There are 11 children in foster care in Oglethorpe County. Six of them are in need of a court appointed special advocate.
Northeast Georgia CASA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in foster care by pairing them with a qualified, compassionate adult whose purpose is to advocate for the child. Northeast Georgia CASA serves Oglethorpe, along with Hart, Elbert, Madison, Franklin, Stephens, Habersham and Rabun counties.
CASA volunteers provide an independent, unbiased look at a child’s situation in foster care, and then report and make recommendations to the judge. They work to serve the best interests of the child, CASA community coordinator and program analyst Chuck Taylor said.
“You’ve got the mother’s attorneys and the father’s attorneys and DFCS (Division of Family and Child Services) attorneys, and they’re all telling the narrative that they want to hear,” Taylor said. “CASAs tell the stories that the judges really need to hear.”
He said a volunteer typically will spend 12-15 hours per month seeing the child, interviewing parties involved with the case and talking with teachers, counselors and parents. CASA volunteers write reports and keep their staff members informed.
Part of their obligation is to see the child every month until the child finds a safe, permanent home.
Christi Fordyce, an Oglethorpe County resident and former teacher, has served 10 children throughout her seven years as a volunteer.
“CASA is challenging because it’s hard to see kids in these situations, but it is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done,” Fordyce said.
CASA volunteers prepare reports for the judge and go to court every time the child goes to court. Taylor said what happens to a child is ultimately not a CASA volunteer’s decision; however, if the report is thorough, the judge is better prepared to make a decision regarding the child.
There are 87 volunteers who serve the Northeast Georgia CASA. Most are retired professionals who look for ways to give back to the community.
All volunteers undergo background checks, 30 hours of classroom training in Toccoa and 10 hours of courtroom observation. The training covers the history of child welfare, domestic violence and substance abuse, and is geared toward preparing them to make “best interest assessments.”
Taylor and Northeast Georgia CASA hope to pair every child that comes into care with an advocate.
“The only person in the courtroom who can tell a consistent narrative about a child is their CASA,” Taylor said. “Having a consistent adult that has been there for them the entire time means a whole lot.”