Lodi woman speaks up for a child in need
Every day more abused and neglected children are thrust into the foster care system in need of someone to care for them and advocate for what’s in their best interests.
Lodi resident Deanne Barth, along with several other citizens throughout San Joaquin County, have stepped up to be the voice for these children who can’t always speak for themselves.
For the past 31⁄2 years, she has been serving as a courtappointed special advocate (CASA) to a now middle school-aged girl in the foster care system.
A CASA is a sworn officer of the court who is responsible for gathering information and making recommendations to judges that are in the best interests of the child they’ve been assigned to, said Shauna Buzunis-Jacob, director of development at the San Joaquin Child Abuse Prevention Council which runs the county’s CASA program.
“What that volunteer does is try to break down all of the damage that has been done to the foster child and make a connection with that child,” Buzunis-Jacob said.
“Many times they’re the only ones that are not really paid to be in that child’s life, so they have more credibility because the lawyers are paid, the caseworkers are paid. Everybody in the foster child’s life is paid to care, but the CASA volunteer isn’t. They are there because they do care.”
Once the CASA is sworn in and assigned a child, they will have access to the child’s medical and educational records and can advocate for the child’s rights. CASAs sometimes meet with teachers, make sure the child’s medical and dental needs are being met, mentors them and makes sure they are living in a safe environment.
“The child stays, living at the foster home, but it’s just another hand and mentor to come in and really walk that child through what’s going on in their life,” Buzunis-Jacob said. “Many of these kids, obviously this is the most traumatic thing that’s ever happened to them, and to have somebody that wants to be your friend through this and advocate for you and really listen to what your thoughts are on the whole process means so much.”
Barth said the time she spends with her assigned child varies based on what the little girl wants to do. Sometimes the girl just wants to go eat, go shopping or catch a movie.
“I let her be the driver,” Barth said. “She always chooses where we go, where we eat, what we do because I don’t think foster kids get to choose much in their lives. I think one of the things I can do is make her feel a little empowered, even if it’s in the smallest way.”
In addition to spending quality time with the girl, she is also teaching her life skills, encouraging her with her school work, and remaining in contact with her social worker, attorney and foster parents to advocate on her behalf.
Barth recalled a time when the girl had a toothache two years ago and she had to push to have it treated. The girl informed her that she would be seeing the dentist to have it treated, and by the next time Barth saw the girl she still hadn’t seen the dentist.
“I was livid. I mean a toothache is like the worst thing, and now we’re coming into the holidays, and we’re going on two weeks and you couldn’t make time to take her to the dentist?” Barth said.
Barth shared her concerns with the girl’s social worker and the next time Barth visited the girl she had seen the dentist.
Barth wonders how long the girl would have went untreated if she didn’t have someone to advocate on her behalf.
Now that the girl is close to being adopted by her foster parents, Barth said she is still having a hard time adjusting to the new home, and she is trying to help her with that.
“Even though the adoption is going through, it’s been a really hard couple of years there. I’m just trying to help her understand ways to behave and ways to treat the other kids in the home if she wants to be treated better. I’m just constantly trying to give her examples of how to resolve the situation or tools that she can use when she’s angry, sad or hurt.”
Barth has also been pushing for the girl to get the therapy she needs.
“That is something for two years I have had to push and push for,” Barth said. “She desperately needs it.”
For Barth, the most rewarding part of being a CASA is being able to be a positive influence in a child’s life.
“Any kid that finds themselves in the system has been really traumatized,” Barth said.
Once a CASA has been assigned to a child, they remain the child’s CASA until they are adopted or until the child gets out of the system. Once the girl is adopted, Barth would like to continue to be in the girl’s life.
While Barth remains concerned about the girl, she has noticed that her grades have gone up and she is trying harder. Barth is pleased that the girl now living in a safer environment than when she first came into her life, and that’s what matters most to her.
Becoming a CASA has educated Barth about the foster care system.
“It is broken. I believe you get attorneys and social workers who go into this field for the right reason, and I think they become overwhelmed, and it’s easy to become jaded,” Barth said. “I just feel like these kids, so many of them fall through the cracks and they are forgotten and they are really fending for themselves.”
According to Barth, some of the social workers she has worked with over the years have embraced her while others have resisted her.
“You can tell they’re not happy that I’m here,” she said. “I think they look at me as kind of an annoyance because I keep my girl in front of their face all the time.”
According to Barth, there is a great need for more CASA volunteers.
“Most people can’t foster for a thousand different reasons, but I would say there are very few people who can’t give a couple of hours a week,” Barth said. “That’s really what it is. It’s just loving on a kid.”
To learn more about becoming a CASA visit www.NoChildAbuse.org or call (209) 644-5319.