Michael Kraft
Amber Madrone’s eyes turn misty as she tells me about her first interaction with a CASA. That’s a volunteer who serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for a young person who is in foster care, is otherwise involved in court proceedings such as family maintenance or where child services agencies are involved.
Amber was a new foster mom, having taken in three young boys from two different families. Overwhelming would be an understatement. The CASA assigned to Amber’s family comfortably settled on the floor with the kids and played with them. After a bit, the CASA looked up at Amber and said, “it’s okay to ask for help.”
CASA of Humboldt currently provides about 30 special advocates for about 100 youth. One advocate gets matched with one or more kids from a single family. There are currently over 200 children in foster care in Humboldt County, so the need is literally double what is currently available.
CASA’s take 30 hours of training. They don’t need a formal background in legal issues, social work, child development or the like. What they do need is a passion to help kids, and 8-10 hours a month that they can commit for 1-2 years, the likely time children will be going through court processes. And while at some point the nonprofit’s role will come to an end, many CASA’s and their assigned kids maintain relationships for years.
In the case of Amber’s boys, when she looked around one day in a courtroom, the advocate was the only person who had previously met the children. Everyone else—several lawyers, a new social worker, the judge had never met the kids. As in that situation, the continuity provided by a CASA often proves to be crucial.
While legal proceedings sit at the center of the CASA’s role, the advocate also helps supports the child in other ways including education, medical, and additional resources.. Many of the kids experience instability, moving, ending up in new schools, etc. Again, the advocate often stands in as the one consistent presence.
Advocates don’t work in isolation. CASA of Humboldt employs 8 people, among them the case supervisors who work with advocates every step of the way—from the initial meeting through writing reports for the court.
Of course, this takes money. Local donors and foundations provide most of the funding. Government dollars also flow from various streams, including the Department of Justice, Victims of Crime. While CASA of Humboldt itself has not yet been hit with funding cuts,
future funding remains uncertain. Currently, many supports for low-income families are taking hits right now, and that has immediate repercussions.
Amber credits the Humboldt community for its generosity. Monetary donations allow CASA to continue providing and supporting these matches. Things like gift cards to local shops and activities are golden as well, as much of the magic between a CASA and the kid they advocate for happens over an iced tea at a local coffee shop. CASA of Humboldt as an organization goes out of its way to ensure that money is not a barrier for their advocates. They supply a lot of gift cards.
One other opportunity: if you want to volunteer but are unable to serve as an advocate, the organization is always on the hunt for volunteers who can help with events and outreach. The owners of Lawn Care Plus donate time and talent to maintain the gorgeous front garden. Someone new and handy could build and maintain playground equipment. To investigate how to donate or volunteer, go to https://www.humboldtcasa.org/, or call (707) 443-3197.
As I talk with people, many despair about what is happening in the country and what is happening to youth and families. It can all feel like it is too much. There’s a growing number who understand that none of us can do everything but many of us can do a little. What can we do, and control? It might be one thing. It might be several things. Serving as a child’s advocate can be one of those things. People who become CASA’s consistently report that they get so much out of it. Many wish they started sooner. That’s what’s in it for the advocate.
For the child, Amber says the “power of hanging out” can make all the difference in a kid’s life. Hope, being seen, feeling valued…all provide powerful, positive effects. “Every child,” she says, “deserves a caring adult in their life. We, as a community, can and should give that.”
Good Work is a series written by Michael Kraft, who volunteers on behalf of the Northern California Association of Nonprofits (NorCAN). NorCAN supports connections between people and organizations that work every day to keep our communities healthy and strong by offering professional development, board support, networking connections and more. Learn more at https://norcal-nonprofits.org/. To nominate a deserving nonprofit organization to be profiled, email michael@kraftconsultants.com.
Leave a Reply