Often when children end up in foster care they feel left behind and as though no one really cares about them. José was one of those children. After being removed from his home due to neglect by his parents he felt as though he didn’t matter to anyone. This isn’t uncommon for kids in his situation. Luckily, CASA volunteers like Amanda can be there to help children like José.
One day while Amanda was visiting with José, he was asking her questions about what she does for a living and when he found out that working for CASA wasn’t her job he was very confused. José didn’t understand why Amanda was helping him if it wasn’t part of her job. Amanda explained to him that she was a volunteer and that she didn’t get paid when she came to visit him, she was only there to help him and advocate for him because she cares about him. When José heard her response he was stunned, he couldn’t believe that a stranger would give up their free time just to help him.
It is important for foster children to feel as though they are important to someone and, regrettably, some children in foster care get overlooked because there aren’t enough CASA volunteers, mentors and supportive adults available to help all the children who need it. If you or someone you know would like to help and be one of the people who help remind foster children that they aren’t alone, volunteer at your local CASA program.
*This is a real story of CASA’s work with a child from Middlesex County. Names and some other identifying details have been changed in order to protect the confidentiality of the child involved.
CASA of Middlesex County 