CASA of Carson City introduces new column to show human side of child welfare community

Child welfare can feel like a cold place for families in crisis.

Though efforts have been made through the years to improve this perception, child welfare is still a system of laws that, by their very nature, are unfeeling.

Out of fear, anger and frustration of the moment, those caught up in a child welfare case may look at the people working within this system as adversaries.

The truth is these folks are doing a job; one that few people but them would do.

Some are enforcing the law. Others are upholding the law. All are working with the law toward a resolution of safety and permanency for children in crisis.

There are judges, attorneys, social workers, court-appointed special advocates (CASA), law enforcement officers, clinicians, teachers, foster parents, non-profit directors, staff and community volunteers all involved in this system.

When we read the news, we know these folks only by the titles they bear, the organizations or agencies they represent, and whatever qualifications they possess that make them quotable authorities.

They are regarded on the job as deputy, officer, judge, doctor, miz or mister. But few really know the people underneath the uniforms, the robes, the white lab coats and business suits.

We can easily forget that they are human beings first and professionals second. They have families and personal responsibilities of their own.

Most, if not all, devote so much time to their jobs that their own personal lives are sacrificed to ensure the safety and welfare of children in crisis.

Beginning this month, “Lunch With CASA” will be a serial column that runs periodically on Carson Now.

For each story in the series, I’ll sit down with a different member of the child welfare community and ask them questions direct from children and families who want to know these people better.

The column will be written in question-and-answer format. Questions will be light-hearted, fun and the sort that you might ask a neighbor meeting him or her for the first time.

Imagine the answer to this earnest question posed by a child: If you could have a super power, what would it be?

The idea is to give readers an intimate snapshot at the real people who interact with children and families, make observations, interview, write reports, manage cases, give and hear testimony, and render the judgment of the law.

These are the people who mentor, coordinate care, provide for needs and educate. Some may hold positions of authority, but they are just as much a part of the community as the rest of us.

They are still human beings like you and me.

As a former foster and adoptive parent, CASA volunteer and now board member, I can vouch for just how taxing the child welfare system is on those working in it every day.

Families in crisis aren’t the only ones who feel emotionally overwhelmed by a case. I recall plenty of nights seated outside in the cool evening air, trying to relax by looking for the constellations in the heavens.

If I could just get my mind off the system for a few hours, I thought to myself, maybe I’d sleep.

I remember sobbing inconsolably one night, outside all by myself, thinking of a little boy I had fostered for 18 months. He was going back to his family and I was wrecked inside. I loved him as though he was my own son, and when he left, a part of me went with him.

I am still a part of this system — despite its emotional stressors — because I care, and I want to help people.

I don’t think I’m alone, either. Many others involved in child welfare feel the same way. And most, I will wager, are misperceived in a community that just doesn’t know them.

That’s where this new series, “Lunch With CASA,” can help.

At CASA of Carson City, best interests of the child define what we are as guardians ad litem. We are not only a child’s voice in the system, but we also strive to be a bridge that spans the gap between our clients and those seeking to restore permanency in their lives.

As a bridger of gaps, CASA of Carson City is honored to offer the community this humble little means of getting know the people of the child welfare system here in the Nevada state capital.

Children are often misunderstood. CASA bears the responsibility of making their needs and interests clear in a case.

In the same spirit, we also want to help humanize those in the child welfare community who may be mischaracterized by virtue of their roles, titles and professions in the system.

“We are for the child” is more than a motto to us. It defines, very concisely, the purpose of the child welfare system and of CASA itself.

CASA of Carson City is for the community, too.

We want happy endings, but we know fairy tales don’t exist in real life. That’s why we strive for a child’s best interests.

A community’s best interests include its members becoming familiar with one another and treating each other as neighbors; not strangers. Never forget there’s a person wearing that uniform or badge, holding that file, sitting behind that desk or bench.

CASA of Carson City wants our community to humanize the folks who spend the better part of their lives working “for the child.”

This is our small way of trying to bridge that gap. We hope you get to know your neighbors a little better along the way.

We’d love to hear from children and their families in the community. Email us at casacclunch@gmail.com with questions for our guests.

Please remember the questions should be the sort you would ask a person when you want to know them better. We will not field questions related to child welfare issues or the professions of individuals being interviewed. All questions submitted will be screened and selected for taste and appropriateness.

Our first guest will be Kimberly Okezie, Juvenile Court Special Master for the First Judicial District Court in Carson City. I’ll take a lunch break with the Carson City Juvenile Court jurist and find out who she is beyond the black robe!

Please submit your questions for the special master before Oct. 14.

CASA of Carson City is a local non-profit organization that provides volunteer guardian ad litem services to child welfare clients in Carson City and Storey County. Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are the voices of children who cannot speak for themselves in family and juvenile court. As dedicated community volunteers, they advocate for the best interests of these children.

For more information on CASA of Carson City and to learn about becoming a volunteer guardian ad litem, visit www.facebook.com/pg/CASAofCC, email casaofcc@earthlink.net, or call (775) 882-6776.

CASA of Carson City holds information hours periodically throughout the year, so please check the organization’s Facebook events calendar and www.carsonnow.org for upcoming dates.