Local woman donates time as children’s advocate
Ellen Kay is retired from teaching for 34 years at Dundee Elementary School. That doesn’t mean she still doesn’t dedicate a good portion of her time to improving the lives of children. Mrs. Kay is a volunteer court-appointed special advocate (CASA) and has been one since 1998.

These volunteers visit children in foster care once a week, from the time they enter the court system, until a permanent resolution is determined for their case. These children are neglected or abused by their families.

The CASA volunteers watch out for the child’s interest, to make sure that they are getting what they need, and are in a safe environment.

A national program, the CASA program in Monroe County was requested by the local judges. The CASA volunteers are appointed by the court, and are considered to be “the eyes and ears of the court,” so their recommendations are given special weight by the judges, who use their opinions to help formulate their decisions.

The volunteers work alongside attorneys and social workers, observe the children with their natural parents and foster families. They conduct their own investigation and are only interested in the child’s best interests. They are considered the “community’s voice.”

Volunteers receive extensive training. In addition to the 40-hour initial training period, they also receive monthly in-service trainings and attend conferences and workshops.

Volunteers learn about courtroom procedures, and advocacy techniques for children. They also learn about specific topics, such as child sexual abuse, early childhood development, and adolescent behavior.

The volunteers work with only one case at a time. If a case is near a resolution, they may take on a new case, also. The case involves all the children in the family who are placed in foster care.
Mrs. Kay is such a dedicated volunteer, that she was nominated for the “Caring for Children Angel Award” in 2003.

Mrs. Kay’s first case involved a family of six children. Not all of the children could be placed with the same family, so she visited them in three different foster homes. Even when children are placed out of county, Mrs. Kay follows them, and they know they can count on her.

“Sometimes, we are the only steady adult presence in their lives,” said Mrs. Kay. “The social workers are required to visit them only once a month, and some do not do even that. The social workers change, lawyers can change or not even see them, and therapists change.”

Some cases take only a few months; others take up to three years to resolve. The longer cases usually involve when the parents’ rights are dissolved, and the parent appeals the case. During all this time, the CASA volunteer visits the child, and tries to find out what is best for the child.

Every three months, volunteers write reports, and attend a court hearing to speak for the child in the courtroom. If a child is returned to the parent, the CASA volunteer still visits for a while to make sure everything is all right.

In 2003, there were 17 children’s cases involving CASA. Of those, 59% were returned to their families; 17% were adopted and 24% were placed in guardianships. In addition, 13 new cases were opened. In 2002, 24 families were served by CASA.

Dot Stacey is the Monroe County CASA volunteer coordinator. Her office is tiny, set in an old, small strip mall near a senior housing development in Monroe. She shares office space with the Senior RSVP program.

There currently are 18 volunteers, and most of them also have full-time jobs.

“The volunteers come from all walks of life,” said Mrs. Stacy. “They don’t have to have a certain level of education or come from a certain background, or know anything about the legal system. They only have to be willing to do the training and keep the children’s interests in mind.”

Mrs. Kay has a great deal of compassion for the children for whom she is watching out for. She said that most cases take about a year, which is a long time in the life of a child, but not so long a time for a parent with a substance abuse problem to straighten out their lives.

“Sometimes having a child placed in foster care is what a parent needs— for a time out to try and kick a habit. It’s terribly hard to do that,” said Mrs. Kay. “Sometimes the kids think, ‘If only I’m good and don’t cause trouble, my parent will straighten up.’ But, sometimes it’s because the kids aren’t making a fuss that the parent thinks they’re doing all right. Lots of times, it’s the kids taking care of younger siblings, and even taking care of the parent.”

Mrs. Kay said she does get emotionally involved with her charges.

“I just want to wrap them all up in cotton and keep them safe,” said Mrs. Kay. “And then you look around and see kids without any problems at all, and you say to yourself, ‘Thank God’ for that.”

She smiled. “It’s a lot of work. But it’s worth it. It really is.”

Mrs. Kay said that she still receives phone calls from children she helped, who have resolved situations now. She sometimes runs into kids she’s helped in the mall or somewhere, and they will come up and hug her.

Mrs. Stacy said that in Monroe County, they see neglect and abuse cases in all economic levels, and in all backgrounds. She said it isn’t just the poorer families, or people out of work or people with substance abuse problems, or just in the City of Monroe. She said there have been cases in every community in the county.

“The kids may act out, because they have problems. Or other kids may treat them badly when they find out they’re foster kids. We tell them that no matter what happened, it’s not their fault. All kids just want to be loved,” said Mrs. Stacy.

A major problem for Monroe County children is that there aren’t enough foster homes for them. Many of them are placed out of county, which costs the county a tremendous amount of money, and takes children from their schools and makes it harder for their parents, social workers and CASA volunteers to see them. Those interested in more information about becoming a foster parent should call the Family Independence Agency.

Mrs. Stacy plans to start a new volunteer training session sometime in April. Those interested in more information about becoming a CASA volunteer may call her at 734-241-8181

There are some community groups that hold fundraisers for CASA, and the group also has received grants. Donations are always welcome.