will have all of your questions answered regarding visitation, etc.

The purpose of being a casa is to advocate in the best interests of the child. You will interview everyone for the judge, summarize your interviews, and then make recommendations to the judge.

After you become a CASA, you can see if you want to accept a case or not. You can read the case history and you, at least in Los Angeles, are appointed a full-time paid case manager who will help you with your questions and anything else that come up. They get your draft reports and finalize them for the court. They also go with you to your first court hearing in children's court. Most CASAs are appointed when there is a special need - maybe the child needs extra attention in school, has medical issues that need attention, or something else. There are not enough CASAs to go around - so they usually use them for the neediest cases.

I was a CASA to a four year old boy who had been abused by the biomom. The mom was a housekeeper and the little boy had a lot of developmental problems. Biomom was from another country, did not speak English, was illiterate and not very sophisticated. While in custody, it was found out that he had a type of epilepsy (absence epilepsy formerly known as petite mal.).

The boy had taken a toy car and used it on the employer's large screen TV, creating a very large crack in the very expensive tv. The mom beat him with a belt because she was so upset and terrified at losing her job.

The boy was placed into foster care. I would visit the boy at foster care, once a month, but he was barely verbal. I also visited the biomom at home after he was returned to her. I would visit the family and when an at home counselor was there to help the family. The boy had been diagnosed with absence seizures in epilepsy. The biomom didn't believe it so part of the CASA was convincing her that he needed his medication. I got him accepted into the Regional Center which provided a lot of services. AT first the Regional Center would not take him as a client but I advocated a lot and finally they took him. His biomom was even able to get respite care because he had so many special needs.

I was also appointed his educational surrogate and got him an IEP and visited him a few times a semester at his kindergarten. Biomom was very good about following her case plan. She had an older son with children who also helped her to follow the case plan. She learned about his medical condition, took him to doctor appointments, did parenting classes, went to counseling, etc. They were reunited and the boy continued to receive special education and regional center services which I know made a big difference as he grew up.

Each case is very different. This was one of my experiences. Good luck!! That's great that you want to be a CASA. You will certainly make a difference in a child's life.

[xxsurroundedbyxy]

Whenever CASA has been involved with one of our foster kids, they have come to all staffings but only one ever came to our home and that visit was unannounced which was fine.
Kim

P.S. I think in your case, it may have been best to have your own children share rather than them each share with foster children. Many of these children act out the abuse that was done to them on other children and with them sharing a sleeping space with your children, you would have been worried ALOT of the time I promise unless you took in babies only. So I can see their point since there was no extra room for foster children. You don't want foster children abusing each other either and they are no less in need of security, but you certainly didn't go into fostering to have your own children abused. KWIM?
Kim

[tvs4]

I have seen that the SWs didn't like CASAs and didn't want them involved in the case b/c they seemd to "meddle". The CASAs' report(s) also didn't seem to be taken too seriously.

So I guess it depends on where you are and how your local agencies deal with CASAs.

The CASAs also met with the parents (during the parents visitation time at the SWs office) and the child and us (foster parents) at our house. They called first to schedule a time.