Lessons From My First Year as a CASA

I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into when I first signed up to be a CASA volunteer. I had become a mandated reporter, completed the weekly training courses, participated in the online modules, observed multiple hearings, asked Mandy a million questions, and written a few practice court reports. But the truth is, you never truly know what you’re doing until you actually do it. A little over a year after I was assigned my first case, here’s what I’ve learned so far: 

1. The turnover that the Department of Children and Family Services experiences is no joke. 
I was warned, but was not prepared for how many caseworkers DFCS manages to churn through. The children in my case have now had more caseworkers than foster placements, and the number of placements has not been a small number. The time from when one caseworker leaves to when the next is assigned can be one of the most difficult - if you think your social worker is difficult to get ahold of, wait until you try to get ahold of their supervisor. A CASA typically has one case. That supervisor is likely overseeing forty. 

2. No one can see the future, even the professionals.
The first time a children’s attorney and then a DFCS worker offered their shared professional opinion to me of what steps were likely to be taken by the court and whether reunification was possible with each parent, I took their insight to be a shining guide that told me exactly what to expect. It only took one drug test and one caseworker change for the case to take another direction entirely. That same attorney was the very one to publicly suggest a very different opinion as clear fact than what she had previously declared to be the path forward. Even the paid professionals with years of experience do not have a crystal ball, and their opinions and predictions aren’t written in stone any more than mine. 

3. The only person who is making lasting decisions is the judge. 
A foster parent can tell you all about what they are or are not willing to  do. A case worker can say anything they like about what their next steps are. An attorney can cite past precedent until they’re blue in the face. At the end of the day, the judge’s orders are the only decisions that have staying power, and the judge can undo any other action anyone else takes at any time. 
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4. A judge makes the orders, but in the time between hearings there is no one to enforce those orders. Frequent friendly reminders are often necessary. 
When in the courtroom, a judge’s decree feels like law (for good reason, since it is). But the minute everyone leaves the courtroom, there is often no one breathing over their shoulder to ensure those orders are actually followed, and especially that they are followed any sooner than two days before the next hearing. This is where you come in. Breathing over shoulders is a CASA specialty! Just be sure to thank them when they do follow through to maintain good relationships. 

5. The children on your case will bond with you. Don’t let them down. 
Prepare to be greeted with hugs, and if your visits to be spaced too far apart, for the children to notice. Nothing will tug your heartstrings more than a child telling you, “I haven’t seen you in a long time, I thought you might not come visit me again.” Remember that to a child, weeks feel like years. You are likely the only single person on your case who is visiting regularly over the full period of this time in their life. Consistency is hugely important. 

6. The parents on a case can be both victims and perpetrators. So can the children. 
The cycle of abuse is real. Even a child can be an abuser. Watch and protect your children from abuse from all directions, and be vocal about making sure their mental health needs are being met. Trauma is hard to process at any age - processing it alone when your brain is developing and when you are just learning who you are as a person is next to impossible. Get them help.

7. Everyone is much more cooperative in the final weeks before a court date. 
Use that time pressure to your advantage. A court date is a deadline - clear your schedule as best you can for the two weeks before each hearing and take advantage of being moved up on everyone’s priority list. 

8. It is essential that there are no holes in your CASA report. Investigate thoroughly & investigate early. 
The CASA report covers every possible area of a child’s life on purpose. Use it to guide your investigation early and often, and not just in the weeks before a court date. Medical offices are not always easy to get information from - just because the children in your case appear to be in good health and don’t have a history of medical needs doesn’t mean you don’t need to follow up that they actually attended their scheduled well child checks. Just because they’ve historically done well in school doesn’t mean you should only request their grades right before court. Stay on top of each of the areas in the report so that when it comes time to speak in court, you can give information on not only a problem if it arises but also the steps that have already been taken towards a solution. 

9. Keeping up with someone else’s life - especially the lives of a family experiencing foster care, situations that are always complicated - is a full time job. Use your resources to avoid burnout. 
Your CASA coordinator is there to support and assist you. If a caseworker is not replying to you, see if your coordinator has an adjacent phone number or can pull some friendly strings to put your case back on the front burner. Ask for help where you need it. Offer to assist your social worker where possible - you can request medical records for them, forward report cards when you receive them, keep them updated on any news you receive on your child visits - but don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you can’t do anything extra that month, do not offer. 

10. Maintain a support network. 
A necessity of being a CASA is being privy to some information about these children’s lives that will often be sad, draining, and difficult to hear about. Because of the rules of confidentiality, you are not able to discuss your case with anyone outside the system, no matter how trustworthy or good a secret keeper or advice giver your partner or mom or best friend may be. The best way around this is to make a CASA friend. If that proves difficult, recruit an existing member of your support network to be a CASA! CASA always needs more volunteers, and you’ll be able to support each other through it. 

About the Author

Katelyn "Kate" Haverdeane
Kate is a Court Appointed Special Advocate with Savannah CASA. We are very grateful to have her on our team advocating for our children experiencing foster care.