Support is always in season for CASA volunteers

MENOMINEE, MICH. – More than 500,000 children in America go through the court system each year and are placed in foster care — an experience that can be isolating and daunting for many.

In an effort to offer support, CASA of Menominee/Marinette trains volunteers to become a court appointed special advocate (CASA) who is capable of being the child’s voice and acting in their best interest.

Executive director Hailey Highlen explained the organization, “We train volunteers to basically be the voice of the children in court. We deal with cases of child abuse and child neglect, and the court appoints us to these cases in Menominee and Marinette counties. We assign a volunteer to either the child or the sibling group.”

In order to become a CASA, prospective volunteers partake in an eight-week training course with in-person meetings where they discuss the different situations that they would provide help in.

After the training is complete, the volunteer is sworn in by a judge, added to a national database and assigned to a case as the need arises.

Once assigned, the CASA will “go to court hearings in place of the child, write court reports to let everyone that’s involved in the case know what’s going on and just be an all-around advocate for the child,” Highlen said.

“It’s a heart-led position… you will come across the most unimaginable things involving children. You have to almost protect your heart just to protect yourself. You have to be strong enough to endure and hear these terrible things.

It is a very fulfilling position, but it is not easy,” she continued.

Currently, there are 29 active cases in Marinette and Menominee counties that involve 48 children. In comparison, there are 16 active CASA volunteers — with three more to be sworn in this December.

Highlen explained the relationship between the advocates and children, “In the majority of these cases, their CASA is the most constant thing in their life. A lot of these kids have been bounced back and forth between foster homes or go back to be reunified with their parents only to be removed again.”

While reunification is “always the end goal” according to Highlen, CASAs have a duty to act in the safety of the child and protect their best interests. This level of understanding results in strong bonds.

Having a CASA can greatly impact children, making them more likely to find a safe and permanent home, spend less time in foster care and do better in school, according to The National CASA Association.

“Their advocate stays with them from the start of their case until it is closed. Usually, the relationship is so strong that they remain in that child’s life well after,” she said.

CASA of Menominee/Marinette always welcomes new volunteers and can also be supported through direct donations or donations made to other community organizations that support children.

“When these children that are at a disadvantage are asked what they want for Christmas, it’s the most basic needs. It’s socks, underwear, pajamas, hats and gloves — it’s very simple needs… So, it would be wonderful for people not only to donate to our CASA kids, but to collaborate with any other organization or nonprofit in our area,” Highlen shared.

For more information about how to support CASA of Menominee/Marinette, visit www.casamenominee.com/ or follow the organization on Facebook.