CONGRATULATIONS NEW VOLUNTEERS
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New CASA volunteers with Judge Cheryl Lee Shannon on swearing in day.
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The following volunteers have been sworn in this year
joined Dallas CASA in April and are advocating for abused and neglected children in Dallas County courts. Congratulations to our new volunteers!
LaQuandra Adebajo ● Christy Alanis ● Rebekah Allen ●
Yinka Bamgbose ● Fran Berg ● Jolene Brown ● David Chadwick ● Sonya Coleman ● Marian Davis ● Kristie Dixon ● Maureen Fernandez ● Ana Garza ● Shontay Guthrie ● Tracey Harris ● Dale Hoskisson ● Christal Johnson ● Daniele Jones ● Ginger Jordan ● Jamee Lafaye ● Shannon Leonard ● Amanda Miller ● Erin Miller ● Thelma Moultrie ● Melanie Mueller ● Christina Ramirez ● Madeline Reedy ● Alan Roa ● Joann Rodrigues ● Krystal Saldivar ● Gene Sauls ● Aimee Scorcio ● Linda Shults ● Kathy Sieling ● Freya Simmons ● Beth Smith ●
Robin Smith ● Yodit Tewolde ● Deborah Tunnell ● Barbara Wooten
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CASA UPDATE: VOLUNTEER DISCUSSION PANEL ANNOUNCED
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CASA Volunteers: Please join us for a volunteer panel discussion from 6 to 8 p.m. June 8.
Our panel of volunteers comes to us with a variety of case experience. We'll ask them to share their thoughts about how CASA volunteers can be successful and then to take your questions about facing challenges and overcoming obstacles. The training will take place in our new training facility at 2715 Swiss Ave. just around the corner from our current facility.
Discussion questions might include: "How would you handle this situation if it came up in your case?" and "What experiences have you had with this type of response from an attorney?" These questions will be collected, and as many as possible will be posed by a facilitator during the discussion.Please RSVP to Lauren at llesch@dallascasa.org or via phone at 214-827-9603 ext. 280 by Thursday, June 2. Along with your response please include at least one question you would like the panel to address.
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YOUNG ARCHITECTS TO PRESENT PLAYHOUSES
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Judges evaluate playhouse designs submitted by the Young Architects Forum.
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The Young Architects Forum held its second annual competition among architects who vied for a chance to build playhouses for Dallas CASA's Parade of Playhouses event.
The competition is designed to allow these young architects a chance to create a unique design and potentially have their specialty playhouse built by a local contractor. The competition allows young architects the opportunity get the word out about their work.
Bob Borson, a local architect with Bernbaum Magadini, created the competition to allow young architects the chance to combine their craft with serving the community.
"Learning about the services Dallas CASA volunteers provide to children in our community is a great motivator to ask yourself how you can help," Bob said. "It seems like such a simple thing -- to design a playhouse -- and it is really simple. But, the real magic happens afterwards when you see how so many people benefit from such a simple act."
Winners were chosen to have their playhouses displayed at NorthPark Center during the two-week Parade of Playhouses event in August. Tim Guedry, director of commercial services with AUI Contractors in Fort Worth, will partner the young architects with builders to execute their designs.
"Parade of Playhouses is just such a great event and a great cause from all angles, most importantly for CASA and for the children it serves," Tim said. "Secondary to that, this is a great program for the Young Architects. It gives them the opportunity to develop their skills in design, presentation and creativity, so it's a win-win for everyone."
Winners and designs were:
- Dan Fletcher, Architectural Intern and Vandana Nayak, AIA at SHW Design Group, Easel Haus and Tangram House
- Chris Owens, Architectural Intern at Raymond Harrys & Associates Architects, Hillside Bed and Breakfast House
- Natalie Crawford, Architect at JHP Architecture/Urban Design and Brian Crawford, Architectural Intern at Raymond Harris & Associates Architects, Zoo House
- Julián Alva, Westwood College Student, Red Bubble Playhouse
Look for these and other playhouses at NorthPark Center Aug. 5-21.
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| CASA CO-FACILITATES RACIAL AWARENESS TRAINING |
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Dallas CASA recently co-facilitated Knowing Who You Are training for CPS workers, attorneys and volunteers.
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We're all on our own journey toward understanding racial and ethnic identity, and we ought to talk about it. That's the message of a recent training facilitated by staff from Texas CASA, Child Protective Services and Dallas CASA.
"Knowing Who You Are," a training course created by the Casey Family Foundation, equips CPS workers, attorneys and CASA volunteers and supervisors to help youth in foster care achieve a positive sense of their own racial and ethnic identity.
