newsletter

Family & Youth E-Newsletter, Lake Charles, LA October 2010

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

by David Duplechian

As you are by now no doubt aware, we are reflecting the 5^th Anniversary of Hurricane Rita, which touched everyone in Southwest Louisiana in some way. Those who evacuated at the height of the storm left not knowing if they would see their homes or material possessions again. Routines were disrupted, we were inconvenienced, and everyone was stressed out. We worried about loved ones left behind – were they safe, would we see them again?

In reflecting on Rita, I can’t help but stop and reflect on the lives of the children that our Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers work with. CASA recruits and trains volunteers who are appointed by Family and Juvenile Court Judges to advocate for the best interests of children who have be removed from their homes because of abuse and neglect. Abused and neglected children with a CASA volunteer typically spend less time in foster care and have a better chance of finding a safe, loving, and permanent home.

For abused and neglected children, every day is a hurricane. They too leave home not knowing if they will ever see it or their possessions again. Their routines are disrupted to say the least. They find themselves in new surroundings, new schools, and wondering about friends and relatives left behind. Tragically, it is more than an inconvenience for them, it does not end in a few days, and cumulative effects can last a lifetime.

Think back again to your hurricane experience. How comforting was a phone call from a relative or friend, calling to check on you and be sure everything was ok? They couldn’t stop the winds or rain, but how reassuring to know that someone cared, that someone was thinking of us in our time of need. How reassuring is a call or visit from a CASA to an abused or neglected child in their time of need?

As we pause to remember Hurricane Rita, and to give thanks for protection and deliverance from the storms in our life, let us use our personal experience to gain a better perspective into the lives of abused and neglected children. Never underestimate the importance of a CASA volunteer and the difference they make in a child’s life. Never doubt that your support of Family & Youth and our CASA program makes a tremendous difference in the lives of abused and neglected children.

Family & Youth web page is designed for educational and informational use only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical and/or mental health attention or treatment. You may contact us at 337-436-9533 for further information.

Family & Youth, 220 Louie Street, Lake Charles, LA 70611, 337-436-9533, www.fyca.org