GALs and CASAs Are Changing the World, One Child at a Time

By Paula Melton

    Once upon a time, there was a child – a child whose mother and father were unable to give him the love he needed and deserved.

    You have probably heard this story before. With hundreds of thousands of cases of abuse and neglect reported nationwide every year, we have all heard this story before. And we seldom expect it to end with the words “happily ever after.”

    But that expectation is becoming an old wives' tale. The truth is, with changes to child welfare laws and family court, more and more stories of abuse and neglect have pretty happy endings. One crucial character in this new, improved version of the old story is the volunteer guardian ad litem (GAL) or court-appointed special advocate (CASA). In the sometimes difficult-to-navigate realm of family court, these volunteer advocates are the fairy godparents.

    With one caveat: A GAL or CASA does not grant wishes. Instead, he or she advocates for what is in the child's best interest. “We seek information about what the child wishes,” explained Diane Vallardares, Training and Recruitment Coordinator for New Hampshire CASA. “But their wishes and their best interests may not be the same.”

    That is one of the things that makes the job so special. “A CASA is a separate individual, not connected to the court,” Valladares explained. As such, they are free to offer “independent views and recommendations.”

    How is a CASA different from other supporters who are also there to advocate for the child? Valladares says that, unfortunately, therapists, social workers, and professional guardians ad litem tend to be overworked and may not be able to follow each case from beginning to end. “They may have 20, 30 or 40 cases” at the same time, she pointed out. A CASA or volunteer GAL – the terms are interchangeable – has only one case at a time, and sticks with it from beginning to end, often for a year or longer.

    “The CASA is consistent,” according to Valladares. “Sometimes they act as a case historian when a judge wants to know what happened, and you're on your fourth social worker.” She said the average case lasts two years.

    Dedicated exclusively to furthering the interests of a single child in need, a volunteer can devote more resources to the project than a social worker or even a professional guardian ad litem can. “When you are assigned as a CASA volunteer, you've got an opportunity to really get to know the child, the family, the circumstances,” said Valladares.

    Always keeping the child's interests in mind, many CASAs go above and beyond the call of duty – helping find appropriate drug treatment services for parents so that they can comply with court orders and be reuinted with their families, for example. “In some cases, parents' rights are terminated, and the child is freed for adoption,” Valladares explained. She said reuniting parents and children is almost always the goal of family court, and approximately 70% are reunited successfully.

    So, what exactly does it take to become a CASA or volunteer GAL?

    Valladares gets that question a lot, and says that no specialized background is required. “CASAs come from all walks of life, and all sorts of experience,” she said. The only fixed requirements are that you must be at least 21 and have a high school diploma. Other desirable qualifications don't come from book learning. CASA and GAL organizations look for “good listeners” with “an ability to stick with the job from beginning to end” and “an ability to accept and work with many different types of people.” These people may include a whole team of attorneys, judges, therapists, case workers, social workers, caregivers, step-parents, siblings, extended family members, teachers, and others – and a CASA must have an open mind in order to relate to such a diverse group of people.

    Once you decide you want to become a CASA or volunteer GAL, 40 hours of special training are required. “Some people are intimidated by that number,” she said. “But it goes quickly; you learn so much, and you bond with a group of people.” You do not have to be a New Hampshire resident in order to be a New Hampshire CASA. Valladares says that many border residents choose to volunteer across the state line, depending on the most convenient location for training, interviews with the child, and court appearances.

    Regardless of where they volunteer, Valladares believes that CASAs make a major difference in a child's life. “It's a great way to break the cycle of abuse,” she said. “It's great for kids to see there is somebody out there who ... has no agenda but wants to do something for you. They see another way of life and realize it doesn't have to be that way. It can be different.”

    Speakers at a recent CASA conference confirmed this point of view, she said. The speakers, “two former CASA kids” whose early lives had included “drug involvement, court involvement, and suicide attempts” told their stories at the meeting, relating how they had achieved happiness and success as adults. “They were so resilient,” said Valladares. “They have gone on and done brilliant things with their lives. CASAs have the ability to give that kind of hope.”

    She added that parents are affected just as powerfully by the willingness of CASAs to advocate for their children. Since most abusive parents began life as abused children, Valladares has often been asked, “Why wasn't there someone like you there when I was a child?”

    Of course, one volunteer, no matter how hard she tries, cannot create a happily-ever-after ending for another person. But a CASA or volunteer GAL can deliver an all-important message to a child who has never experienced unconditional love: You deserve to be happy, always.

    To find the GAL/CASA program closest to you, call (800) 628-3233, or use the "Act Locally" search feature at www.nationalcasa.org.