"We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same."
- Anne Frank
SUCCESS STORIES
What was I like as a child?
By Jean Fisk, CASA since 1998
I have been the
CASA/GAL for a family of five children for the last
ten years. When the case was assigned to me, the youngest child was
two, the oldest nine. Over the years, they have been placed in
numerous foster homes and have had a parade of different
caseworkers and therapists. I have been the only constant adult in
their lives through most of their growing up. The importance of this
really hit me when recently one of the children, now fifteen, asked me
to tell him what he was like when he was little and to tell him some
stories about his childhood. What a normal question for a child to ask
of a mother, father, grandparent or the person closest to him! This
boy asked me because I am the carrier of his history, something I had
never considered. We can never anticipate the impact we make on the lives of the
children we serve.
A Direct and Positive Impact
By Cindy Sullivan, CASA volunteer since
2002
Caseworkers had changed
repeatedly since 1999; in fact,
I worked with two different caseworkers in a three month
time period.
At my very first trial, the judge became so
irritated with the lack of information in the caseworker's
file that I was sworn in to testify regarding my research on
the case.
I was petrified.
In the end, the judge followed
the recommendations of my CASA report, and I began to
see how CASA's "one case per CASA for the duration" policy could work to have a direct and positive impact on the lives of the children we represent.
For the first five years of this case, our goal was "return home" to the children's mother. The children had different fathers; one child's father was never located and the other voluntarily terminated his parental rights. I watched the children struggle as their mother repeated a pattern of drug use, drug rehab, reasonable progress towards the return home goal, and repeated drug use. By the time the children were 15 and 16 years old, their behavior began to spiral downwards dramatically after every visit with mom. Danielle, the older child, began to act out by stealing cars, hanging out with gangs, and causing fights. The younger child, Evan, began to use drugs. Despite this illicit behavior, both children had warm and tender hearts, as well as dreams for the future typical of children their age. My visits with the children were always very positive, but their behavior at this time in their lives was not. Caseworkers continued to change repeatedly, and I found I spent as much time bringing the caseworkers up to date on the case as I did acting as CASA to the children.
The downward spiral
continued for years.
Evan was
placed in a youth home that specialized in drug
rehabilitation, but repeatedly ran away.
Danielle went
through several foster homes and was then placed in a
youth home when no foster family would agree to take her.
At 17, Danielle became pregnant and was
placed on
probation following an arrest.
The outcome for both
children did not look good.
As a CASA, I often felt like a broken record,
repeatedly encouraging these children and assuring them they could realize their
dreams... but my words seemed to fall on deaf ears.
When working with caseworkers, I often felt that I
had to fight to get the children the services that would help them succeed in
life.
As the children's behavior declined, "the system" seemed to
write them off.
Yet, even in the worst of times, both children
continued to show their potential for leading productive lives.
Danielle in particular contacted me every time she
was in turmoil, either needing an emotional pick me up, or calling my cell phone
in the middle of the night from a police station or a friend's apartment to
discuss how to make things better.
Evan aged out of the system at 18 and stopped contacting me or taking my calls, but about two years ago something clicked for Danielle. She moved through a transitional living program and into her own apartment. She got a job, graduated from an alternative high school, and started a lasting relationship. These accomplishments did not come easily. Danielle needed constant confirmation and encouragement, and several reminders about deadlines or applications that were due in order for her services to be approved. Today, Danielle has a new life. She is enrolled in college, has a part-time job, a stable home, and a beautiful 3 year old son. Danielle turns 21 later this month and has reached her goal of "Independence". She was at court for her final Permanency Review Hearing and was able to hear the accolades heaped upon her by her caseworker, CASA, public defender, the state's attorney and judge as her case was successfully closed.
Evan is on shakier ground, but has recently enrolled in an alternative high school and is living with his sister and nephew, working to realize his own dream of independence and success.
