Title: Saving children - CASA needs more volunteer advocates
Author: Matthew Bruun
Date: January 28, 2007
Section: LOCAL NEWS
Page: B1
Ellen Ferrante was looking for a hands-on way to make a difference.
Through her past work as chief executive officer at Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital in Worcester and in her current role as a private equity investor, Mrs. Ferrante had served on numerous boards and commissions. But when she got a call checking a reference on a former employee, she found what she was looking for.The call was from Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, for whom Mrs. Ferrante's former employee was volunteering her services. Soon Mrs. Ferrante was volunteering herself, advocating for children in the juvenile justice system.
"I am the eyes and ears of the judge," Mrs. Ferrante, of Worcester, said in an interview Thursday at Leominster District Court. "We really are an arm of the bench."
CASA volunteers - most of whom have full-time jobs - are given one case at a time, representing a time commitment of about 10 hours a month.
They meet the child involved in the case and are given access to interview parents, teachers, counselors and anyone else who touches the life of that child, Mrs. Ferrante said.
"The objective is to find the right, safe, permanent placement for the child," she said. Through the CASA volunteer's efforts, she added, judges can be given a fuller picture of the child's situation and circumstances.
There are about 125 volunteers in Worcester County's 25-year-old CASA program, and leaders are looking for more. Program officials said they want to expand CASA's roster of volunteers by 50 this year.
"Our job is really investigative, getting data to a judge," said Sue Ellen Scrogin, CASA's interim executive director, during a recent interview at the program's headquarters at 100 Grove St.
There is one major requirement for being a CASA volunteer, Ms. Scrogin said: "They should love children."
But the volunteers are not surrogate parents, she said, nor should they try to assume that role.
"What we advocate for is the best interest (of a child) that will preserve safety and permanence," said Elizabeth Johnson Tsang, CASA director of training. "Our volunteers can actually make a very positive difference in the lives of kids."
The program's 125 volunteers come from varied backgrounds, including stay-at-home parents, doctors, lawyers and insurance adjusters. One volunteer is a student at Fitchburg State College and another is 79 years old.
The caseload in the juvenile courts outpaces the availability of CASA volunteers, Ms. Scrogin said. Worcester opens more than 90 juvenile cases a month, she said, and the program is looking to expand into every care and protection case a judge identifies.
Juvenile Court Judge Luis G. Perez said the program provides an invaluable service.
"I call them my conscience in many respects," he said in an interview at Leominster District Court Thursday. Most of the children with whom CASA becomes involved have been taken out of their homes, he said, but the volunteers provide that child with a voice as their case moves through the system. The process can take many months.
"Every day that the child is in the custody of the state, it's a problem," Judge Perez said. "Each day is so devastating to a child. We have to make sure the system pushes itself."
The CASA volunteers help provide that direction, he said.
Mrs. Ferrante agreed, likening her role to a tugboat pushing a huge barge. The job can seem daunting, she added, but is intellectually and emotionally rewarding. It offers a chance to influence the decision that will be made on the permanent placement of a child who has had a rough life, she added.
She said advocates need to be good listeners, nonjudgmental and open-minded about how people handle their relationships.
Because incoming advocates are not expected to bring a specialized knowledge about the juvenile justice system, the program offers about 30 hours of training before a new volunteer takes their first case. The volunteers also work with CASA staff on drafting the reports they will present to judges.
By advocating for children, Ms. Tsang said, CASA volunteers can help end a cycle of despair that has led to a child being in the juvenile justice system.
"One of the strongest things we do is try to break that cycle," she said. "One caring adult can make all the difference."
Ms. Tsang said 18 children served by CASA were united with new families on National Adoption Day last November. Citywide, 44 children were adopted that day.
Judge Perez is a believer in the CASA program.
"I wish I had volunteers for every case," he said. "We want to make sure the children have a happy life."
For more information on CASA, call (508) 757-9877 or check the Web site at www.thecasaproject.org.
ART: PHOTO
CUTLINE: Volunteer Ellen Ferrante explains the role of CASA as she sits in a small conference room at the Leominster District Court.
PHOTOG: T&G Staff/RICK CINCLAIR
PHOTO Volunteer Ellen Ferrante explains the role of CASA as she sits in a<br>
small conference room at the Leominster District Court. T&G Staff/RICK<br>
CINCLAIR
Author: Matthew Bruun
Section: LOCAL NEWS
Page: B1
Copyright (c) 2007 Worcester Telegram & Gazette Corp.
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