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Pull into the parking lot, swipe your card to get in the building, sign in the daily log, grab ice for your iced coffee from the machine, ride the elevator up to the 5th floor, swipe your card to enter the wing where Brightside is housed, unlock your office door, turn on the lights, power up your laptop, check email. Or… Pull up to the courthouse parking lot, go through security, sit and wait for the CASA to arrive, chat with attorneys, case managers, sheriff’s deputies, and others, wait for the case to be called, enter the courtroom. These are the two typical ways I start my day as a CASA Coordinator. From there, the day can go in any direction. You never know who might stop by the office, who will call with a concern, if a child will be moved unexpectedly, which attorney needs questions answered, or if a case manager needs help filling a child's need. Some days are smooth sailing, while others are filled with surprises. That unpredictability is one of the things I love about being a CASA Coordinator. You never know how your day will unfold, and it's rarely monotonous. I grew up in a family that took in foster children, so I saw the system from the safety of my home, with parents who loved and supported my sister and me—and who also had love and room to spare for children who didn’t have the privilege of a stable home. As a teenager, I didn’t fully understand how fortunate I was. I remember being frustrated when a three-year-old would raid my room while I was gone, and I’m sure I yelled about how unfair it was. But I had no idea what true unfairness was. Unfair was that three-year-old, taken away from her family and everything she knew, dropped into a house with strangers, and at least one resentful teenager who desperately wished for a lock on her door. Unfair was the one-year-old who was dipped in hot water, suffered severe burns from the knees down, and was placed in an unfamiliar home where her wounds had to be cleaned and dressed daily. Unfair was the little boy who had to spend the week in an unfamiliar place because the people he had finally gotten used to went on vacation. While I want my position to be interesting and never monotonous, the children we serve need consistency. Stability and a routine are essential to a child's sense of safety. If they’re constantly moved from place to place, they can’t gain the security they need. Think back to when you were a child. Now imagine someone you’ve never met comes to your home and takes you away from everything you know. They drop you off somewhere with strangers, in a strange house, in a strange bed, with no idea when you’ll see your home, your things, or your family again. This is the reality for the children we advocate for, and for some, it’s even more traumatic—with police involvement or happening in the middle of the night. They have to change schools, leave all their friends without notice, and have no idea when or if they will return. It’s hard for a child to understand why they can’t stay with the people they love in the home they know. CASA volunteers play a crucial role in providing stability during a child’s time in foster care. Case managers, attorneys, judges, transporters, and foster homes come and go, but the CASA is there for the entire journey, advocating and supporting the child. I am so honored to work with these amazing people who volunteer their time and energy to be a source of safety and support for these children.
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