Dependency Court Special Advocates

Re “Questions Raised About Role of Special Advocates in Dependency Court,” Oct. 11.

I read this article with much pride and some sadness and disappointment. Every child in the world needs an advocate who knows him or her well and goes to the depths to understand the whys of how he / she got to the place where he / she is. You cannot help a child if you don’t know all the influences that touch him / her daily.

Being a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) gives you the special and trusted privilege to know the background of a child’s life and why he / she is in “the system.”

Some attorneys and social workers who believe CASAs to be overstepping their boundaries should be grateful for any input given them by the CASA. They should be working together, as do the teachers, therapists and most social workers and attorneys. There is no way an attorney or social worker can know as much about a child as the CASA who is in weekly, sometimes daily, contact with that child.

This program and its dedicated, well-trained volunteers who give so many selfless hours to another human being should be revered by all who care about our children. I hope the egos of some adults, albeit well-meaning, would not try to stand in the way of this wonderful work.

By the way, the CASA reaps far more than he or she sows. I recommend to anyone who has an hour or two a week to become a CASA and really make a difference. I did for many years, and I know.

NANCY B. ISRAEL

Thousand Oaks

Letters to the Editor