CASA Volunteer Works to Help Children

Like most of us, Judy leads a busy life. Business appointments, errands, and family responsibilities can stretch Judy to the limit. 
Some may balk at the busy pace, but it does not bother Judy. She is used to the mileage and the challenges of a busy life. She is a mother, a grandmother, a business owner, a board member, and a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).
Judy first heard of CASA and their work with children living in foster care at a local Chamber of Commerce meeting. She was interested enough to schedule a one-on-one interview.
It was at that meeting with a current CASA that she seriously considered adding another cog to her already very busy wheel. Already active in her community and running a thriving business, Judy wondered if she could balance those things with her family life and CASA responsibilities.
Her only concern, “Could she commit to the time?” Thankfully, her answer was a resounding “Yes!”
Like many business owners in southern New Jersey, Judy’s business is seasonal. She attends to a lot of maintenance, prep work, and business travel in the offseason and full-force management and customer service during the in-season.
Ultimately, it was Judy’s family-oriented business and the interactions that she had with children as a result, that convinced her to become a CASA. She knew that her rapport with the children that she encountered in her business, and the way that they responded to her would be beneficial to her role as a CASA. Despite her initial hesitation, she made the commitment to CASA.
“As an advocate, you are truly the eyes and ears of the family court judge and a voice for a child who might be floating aimlessly in the system or is being pulled in different directions,” said Judy. In this work, “It is so easy to be directed by emotions and opinions,” which makes it doubly important to “keep emotions, frustrations, and opinions in perspective.”
Judy’s natural practicality helps her understand this important part of the CASA mantra – abandon all of your pre-conceived biases. That is the best way to help the children.
“Courts have laws to work within,” Judy said, “and there are rules and systems that must be adhered to. It is what it is.” It is this system, this set of laws that the CASA volunteer must work within to provide the best quality advocacy that they can deliver.
When asked if she felt good about her role as an advocate, the pragmatist in her was quick to point out that her efforts as a CASA are not about making her feel good. It is about the children. Rephrasing the question instead to ask if she thinks she has made a positive impact, “Yes, yes she does.” She explains that over time she began to have concerns about her youngest CASA child, a concern she discussed with the child’s state caseworker.
As a result, the infant-soon-to-be-toddler was placed in a new foster home. That child is now thriving – happy, vocal and affectionate. The positive changes in the young child make Judy happy, “very happy for the child,” she stresses.
On Judy’s last visit, she was touched when the new foster mom gave her a picture of the child all dressed up, smiling, confident. The little girl was finally happy.
It was that little girl’s smiling face, her newfound happiness, which turned this mother, grandmother, business owner, board member, and CASA’s heart to joy. With tears in her eyes, she got back on the road knowing that becoming a CASA was one of the best decisions she had ever made.
ED. NOTE: Judy is one of over 200 CASA volunteers in Atlantic and Cape May counties fighting for the rights of children living in foster care. CASA is central to fulfilling society’s most fundamental obligation by making sure a qualified, compassionate adult will fight for and protect a child’s right to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to learn and grow in the safe embrace of a loving family. Take a stand against child abuse and join the CASA Movement today! For more information, go to AtlanticCapeCASA.org. DeRosa is director of community development for CASA For Children of Atlantic and Cape May counties.