Article: It Starts with the Kids

by Tracy Fauver, Executive Director of Yolo County CASA

 

Even in the very early grades, I noticed my kids had back to school radar. After all, there were a lot of clues. We always went shopping for new clothes to fit their rapidly growing bodies.

 

Then there was the mail. Each day, as the school year was coming around, my girls would start to care ALOT about the mail. They knew class assignments were coming... and they wondered which teacher they would get, and which friends they would be in class with.

 

When the first day of school finally came, my girls would walk in with nervous excitement-new clothes and backpacks ready to go with all the school supplies they could ever need. And if there were sadness or stumbles along the way, we were right there to help them through the tough emotions kids experience as they develop.

 

Indeed, with the support of my husband and I, my girls always had the privilege of starting off the school year strong. 

 

Just three weeks ago, I learned from one of our CASA volunteers that her CASA kid was being moved to a new placement and would also need to move schools. At a time when most kids are having the experience I described, this five-year-old girl faced a whole lot of uncertainty. While most kids were picking their new clothes and begging their parents to check the mail, this girl's CASA volunteer was just hoping she would start school on time.

 

Luckily, she did, but she didn't have the new clothes to fit her growing body that other kids did. She could not fulfill her list of school supplies that most families could.

 

I write all of this because "back to school" is stressful. We all experience very normal and natural emotions-we are nervous for our kids, we want to give them the best start to the year possible, and we certainly want them to feel as comfortable and safe as possible. Often, our biggest heartbreaks are to find out with our children that maybe they did not get in the same class as their best friends, or that they picked the wrong style jeans after all.

 

While these are all very real and stressful emotions, the five-year-old girl I told you about is grateful just to have a school to go to. As far as new clothes...if her shoes fit just right, that's good enough. "Room to grow" is a privilege that she gets when her shoes start pushing against her toes.

 

Now, don't get me wrong-there are a lot of very caring people in a foster child's life. Foster parents work extremely hard to provide a place for children to live, social workers work hard to check in, and attorneys work hard to represent the best interests of a child. It's just that when all of these parties have multiple, if not dozens of children to look after, things can fall through the cracks.

 

Enter CASA volunteers. CASA volunteers are great resources for foster children because they provide a one-on-one relationship...often the ONLY one-on-one relationship that foster child has. CASA volunteers are the ones who hear their youths tell them when they are lonely or afraid. Maybe those volunteers

can even find a grant to get their CASA child the shoes that child needs for her growing feet... or lobby to get them into a new school on time. That child never had a chance at being in class with her best friend, but at least the CASA volunteer can be a listening ear and help her adjust to all the uncertainties a new school brings.

 

Finally, remember when you dropped your kids off to their first day of school, especially in the younger grades? Remember how they looked back at you, eager for that reassuring nod and blown kiss, signaling that everything would be okay? I remember too. Gosh do I remember those glances, those kisses, that feeling that I was able to give my kids the confidence they needed to get started with their day.

 

You wouldn't believe how many of those stories we have from our CASA volunteers. When a busy foster parent or social worker can't be the one to give those glances, waves, or blow those kisses, CASA volunteers can often step in. THOSE stories are what keep me at this job every single day, for every single kid. I know that if we keep working hard to provide every child in the Yolo County Dependency System with a CASA volunteer, that not only will the child be more confident and more resilient, our

whole community will be too.

 

This fall, you'll likely notice more about CASA on TV, in your local papers, and online. This is because several CASA chapters in the Sacramento region are coming together to spread the word about the needs that CASAs fulfill. Through this multi-chapter effort, we hope to speed the process with which we provide a CASA volunteer for every foster child.

 

Throughout my own career as a social worker, I've always believed it starts with the kids. We must make all of our children feel safe and loved because without that foundation, their chances to live mentally and physically healthy lives plummet. There is not a single research study in my field that denies this fact.

 

In closing, as I always do, I will ask that you join us. Will you help us spread the word about our need for CASA volunteers or consider becoming one yourself? Our next training starts on October 7, and the deadline to apply is September 27. For more information go to yolocasa.org.

 

I hope "back to school" is off to a smooth start for your family. Thank you for providing the foundation for your child that will last him or her a lifetime.