Richard R. Gerken: Need is great for CASA volunteers to help children statewide

To The Daily Sun,

The country has been consumed with the impact of COVID-19 for more than a year. The illnesses, deaths, plus economic and emotional stress have seemingly overshadowed everything. Unfortunately, under this pandemic blanket, there exists another serious situation that I wish to call attention to. That is, children who have been neglected and/or physically abused by a parent or caregiver as a result of substance misuse or mental illness.

Sadly, it is very common for children whose parents struggle with substance use disorder to be neglected or abused. These challenges frequently affect the parents’ ability to appropriately care for, house, feed and nurture their children. The children may also be exposed to the parents’ use and administration of the drugs, and it can place them at higher risk of witnessing domestic violence. The State Department of Children, Youth and Families often intervenes to temporarily remove the children from their parents’ care to find them a safe and secure living environment, often with a relative or foster family, while the parent tries to correct the situation. But who speaks for the children of abuse and neglect in the New Hampshire court system? In most cases, it is a trained Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteer.

CASA is a nationwide organization of over 900 local chapters whose purpose is to organize and train volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children. CASA of NH is a statewide organization with over 600 volunteers, but more are desperately needed as the demand for CASAs is ongoing, and we have yet to see the full impact on child neglect and abuse as a result of COVID-19. Meanwhile, the pre-pandemic opioid crisis certainly hasn’t disappeared over the last year.

I have been a trained CASA volunteer for over seven years, during which time I have advocated for the best interests of several children. A CASA volunteer visits with the child at least monthly, attends court hearings, makes observations and submits reports to the court. Although my experiences have been advocating for young children, CASA volunteers advocate for children up to 18 years of age in varying circumstances.

One does not need a special background to be an effective CASA. CASAs are people like you and your neighbors who want to make a difference in a child’s life. In-depth training provided by CASA staff equips the volunteer to advocate for the child’s best interests. It will take 10-15 hours of your time a month, but that is a small investment to help an abused or neglected child. In the end it all comes down to you. Are you willing to make a difference in the life of an abused or neglected child? You can learn more at casanh.org, or by contacting Katie at 603-528-8006 or KPelczar@casanh.org.

Richard R. Gerken

Meredith