For two days, participants worked in teams to develop awareness of their own tendencies to judge or stereotype others. Self-awareness helps participants overcome preconceived ideas that stand in the way of mutual understanding and cooperation.
Dallas CASA volunteers and staff and Dallas area CPS workers and attorneys joined CASA volunteers and supervisors from across the region for the training which provided a chance for participants to learn how to better serve children in protective care across racial and cultural divides.
The goals of the training are to illustrate how stereotypes can undermine self-worth and to help volunteers and child welfare workers understand the challenges a child might face while in foster care. Disconnected from their families and communities, these children often struggle to feel proud of where they come from and may even have a negative view of people who are different than they. In order to better serve children in care, volunteers and workers must themselves have healthy racial and ethnic identities.
"Even though the group was diverse and included attorneys, CPS workers and CASA supervisors and volunteers, we all had a common interest of learning ways to help the children we are assigned to serve," Rebecca said. "After the training, I think each participant left knowing that before you can help children on their own racial and ethnic identity journey, you have to be aware and comfortable with where you are on yours."
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BECAUSE CASA WAS THERE
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For more than five years, Jayden waited for a safe, permanent home, and on April 15, he finally found it. Jayden was taken into protective care and placed in a foster home at birth because his mother tested positive for drug use. Upon learning he was in foster care, a maternal cousin named Ellis and her husband Sam, volunteered to take Jayden into their home. Because of their drug abuse, Jayden's parents gave up their parental rights, but he still didn't have a permanent home. Ellis and Sam hoped to adopt him, but the adoption process had been continually delayed. When Jayden was two, a judge appointed Pat Stein as his CASA volunteer. Pat began working to help get Jayden placed in a permanent home quickly.
Pat learned that because of a family argument, Ellis' sister accused Ellis of hitting her niece. Ellis' interactions with her own children and with Jayden didn't match that accusation. All the children in her home were well-cared for and very much a part of the family, including Jayden. Pat and her CASA supervisor, Glenda, stood by Ellis as she went through a state administrative hearing to defend herself.
"How do you take a kid who has already been taken away from his mother, placed with a family for a year and half, and then take him away again?" Pat said. "We believed that she didn't hurt her niece, so we stood beside her."
The administrative judge determined that there was no evidence that Jayden or any of the children Ellis cared for, including her niece, had ever been hurt. The suit was dropped. Pat made sure the ruling by the was documented by the court.
"Being a CASA worker is kind of like being a mom," Pat said of the experience. "You have to keep calling people just to get things done, so you just keep going."
The judge agreed that it would be foolish to remove Jayden after six years in the safe, permanent home Ellis and Sam had provided. After the painstaking process of completing the paperwork and trial period, Jayden was finally adopted in April. He has finally found his forever family. |
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VOLUNTEER TIP OF THE MONTH
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Beginning this month, "The Voice" will feature a volunteer tip each month. This month's tip comes from CASA Supervisor Rachel Ray:
"For each case you receive, make yourself a contact sheet including names of all parties involved in the case as well as important dates and reminders. Bring this sheet with you to court hearings and other meetings so you can quickly access this information. It will save you a step of digging through your volunteer folder when you are asked for information or when you have a meeting and need to remember everyone."
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YOUNG LAWYERS SUPPORT CASA
| Thank you to the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers for their gift to help pay for background checks for new volunteers. Their support helps make it possible for more abuse and neglected children to have powerful voices in court.
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APRIL VOLUNTEER HOURS
| Dallas CASA volunteers in April gave approximately 2,168 hours serving abused and neglected children. Thank you to every volunteer who gave their time and energy to serve our children.
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BECOME A CASA
| Abused and neglected children need someone to speak up for them in court. That's where CASA comes in.
To become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), attend an upcoming
information session and learn more about how you can help abused and neglected children in Dallas.
To register for an information session, go to dallascasa.org or call 214-827-9603, ext. 228.
BE THE DIFFERENCE.
VOLUNTEER.
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About Dallas CASA
Dallas CASA is a nonprofit organization of community volunteers who serve as voices in court for abused and neglected children. CASA volunteers are trained and supervised to advocate for the best interests of children
in protective care
and to make recommendations that help judges decide what is best for each child. A CASA volunteer is often the one constant during a frightening, uncertain time in a child's life.
In 2010, nearly 500 volunteers advocated for more than 1,300 abused and neglected children. Sadly, we are able to serve only one-third of the children in Dallas who need a CASA voice in court.
You can help. A child is waiting for your voice.
To learn more about advocating for abused children, call 214-827-9603 ext. 228 or visit dallascasa.org.
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