Strengthening Families Month Is a Great Opportunity to Help a Local Child

Dear Editor,

April is Strengthening Families Month, a time to promote the safety and well-being of Montana's kids. If you've seen any blue pinwheels, these are the symbols of this month and drawing attention to the issue of child abuse. Communities around the state and country put them up in April.

When a child enters foster care due to abuse or neglect, this begins a legal process to determine what will happen to the child. This is where a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) comes in. CASAs are appointed to a child or a group of siblings to speak up for their best interests and bring the child's voice into the courtroom. Foster care can be a time of great inconsistency and turmoil for kids and families. A CASA volunteer is often the difference between a child feeling lost and alone and feeling supported and cared for.

CASA programs recruit and train community volunteers who provide both courtroom and community advocacy for children within the foster care system. There are programs around the country, and we have 15 in Montana. Eastern Montana CASA/GAL, Inc. spans four judicial districts and 18 counties in rural eastern and northern Montana, including Valley County. Last year, our volunteers and staff tirelessly advocated for 145 children, donating 5,149 service hours.

CASAs visit the children at their foster home and school and gather information from foster parents, teachers, medical providers, and family members. With this information, they advocate for the best interests of the child's physical, medical, psychological, educational, and developmental needs. We know that kids do better with their parents. If it is a safe environment, our CASAs support the whole family, building an environment for reunification.

As we talk to people about joining our fantastic group of volunteers, many people want to help, but some express concern that it will be too emotional or worry that they don't know enough about the legal system. We want to clarify things.

First, few of our volunteers are attorneys. Our volunteers come from all walks of life-retired teachers, moms, and full-time employees. Our team trains you and gives you the support you need to be the best advocate possible for the kids you serve.

We'd be lying if we said every case was sunshine and roses, but that doesn't mean every case is hard. It can be magical when the right support gets to the right people, and reunification happens. Some CASAs and their kiddos develop deep and lifelong bonds. Also, for the tough cases, these are the kids who most need an adult who cares and looks out for them as their cases work through the courts.

We want to be honest about the fact that travel is often involved. We are creative, allowing Zoom calls and other ways to keep in touch. Even better, we have a grant to reimburse volunteers and staff for mileage, hotel, and meals as they travel across the vast eastern and northern Montana regions advocating for kids.

Being a CASA is a meaningful volunteer experience-one you won't get anywhere else. Even though these kids are going through a lot, they are funny, and it is a joy to get to know them as individuals.

All kids deserve to be happy and healthy. Together, we can protect the next generation of children and help those involved with the child welfare system to rewrite their stories. Please email us at [email protected] or call us at 406-234-2354 to learn more. Dozens of kids in our area need a voice on their side.

Sincerely,

Executive Director, Eastern Montana CASA/GAL Cherie LeBlanc-Dyba