Volunteers provide consistency

Newton — Meeting the needs of children from abusive or neglectful homes is a difficult task, but it’s the mission of the court appointed special advocate. Technically, CASA volunteers represent children in court, but that is a small part of what they really do. The 10-year-old advocate’s office provides a constant in a child’s life, “when so many people are in and out of their lives,” explained Cathy Bawa, one of three case supervisors at CASA. Recognizing CASA’s role in providing a safe, secure and loving environment for abuse victims, the county Chamber of Commerce presented CASA the Quality in Living Award. Volunteers are trained by CASA, but need no special background or education. However, they must take an oath of confidentiality in front of a judge and agree to volunteer for at least one year. They are then assigned to a child — or children if there are siblings involved. First they get to know everyone in the child’s life and interact with the child’s school, medical and psychological doctors. And they represent the child in court. Often the CASA volunteer notices things the child needs others may have missed. The volunteer stays with the child until a resolution has been reached, whether it’s six months or two years. The duration depends on the lives of the parents. Currently, CASA has 36 volunteers for the 50 children they serve. They welcome new volunteers. Volunteer Laura Politi of Hampton, one and a half years with CASA, is currently handling one case. While it is important to be a constant in a child’s life, Politi stressed she has gained more than the children: “I can’t even tell you how rewarding this is. I’ve gotten more out of this than anything else I’ve done in my life,” she said. Working with CASA is different than volunteering for DYFS, she said. “If you want to keep in contact after, you can, which is nice.” As a CASA volunteer, she’s attended school concerts, birthday parties and soccer games and been out to dinner with children and their foster parents. A new program, Family Drug Court, started it January as an intense program for parents who have children in CASA. “With CASA your interaction is mainly with the child, but with Family Drug Court you deal with the parents as well,” said Betty Lynn Schweitzer, drug court volunteer. Parents in the program are required to attend seven Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings a week, submit to weekly drug testing and meet weekly in family drug court with their case worker and the judge. “The hope is for reunification,” said Schweitzer. “Nationwide three out of four children are reunited when in the drug court.“ Schweitzer hopes to see similar results in Sussex County. Marie Rath has been a CASA volunteer since the program started. She is the only original still volunteering, and was one of the first Family Drug Court volunteers. “The most rewarding thing is to see the children safer then where they came from. To see them clean, fed, and with a loving family,” said Rath. “And to see reunification if it’s possible.” To more information on volunteering call 973-579-0723 or visit them online at www.casa-mc.org.