A conversation with Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer Carrie Yanez highlights the tremendous impact an advocate can have on the life of a child. While there are many wonderful programs that offer mentorship and support to youth in need, the CASA role is truly unique due to the court-appointed advocacy that is an important part of the position. 

When Carrie first met *Maya a year and a half ago, Maya was eleven years old and, although she was shy at first, she opened up quickly to Carrie. The two initially enjoyed doing outdoorsy things and crafting together but, as she approached her teens, Maya decided those things were “boring” so Carrie changed up how the two spent time together. Now they enjoy going out to eat, getting Starbucks and wandering around Target and Ulta Beauty together. 

After spending time in a foster home, the three sisters are now back in the care of their mom and the family is working towards a reunification plan under the supervision of the dependency court. One of Maya’s biggest challenges is school where she is performing significantly below grade level. She and her two sisters, who are each matched with their own CASA, all have unmet learning needs. Maya, in particular, has a detrimental number of unexcused absences and she’s not getting the support she needs at home to get to school each day. 

As a college graduate with a PHD who is now doing ocular-related research, Carrie has always placed a high priority on education. So she is a fierce advocate for Maya getting the supportive services she needs to keep up with her school work. Carrie reports that Maya is very motivated and was proud that Maya requested a tutor to help her catch up on her work. Carrie says, “I got approval from my Advocate Supervisor and, to be respectful, from Maya’s mom as well, to talk to the school about her. I met with her teachers and the principal to see what kind of services we could get for Maya.”  Unfortunately, due to her many absences, Maya is ineligible for an IEP or additional tutoring resources since her learning delays are linked to missing so much school.

As a court date approached for the judge to consider terminating Maya and her family’s placement in the dependency court system, Carrie decided to write and submit a court report about her concerns about Maya’s many school absences. The judge called all three CASAs working with the siblings back into chambers to discuss their cases. According to Carrie, “The judge explained that a termination of court supervision is usually pretty black and white, but this case was more complicated. He shared that this was the first time he’d called CASAs back into chambers and ended up spending about 30 minutes with us.”

Because Carrie cared so deeply about the outcome of the case, she was grateful for and impressed by the compassion she saw from the judge. She said, “He very much cared about the kids - the way he spoke about each of them was very heart-warming. He carefully considered his decision from all angles and prioritized the kids emotional and mental well being.” 

Devin Juarez is Carrie’s Advocate Supervisor and he has been enormously impressed with Carrie’s tenacious advocacy on Maya’s behalf. He said, “Carrie has been hugely effective because of her willingness to ask questions and make inquiries to secure the services her youth needs. Carrie has also gone above and beyond the traditional CASA role by writing reports and attending court hearings that are not mandatory. She made a tremendous impact when she sat in the judge's chambers to discuss her case, and quite literally advocated directly to the judge. I cannot say enough about how grateful I am to watch Carrie in action, she truly is great at what she does.”

Carrie appreciates Devin’s availability to answer questions and help her problem-solve when there are challenges with her case. She says, “I tend to be very cautious and often seek out his input before taking action. If he doesn’t have an answer, he’ll always follow-up within 24 hours. I definitely never feel alone.” 

In addition to her professional research work and CASA volunteer role, Carrie has also volunteered on medical mission trips to Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico to help underserved communities receive eyecare and general medical care. Her ability to speak Spanish has helped her in this volunteer role and, closer to home, with the volunteer work she’s done with local nonprofits conducting eye screenings and fitting children with glasses in underserved areas in Orange County.

Carrie shared her perspective on the importance of recruiting more Spanish speaking advocates to better serve the Spanish speaking youth in foster care. She said, “It’s so important to have CASAs who speak the native language of the kids who are being served. It’s also important to be able to relate from a cultural standpoint. It allows you to be more empathetic and more aware of any kind of barriers that might impede the wellbeing of the child.” 

When asked where she’s made an impact as a CASA, Carrie says that she has had the most impact on Maya’s educational progress and adds,”I also feel like I’ve been able to help her with life skills like helping her navigate friendships and guiding her on the right path. I try to be motivating and positive and we like to have fun together.” She says, “Maya looks forward to seeing me and we enjoy our time together. Even if she can’t always verbalize it, I can see it in her face that she's having fun. It will be bittersweet when we have to say goodbye.”

Once Maya’s case closes, Carrie hopes to remain in her life. She says, “Even if it’s not court ordered, if it’s ok with her mom, I’d like her to know there’s a safe space outside of her home if she needs that. Being a CASA is so rewarding, it’s hard to describe. I would tell anyone who’s considering becoming a CASA to try it. It’s doable and it's one of the best experiences you can have; the reward is unlike anything else. And you’re not alone, you’re surrounded by other CASAs, your supervisor, and a big community that’s there to help.”

If you’d like to learn more about becoming a CASA, please email Norma Mendoza or sign up to attend an upcoming Information Session. 

*Name changed to preserve privacy.