VAN HORN – May is the month of sunshine and flowers, birds singing in the wind and the celebration of the mother figures in our lives, who so unselfishly provide love and support. While we take the time to celebrate and reflect on the support that we sometimes take for granted, we must remember there are children struggling in the child welfare system without a caring mother figure in their lives.
Mother’s Day, a celebration that should be joyous for all, is spent in sorrow and heartache for the children that have been separated from their family due to abuse or neglect. Now facing the struggles of an overburdened system alone, they need someone to guide and support them during this challenging time.
That someone is a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate®) volunteer, a dedicated member of the community appointed by a judge to speak up on behalf of a child’s best interest. A CASA volunteer provides the stable, familiar, and trustworthy adult presence a child needs during their time in the foster care system. FRONTIER CASA is one of the 71 CASA programs across the state that recruits and trains these volunteers to advocate for children in care.
“Every child deserves a caring parental figure in their life,” said Conrad J. Arriola, Executive Director of FRONTIER CASA. “Our CASA volunteers strive to provide this for each child by working to move the child out of the system and into a safe, permanent, and loving home where they can thrive.”
By getting to know the child personally and speaking with everyone involved in the child’s life, the CASA volunteer can make well-informed and holistic placement recommendations to the court with the goal of finding the child a forever family as quickly as possible.
“These children enter the system through no fault of their own, and to have them face it alone is unacceptable,” said Arriola. “This Mother’s Day, we hope you help us celebrate the volunteers in our community dedicating themselves to creating brighter futures for all Texas children, and also consider joining us.”
As a way to honor your mother or another special person in your life, consider volunteering for a child in need. Frontier CASA serves abused and neglected children in Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Pecos, Presidio and Reeves Counties.
Last year, ten Frontier CASA volunteers served 24 children in the foster care system but many children still need a volunteer to advocate for their best interests.
You can help break the cycle of abuse from one generation to another. Become involved with FRONTIER CASA to learn how you can become a positive role model in a foster child’s life.
You can find more information at facebook.com/frontiercasa and on our website at frontiercasa.org. For more information on our next training/informational session, please call 432.837.7448.