CASA reaching out to faith communities for advocates

Deacon Randall Waguespack heard first-hand the struggles many children face when they are placed in foster care.

He also understands the critical need for those children to have an adult advocate to look out for their well-being.

Deacon Waguespack, aware of the shortage of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), has decided to go through the training process to become a volunteer.

“All children are a gift from God,” Deacon Waguespack said. “As Catholics we understand the dignity of all human life and our responsibility to do what we can to help care for the children in our communities.  Being a CASA volunteer is one way that I can help a vulnerable child have an opportunity for a better life.”

Allison Traxler, executive director of the Capital Area CASA Association, was thrilled to hear of Deacon Waguespack’s commitment and hopes he is the first of many. Traxler said she is actively working with area churches and organizations of all denominations, including the Knights of Columbus, to recruit volunteers.

“Their mission is women and orphans,” she said of the Knights.

She also addressed directors of the respect life chapters of many of the church parishes during a recent gathering.

“(Those directors) went back to their pastors to see if there is a spot for us,” she said. “We are trying to get a spot at every church either during the Masses or after church with a table.” Traxler said it is “pretty easy” with the Methodist church because they set up a room after services for various nonprofits.

“We really (are reaching out) to the faith-based community to try to spread the word,” Traxler said. “One of our foster families reached out to us and said he believes there is a community problem and as Catholics, as Christians, ‘we really need to find a way to take care of children.’ ”

“We really need men,” she added. “We are looking at some campaigns to speak to mainly men organizations.”

Admitting to confusion regarding the role of a CASA volunteer, Traxler attempted to clear up some of the myths. She has heard potential advocates express fear about becoming “too attached” to the child, which she called a fallacy since “that is not even possible.”

Traxler said a CASA volunteer is an advocate for a child placed in foster care until a permanent home is found for that young person. She said volunteers can drive their foster child, take them to dinner or even different events, such as games.

Volunteers are required to go through 32 hours of training, which at times can be intense. Also included in the process are strict background checks.

After successfully completing the training and being approved, the volunteer is sworn in and gets a badge.

Each volunteer is asked to commit for one year to their cases, which involves about eight hours a month, including time spent filing reports containing information gathered during the visits.

“You are advocating for the child,” she said. “What comes out in your report is what is best for the child. Judges will hear what everybody has to say and then asks the CASA to state his or her opinion.”

“There is a lot of power in that role,” Traxler said. “It is emotional.

“Sometimes it opens people’s eyes to things that typically you are not  subject to in your own life.”

She called CASA volunteers the judges’ “eyes and ears on the ground,” adding that the Department of Children and Family Services is overburdened, underfunded and has faced its own recent challenges. She said it is not unusual for a DCFS staff member to be working 70 cases at a time.

A CASA has one or two cases, and they are involved in “every single thing” in the child’s life.

“If the (DCFS) case workers can’t get to it, we try to go over their head and say we are not getting responses from DCFS, or mother, and say we are here at the pleasure of the court,” she said. “The juvenile judges need us and want us in their courtroom.”

“We are really trying hard to help them and to not let a child slip through the cracks,” she added. “We can change one child’s story until they get into a safe and stable home.”

Volunteers are able to select the ages of the children they would like to work with.

She said CASA volunteers typically serve children that have been abused, neglected or abandoned by their parents or caregivers and placed in foster care. To protect those children, she said, they are taken away from their family, home, neighborhood and even their school.

“These children are scared and confused and often feel that no one really cares,” Traxler said. “These are our community’s most vulnerable children.”

Children who have a CASA are less likely to re-enter the child welfare system and more likely to be adopted.

Traxler said there is a shortage of CASA volunteers, saying an estimated 160 children are in need of an advocate.

“It is a crisis in the community and we are training people as fast as we can,” she said.

Traxler said in 2022 CASA served 316 children and 87 of those children were placed in their forever homes.

CASA began more than 40 years ago when an inspiration came to Seattle Juvenile Court Judge David Soukup in 1976. At the time, Soukup had insufficient evidence to make a life-changing decision for a three-year-old girl who had been abused.

“Children who had experienced abuse or neglect need trained volunteers speaking up in the courtroom for their best interests,” Traxler said.

The Capital Area CASA is 30 years old and has assisted more than 3,500 children.

For anyone interested in potentially becoming a volunteer, Traxler said the first step is to attend a 30-minute virtual orientation session. Those interested will then begin training.

The next training class is scheduled to begin Aug. 16.

There are also other ways to become involved, including inviting a CASA representative to speak at a parish’s church or organization, following CASA on its various social media outlets and sharing its posts, serving on the board of directors or simply making a donation.

She said volunteers need not have any special skills or backgrounds, only a willingness to help children and be 21 years old.

“As long as children continue to come into care there will always be a need,” she said.

For more information, visit casabr.org.