Written by Joe, CASA Advocate

James grew up in conditions no child should ever endure. His mother moved him and his siblings from unsanitary motel rooms, to shelters, and ultimately to homelessness. James’ father was never in the picture, so James was left with his mother who was very neglectful, and could not provide an adequate life for her children. James also had some very damaging behavior including incidents with self-harm, and not committing to his schoolwork. Eventually James was taken into the custody of the state and spent time at the Orangewood Children’s Home. Due to issues of sibling abuse, James and his siblings were separated, so he embarked on this scary journey alone. After recently being abandoned by his mother at age 15, James was very emotionally unstable and was failing most of his classes in school.

When his CASA Advocate, Joe, came into the picture, James was very reluctant to open up to him, and had a strict mindset of not wanting to be helped. Also at 15, James had already developed his own way of thinking with his own opinions and ideas about the world, making it very hard for Joe to work with him. Joe explained how although James was having trouble in school, and could barely read and write, he was extremely street smart and he knew how to get what he needed even if he did not feel deserving. This is very common among foster children because they grow up without having their needs met, so they must go into survival mode and do whatever it takes to get what they need. Fortunately, Joe was able to obtain educational rights for James and got him into an Individualized Education Program so he could learn the basic skills needed to pass his high school classes. From the beginning, Joe saw strong potential in James and knew he just had to wait and continue to be consistent with James until they could build a trusting relationship, and he could really help him.

Over time Joe showed that he was a consistent and reliable adult in James’ life. He showed up to every meeting on time, and did not push James beyond his limits. Joe explained that his first major step in developing a relationship with James was trying to find out his interests. Joe took James to do activities that he never would have been able to otherwise because of his financial and family situation. Joe took him to sports games, movies, trips to San Diego, and James’ favorite hobby K1 Indoor Kart Racing. Because of Joe, James had the opportunity to experience activities that are apparently normal for a 15 year old boy, but were not possible for James before. Even when James moved to San Diego to live with relatives, Joe made the long drive to visit him every weekend. To this day James says that is one of the most amazing things anyone has ever done for him. Joe showed James that not all adults in his life will abandon him, that he can trust people, and have a better life.

Joe clarified that there were never any particular breakthroughs with James, but it was more of a gradual positive change over time. With each meeting James kept improving. James was eventually able to set goals for himself, graduate high school, and is currently attending a technical school to become a mechanic. Joe stressed how “staying by him, being consistent, and making sure James knows he’s there, while still letting him develop his own opinions and make his own decisions” was the most important thing he could do. Joe knew he couldn’t push James too hard or force him to do anything unless he wants it. He merely supported James in his decisions, as well as acted like a guide to get him on the right path. James now has bank accounts, a car, a part-time job, and has truly become a self-sufficient adult. Without Joe there is a high chance that James would have ended up on the streets, and hooked up with the wrong people. Because of Joe, James gets to live a life seemingly unimaginable for his 15 year old self. Joe watched James go from foster homes, to living with relatives, to going back to his mother, and to eventually thriving in a group home. Joe was the person there for James every step of his long journey to independence and hope.

Joe’s decision to become a CASA stemmed from his desire to give back to the community, and to help a child thrive – and he absolutely succeeded in this. Joe worked alongside a team of other professionals (lawyers, social workers, case supervisor etc.) and found that he was the best voice for James in court. Joe had the most personal relationship with James so he could stand up for James when another professional set a goal for James that Joe knew was not right. Joe was also able to speak on behalf of James in front of a judge regarding many of the services that Orange County has to offer, and the judge always listened to Joe and took care of Joe’s suggestions. Each person involved in the case was extremely caring, and deeply devoted to helping James. And Joe thinks that having all these adults “watching” him made James have more motivation to succeed. Although every person involved in the case was passionate and wanted what was best for James, Joe was the only person who truly knew James well enough to know what he needed. Without a CASA, James could have slipped through the cracks of the foster system, and not had his particular needs met because no one else knew him as personally.  

Joe and James’ story is very representative of many CASA cases. For children in the foster system, a consistent and stable adult who knows them well enough to speak on their behalf in court is the most important thing they need in their lives. CASA advocates just have to be willing to make a commitment and stick to it in order to promote amazing results for a foster child.