She Believed in Us More Than We Did
Dawn began her journey as a CASA advocate at East Texas CASA in January 2023. Before becoming a CASA advocate, Dawn taught middle school math for five years and worked as a high school counselor for 30 years. She is now retired and currently working part-time for an online academy. “Having seen firsthand the positive effects that CASA can have for students and their families, I decided to investigate this avenue upon my retirement,” said Dawn. “As a CASA volunteer, I have met the most amazing people and have learned so much. I feel very blessed to have been a part of this case! This sweet family has left a lasting mark on my heart.” Here is what parents, Sarah and Jonathan*, had to say about Dawn, their child’s assigned CASA advocate:
What was your experience like working with Dawn?
Dawn is one of the best CASA workers that I have had the experience of working with, her compassion and understanding are unmatched. Dawn would actually reach out to us instead of waiting for us to contact her. She always let us know that she was here for us and just to let her know if we ever had any questions or concerns with anything going on with our case. She would always and we do mean always respond in a timely manner and if she did not have the answers for us, then she would reach out and find the answers we were seeking. Dawn made us feel that she truly believed in us and our ability to get our baby back in our home. She was with us every step of the way and was always encouraging us and let us know that she would listen if we just needed to vent. It felt great knowing we had someone on your side.
Why do you feel it is important for CASA volunteers to work with parents?
CASA volunteers are not the person who took your child, but they are the ones who are there throughout it all to see you and your child develop and grow through this experience. Dawn made us feel like we were her only case even though we know we were not, she always made us feel like we were her priority. We knew that she was there for what was best for our child, but she made us feel that she was there for us too. She is how we would find out answers and resources that helped us throughout this journey. This is not a journey for the weak at heart, and we do not know how she did all that she did, she seems to always know what to say or at times just listen to us. CASA volunteers can make a huge difference in how parents navigate through their case and be victorious in reuniting their family.
How would you recommend the CASA volunteers approach parents? Advice for CASA volunteers?
CASA volunteers need to approach the parents with a positive attitude and understanding that this is hard on the parents emotionally, physically and financially. Many parents have no idea where to start or how to go about getting the services they need. It is sad to say, but most parents are going to be very cautious of CPS and CASA because they think that they are against them. CASA can be a fantastic tool to the parents by letting them know that they are not there to judge them but to assist them in getting everything they need done to reunite them with their children. A bad experience with child welfare professionals can leave parents very jaded in their opinions and not trusting, but Dawn opened our eyes to what a true CASA worker is there to do. She always let us know that she believed in us and that we could do this. At times it seemed that she believed in us more than we did. Her encouragement brought us a long way in our journey into getting our baby back in our home. We believe she is one of the main reasons we accomplished our goal of family reunification.
Do you have any advice for parents working with CASA volunteers for the first time?
Parents need to be very honest with their CASA worker. The CASA volunteer cannot help if they don’t know what you are going through. When I say honest, that means from drug use to anything going on in your life. If the parents are committed to getting their child back then they need to be honest and to work the service plan as given to them. The CASA volunteer will do everything they can to assist you in working the plan. If you do not know where to turn then ask. The CASA volunteer will sometimes be there to just listen to you cry and let you vent to them. If you are true to getting your babies back then be true to CASA. That is what we did and we accomplished what we thought was impossible. It is possible and we would like everyone to know that they were there in the beginning and there to the end. Victory is obtainable.
*Names have been changed for privacy.