(Contributed photo)
WATSONVILLE — In Santa Cruz County, about 500 children a year experience the foster care system, removed from their homes due to neglect, violence or other traumatic factors.
It is these children who are in need of a Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA, who are volunteers that spend time with them and advocate for their safety.
But to do so requires the actual volunteers themselves, and to boost their numbers, CASA of Santa Cruz County is currently in recruitment mode.
The organization’s training for new volunteers begins Jan. 30, with the deadline to apply on Jan. 18.
CASA of Santa Cruz County Executive Director Cynthia Druley said the five-week training period consists of two evenings a week. There, new volunteers will receive an overview of the courts, the foster care system, what issues the children face and more.
Volunteers do not have to be a lawyer or social worker, but rather, are everyday people who are trained by CASA, and then appointed by judges and paired with a child. The volunteers are screened and trained to serve as advocates and officers of the court, and meet with their designated child two-to-four hours a week until they are established in a safe home.
Druley said a person should consider becoming a CASA to help “make a difference in our community for children.”
“These children are some of the most overlooked and unsupported out there,” she said. “They really need a supportive adult to work with them.”
Having that supportive adult in their lives can “transform” the child, Druley added. She cited an example of a child who was paired with a CASA at age 9, who couldn’t read or write. After seven foster homes in five years, the child is now on the honor roll at a local school.
Through that time, the CASA has been with them, being that one constant presence in their life, Druley said.
CASA of Santa Cruz County, which needs about 100 new volunteers a year, served more than 280 children in 2017, according to Druley.
While people from all ethnic and educational backgrounds are encouraged to apply, she said there is a need for bilingual volunteers, as many children on CASA’s wait list are Spanish-speaking only.
“It’s really important that they learn about the issues these children are facing,” Druley said. “The children they are working with haven’t had a normal, warm, robust home. We want to equip people to understand the kind of backgrounds and experiences these children have had.”
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Before training begins on Jan. 30, CASA of Santa Cruz County will hold a number of informational sessions for those interested in become a volunteer.
Upcoming sessions are:
• Today from 10-11 a.m. at CASA, 813 Freedom Blvd. in Watsonville
• Today from 6-7 p.m. at Live Oak Family Resource Center, 1740 17th Ave. in Santa Cruz
• Friday from noon to 1 p.m. at Surf City Coffee, 9105 Soquel Drive in Aptos
• Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 5:30-7 p.m. at CASA, 813 Freedom Blvd. in Watsonville
For information, visit www.casaofsantacruz.org.
