Child advocates provide a voice during troubling times

The courtroom can be an unsettling place for anyone.

For a child who is already suffering from abuse or neglect, a court appearance is one more frightening event in which they have to take a backseat. Fortunately, volunteers known as Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, can make sure that a child’s voice is heard, even at time when he or she may not be present to speak.

In contrast to the work of the Department of Child Services, which guides the rehabilitation of the parents and hopeful reunification of the family unit as a whole, the CASA position has a very specific focus. In the words of volunteer Jason Green, who was sworn in as a CASA March, “We are the eyes, ears, and legs of the judge, looking out for the best interest of the child. We are not representing the parents or the foster parents. We are there for the child.”

The children they represent, officially known as Children in Need of Services, or CHINS, are mostly those who have been removed from their homes due to criminal investigations or evidence of abuse or neglect. There are times, however, when the children who need assistance are committing the crimes themselves.

Judge William Weikert served as the prosecuting attorney for Dubois County for 17 years before he began presiding over the bench of the circuit court in 1997. Both in his time as an attorney and then as judge, Weikert had seen plenty of cases where such events unfolded. Juvenile crimes can often be the cry for help that is finally heard.

“Quite often, the CHINS that are abused or neglected, many show up on the delinquency side,” explained Weikert. It’s not uncommon for juveniles who have been charged with crimes or are brought in as runaways to, as time goes by, be “switched over” as evidence of abuse or neglect comes to light.

“There always has been an overlap,” Weikert said.

The reasons for a child’s removal can vary from case to case, and no two cases are alike. According to Weikert, however, the abuse or neglect of a child often isn’t the reason law enforcement initially becomes involved.

“Many of these parents have issues that they have to deal with and the neglect is usually a side effect,” he said. “Drugs and alcohol, and sometimes mental issues, create all kinds of problems. That is usually what we see in families with children who have been abused or neglected.”

In some cases, the child is being abused by a relative other than the parent, possibly even a neighbor or another person familiar to the child. It is then determined that the parents are not providing a safe environment for the child, and this, too, is often the result of parents’ involvement with drugs or alcohol.

“Those are difficult issues to deal with,” Weikert acknowledged, “and a lot of people never solve those issues,” but through programs and services provided by the Department of Child Services, “they are given every opportunity to do that.”

The CASA volunteer’s work begins before a dispositional hearing where the child’s parents have admitted to charges of abuse or neglect. The length of the case varies depending on the circumstances involved, but the volunteer assigned to a case will remain as the representative for that child until the case is over.

By state law, all CHINS cases are required to have a CASA assigned to them.

Volunteers do not go into the courtroom unprepared for the experiences they may face. A total of 30 hours of training is involved, which includes both in-person training with program director Deena Hubler as well as independent study.

“It’s intensive,” said Weikert, “and it’s good training, but I think they probably learn more after they get their first case.”
CASA volunteers agree, stating that being involved in the program is an eye-opening experience.

“I have an array of feelings and emotions throughout a case,” said volunteer Annie Gramelspacher. “I am anxious, nervous, skeptical and sometimes frightened when going to meet my CHINS for the first time. Then I get more acquainted with them, and I am happy and excited to see them each month and see how they are progressing.”

“As time goes on, I can again get frustrated because the case may take longer than expected or certain plans didn’t pan out or the parents are not cooperating,” said Gramelspacher. “If I experience these feelings, I can only imagine what the children are feeling!”

Dubois County currently has 26 men and women who serve in the CASA capacity, but more are always needed. The county has been “fortunate,” according to Weikert, as response for volunteers remains strong. However, the need has definitely grown in a short period of time.

“Over the last 10 years, we had averaged about 35 cases a year,” Weikert said. “In 2012, it bumped up to 53 or 55, and we didn’t have enough CASAs. We try not to have our CASAs have more than one [case] at a time, so we are always in need.”

Volunteer recruitment was greatly boosted thanks to the efforts of recruitment chair John Siebert, who himself has been a CASA volunteer for over 20 years and has served as the program’s director. However, in 2013, CHINS cases once again numbered in the 50s.

“It’s a never-ending process, really,” said Weikert. “We can’t have enough CASAs.”

Even from a vantage point where they can see events so sensitive and heart-wrenching, there are great rewards for the program’s volunteers. It’s easy for Gramelspacher to see the benefits of her efforts.

“My favorite part of being a CASA is knowing that I am making a difference in someone’s life,” she said. “I am helping them, supporting them, and building up their self-esteem. I want them to feel important, loved, valued, and cherished.”

Volunteer Teri Tigue-Petry agrees. “The children and I form a relationship,” she stated. “I support them during a very confusing period in their life. I try to be a positive role model and encourage them to make good decisions in their own life, despite what they may have seen friends or family members do. I get to invest my time into their lives and hope to make a difference to them and my community.”

Weikert has seen some very positive outcomes with CHINS cases in his years presiding over the court. “A lot of these kids turn out to be productive citizens,” he said, but he does acknowledge that there can be disappointment and heartbreak involved, too. “I always tell the CASAs that we don’t win all of these, either, but at least we tried.”

“There’s nothing more important than our kids,” said Weikert, “plain and simple.”

For more information on the Dubois County CASA organization or to apply as a volunteer, please visit www.duboiscountycasa.org.