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Coffee, that is the word for today. It makes you alert and ready to roll. It pulls you out of your doldrums. So we drink coffee in cafes and CAFÉ is the word to remember:
CAFÉ – C, A, F, E
C – Children: If you have a heart for kids and enjoy being a solid presence in a kid’s life, CASA is the program for you. You get good training and you meet cool people and then, you get assigned kids—kids who are in tough situations. You have to be calm and assertive–calm with the varying families (biological and foster) and assertive about getting to know your kids and their circumstances. When the weather was good my kids and I would shoot hoop and walk around down and get ice cream…cold weather and I bring art projects or we pound clay…and I listen carefully to everything they say.
A – Advocate: You are the voice, the advocate, for the children, and the judge listens very carefully. You meet with the kids and with foster and bio families and with the kids’ school teachers, social workers, and counselors, and you get a sense of the world the child lives in. I had talked to both of my kids’ teachers about their progress, and the judge was clearly interested in that information in my written report and referred to it during the hearing.
F – Future: This is the inspiration for the program. Help a child through a rough patch and you touch the future. I have been deeply moved at how just showing up and hanging out once a week since August has endeared me to my kids. I went to basketball practice last week, and both kids were excited to see me. They made me I love you cards…that’s pretty cool.
E – Energy: You pick up the paper or flip through news articles online and you get discouraged. How can anyone hurt or neglect a child? Here is a chance to use your energies to help children right in this county.
CAFÉ — Children, Advocacy, Future and Energy!
Written by CASA Advocate, Saralee H.
There is still time to apply for the Winter CASA Advocate Training.
Please visit their website (clintoncountycasa.org) or contact the office (517-599-7145 or clintoncountycasa@gmail.com) to receive an application or more information about serving as a CASA Advocate.