This article is brought to you by a project supported by the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement through the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs; Subgrant Number 7501.
As a child growing up in group homes and foster care, Kim Lundy struggled to form long-term relationships with adults. So many people were in and out of her life for brief periods of time that Lundy avoided bonding with them, assuming she would stop seeing them for good after a few months.
Then, when Lundy was around 12 years old, Ms. Barbara showed up one fall day at a her group home. Week after week, she kept showing up. That consistent presence, even when Lundy wasn’t up for much conversation, helped the walls break down.
“I think for probably most of the first year, I just wondered why she was there,” Lundy said. “When I realized that she was going to keep coming, I felt comfortable opening up. She saw potential in me that I didn’t see in myself. She tutored me for the ACT. She pushed me to apply to college. She encouraged me to be a better version of myself.”
Ms. Barbara arrived in Lundy’s life as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). The Capital Area CASA Association works to connect volunteers like her to local youth who need a stable, consistent and positive adult presence in their lives.
Today, Lundy describes Ms. Barbara as “an angel sent from God.” The two remain extremely close. Ms. Barbara was in the room when Lundy gave birth to her own children. She was in Lundy’s wedding and at her kids’ graduations. The two are in communication on an almost daily basis.
Lundy now works in disaster recovery. Her children are successful young adults, and she is happily married. Inspired by her experience with Ms. Barbara, Lundy is a CASA herself, hoping to help children experience the same stability and success that she has.
“I wonder a lot about where I would have ended up if Ms. Barbara had not been in my life,” Lundy said. “When she met me, I did not care what happened in my life. That changed when I saw that she advocated for me and was a voice for me.”
Allison Traxler, executive director of the Capital Area CASA Association, said each CASA serves as a volunteer who champions the children they are assigned to. After getting to know the child, their unique needs and circumstances, a CASA gathers information from social workers, attorneys, teachers, relatives and others about the child’s situation in order to make informed recommendations to juvenile court. Their duties also include monitoring a child’s progress, attending court hearings to advocate for a child’s well-being, providing emotional support and ensuring the child receives necessary services, educational support and medical care.
Traxler said the Capital Area CASA Association served about 380 children last year. There are currently about 100 local children on the program’s waiting list.
“We try to serve all kids who need a CASA,” Traxler said. “The courts determine if they want a child to have a CASA because of their particular situation, and the volunteers serve at the pleasure of the court.”
Traxler said each CASA volunteer works with one case at a time, although a case may have multiple children, particularly siblings. Volunteers are asked to commit for one year in order to develop a consistent relationship with kids. However, many CASA volunteers work with youth for several years or until their court case closes.
“Following National CASA standards, the goal is for each CASA to see the children they are working with face to face at least once every 30 days,” Traxler said. “In between those visits, the volunteers are behind the scenes, finding out how the kids are doing in school and how their family situation is evolving. They are responsible for putting together reports for the court with a lot of information about each child for the judge to review.”
Traxler said CASA volunteers do not need a social work or legal background. Also, about 97 percent of volunteers have full-time jobs and are able to balance the different responsibilities. Extensive training is provided before a volunteer begins working with youth, and each volunteer has a full-time staff person assigned to them to help them navigate each case.
“Prior to COVID, we were able to meet the needs for each child who needed a CASA. Since the pandemic, volunteerism is down, and we’re trying to build it back up,” Traxler said. “We really emphasize to volunteers that they are not alone. They have people here who guide them through roadblocks and answer questions. You can tell us if you prefer to work with kids in a certain age group or geographic area. We really want to make sure the volunteers are invested in this work, so we do as much as we can to create a strong match.”
The next CASA volunteer training sessions will take place on January 14, 15,16, 18, 21, 22 and 23. Four other training sessions are offered throughout the year. Anyone interested must first fill out a form at www.casabr.org, then participate in a brief virtual interview before training begins.
There is a CASA program in each Louisiana parish. Individuals who live outside of East Baton Rouge Parish can find information about their parish at www.louisianacasa.org/local-programs.
“My biggest piece of advice to people is to be open-minded,” Lundy said. “Every child is a little bit different and it’s important to take the time to get to know them. You may not feel like you are making a difference right away, but I promise you are making an impact and the kids will be thankful.”
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice or LCLE.