For many children in foster care, their Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer is the one consistent person in their life. This is genuinely the case for CASA Joe and his assigned youth, Javier*, whom he has advocated for since 2015. For the past eight years, CASA Joe has met with Javier every week, watching him grow from a 10-year-old boy to now an 18-year-old confident young man with a plan and path for success.
Javier has been in dependency since 2012 after he and his younger sister were removed from their home due to an abusive home environment. Javier has been in 8 different placements since entering foster care. His most recent placement in 2019 resulted from CASA Joe advocating for a change after struggling in his previous placement, particularly in school. He needed additional support due to a learning disability, and the caregiver could not adequately support him, and as a result, his grades and school performance were impacted. CASA Joe worked closely with the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), and together they got him into his current placement, which was better situated to support his academics and provide a more caring environment.
Fast forward to today, and Javier just graduated from high school in June, finishing his last semester with excellent grades. With the support of his CASA Joe, Javier found a part-time job. He also helped him set up savings and checking accounts so that Javier could have a place to keep track of his money. Recently CASA Joe introduced Javier to the Job Corps program and took him to an open house to see if it interested him. Javier will start a Job Corps vocational training program for welding this fall. He is excited about the training program’s financial support and to learn a valuable trade that will offer him stability.
Javier has shared that CASA Joe is the closest person in his life and even lists him as his emergency contact. Without a doubt, the presence of CASA Joe has changed the trajectory of Javier’s future. Simply by being there to listen, teaching him to make his own decisions, and showing he cared, CASA Joe has been and continues to be a fantastic advocate and positive role model for Javier.
Name: Joe G.
County: San Diego
Became a CASA in: 2015
Advice to a new CASA: “Be patient, listen carefully, guide with a gentle hand but be ready to step in when required. Be supportive, be knowledgeable of what resources are available, ask questions, but most of all, be involved. No matter how it goes, your case child is depending on you!”
You, too, can make a difference in the life of youth in foster care. Learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer.
*Names and details have been changed to protect confidentiality
Riverside County – CASA of the Month – July 2023