I don't know her educational background. But, I do know that she would have done a very good job. She was listed as a CASA for just over a year. (This is a King County CASA story.)
She was assigned her first case and after much work and worry...decided that the best option for the child was to be with her family. Hmmmm....what do you suppose happened next?
The big CASA people told her she had gotten it wrong! She was very intimidated by that because she had wanted to do a good job and here they were telling her that she had blown it!
There are over 600 CASAs in King County. Wouldn't you like to know which ones get called back to "serve" again? Well, you will never get to know that. They close the system up! The less the public knows the less they are accountable.
My district chair had one more case and they never called her again.
What do I think? I think they ask the ones they like to come back. I think CASAs should be assigned on a random or rotating basis. No way that happens!
And now...from a dear reader:
CASA is not to be trusted anymore than CPS. CASA/GALs are supposed to be court appointed attorneys yet here in this backwoods area and others all over the state of WA they are no more than puffed up mouthpieces for CPS. They are not accountable for their actions and they are making life changing statements to judges when they don't have anymore education or less than a bartender. How did CASA get so much power? Where are their background checks and where is their accountability? If they really care about kids and what happens to them why in the world are they so biased against families?
And, what a secret organization CASA is. It's like working with the gestapo. If I could make it over there for this meeting I would surely testify. But...I have spent every dime and emotional resource I have fighting CPS and CASA and being treated like a criminal when all I wanted is to see my grandchild. I say they (CASA) definitely need to be investigated and their doors open. What are they so afraid of? What do they have to hide?
6 comments:
A big part of who stays and who goes comes down to passion vs professionalism. As an employer you are going to want to hire and maintain employees that appear the most "put together". And this means that people who express themselves, share their feelings, or even god forbid have feelings might not be as appreciated as those who wear masks and dont have a horse in the game.
"Playing the game" may keep you in the game..but is the game worth playing when everyone is just maintaining their own position and not going for the W?
You know, this is a common story around the whole country. I have heard from many good people who became CASA with the intention of helping children only to find that they are just there for show.
In my own case, the CASA sided with us so CPS fired her and replaced her with a GAL who simply signed off on the states request at the last minute.
I feel CASA should be assigned to a case where the child is of age to speak in court, I believe that is 12 years old. I feel children under that age should be served by a GAL. Or their own private attorney should be assigned.
I think we should do away with CASA having any dirrect communication with social workers on a case. They should come from a completely different area. Small towns in WA. tend to generate small town relationships.
Just like it would be a conflict of interest if a CASA was a childs neighbor of friend of their family. It should also be a conflict if the CASA has any kind of relationship with any of the state workers.
Pretty obvious!
casa=vgal..same thing. 12yo cant speak for their own interests..I'd say a person should be independently represented from 0-18 since a child's interests almost always clash with whomever thinks they are their property. However at that point they are likely poor and mentally ill from being involved with the system in the first place so that leaves us providing free legal services for the rest of their lives.
Thus - up till 18 they should get free legal help..after that - chain gang - building better roads and keeping parks usable until they can get their lives under control on their own.
Dear Senator Roach,
I believe that many of those that come into the CASA program come into it with blinders on. They only know what has been told to them by the courts or whatever other advirtisements they have been exposed to.
Wouldn't it be nice to have as a pre-requisite of becoming a CASA, that a person would have to have had some involvement with the department, so they can adequetly know who, what, when and where the stations from which the internal organization operates.???
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