Prior to my retirement, I encountered families who were victims of
domestic violence. Often times the children within those families
were also abused and neglected. I was able to assist these families
by working with social services to help them access the services that
they needed to end the abuse. I enjoyed helping these families and I
wanted to continue to assist families and children. This is why I
decided to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).
One of my most rewarding experiences was reuniting a child with his mother.
He had been in foster care for almost four years, and during that time,
he dreamed of one day being reunited with his mother. As a CASA, I was
able to facilitate the relationship between his mother, social services,
and all the other parties involved. In the end, he was reunited with his
mother. They are both doing very well and are much happier than they’ve
ever been.
As a CASA, I have been able to help all the children that I work with to
develop trust so that they can maintain healthier relationships, realize
their own self-worth, and understand that they are not alone and that
someone does care about them.
Written By:
Rochelle Sherlock
Photo By:
Joni Anderson |