Court Appointed Special Advocates of Kane County (CASA)

CASA volunteer remains the only constant in their turbulent lives

Tom was three and a half, and his sister Melissa was two, when they were first assigned a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer. Their case had come into court because of domestic violence. The children could not remain with their parents because their father was a violent alcoholic, and their mother refused to leave him. DCFS placed the siblings into a "pre-adoptive" home where they lived for over a year. The children even called their foster parents mommy and daddy.

The CASA volunteer visited the foster home frequently and thought the children seemed happy and energetic. Unfortunately, the foster parents became frustrated with the duration of the court case (the rights of the children’s biological parents had not yet been terminated), and left the children on the doorstep for DCFS to come and take them away. When DCFS came to the house, the foster mother refused to let the caseworker retrieve the children’s belongings. She did however allow the CASA volunteer to stop by later in the week to collect the children’s things, which she had stuffed into garbage bags.

Tom and Melissa were moved into another "pre-adoptive" home, but because of Tom’s developmental delays, the foster mother quickly felt overwhelmed. The children were moved within two months. In the next foster home, the foster mother was willing to keep Melissa, but could not handle Tom’s behavior. The CASA volunteer and the DCFS caseworker insisted that the children not be separated, as their strongest attachments were to each other. Within nine months, the children were moved into a new home and were beginning to show signs of attachment disorder.

In less than three years, the children had lived in five different foster homes. The CASA volunteer visited Tom and Melissa at each home to observe their behavior and their interactions with their foster parents, and to make sure that they were well taken care of.

The fifth foster home proved to be a success. The parents worked with Tom on his school work so that he would not be held back. The foster mother, who had no children of her own, needed someone to turn to for advice. She called the CASA volunteer, who had a child the same age as Tom, several times a week.

Eventually, Tom and Melissa’s biological parents surrendered their rights, freeing the children for adoption. The CASA volunteer was invited to attend the adoption, and although the case is now closed and the children no longer require a CASA volunteer, the mother still stays in touch. The children are now thriving in school and continue to form a strong bond with their adoptive parents.

 
 

CASA Volunteer Remains the Only Constant in Their Turbulent Lives

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