This week, we have invited Wise members who have been Court Appointed Special Advocates to tell us about the meaningful work they’ve done to help kids who are at the margins of our society by giving them a voice and an ally. Learn more about becoming a CASA at our interest meeting on June 24.
I was assigned to a one-year-old baby girl who was living in foster care. Her mother, Lisa, had been in jail for a year and was recently released when I came into the picture. I spent time with Lisa and her child for a few years advocating for Lisa to have her child rightfully returned to her. After many court dates, Lisa and her baby were successfully reunited. Ordinarily this would be the job of a social worker, but the system is so overwhelmed that there are just too few social workers for so many foster kids. Most often these kids don’t ever meet their assigned social workers until they appear in court for the first time. As a CASA you work alongside the social worker and report to the judge, since it is the CASA who knows the child best and it is the CASA that the judge looks to more than the social worker! To this day I am in touch with Lisa and have seen her thrive along with her growing family. I loved being a CASA and can attest to getting so much out of the experience. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to make a difference in a child’s life.
— Jodie Fishman