Family Preservation: CASA and Mateo’s Journey
CASA volunteers advocate for the children’s best interests; sometimes, that means advocating for parents. The first choice for permanent placement for any child who has been placed in foster care due to abuse or neglect is always to reunite them with their family when it is safe to do so. The CASA volunteer’s job is to assess if this can be a safe option as parents complete the required services.
John first met Mateo during visitation at the local county jail. He was serving time for drug and domestic violence charges while his children, ages 5 and 11, were placed in kinship care with their aunt. John could tell Mateo wanted to be there for his children, and they talked about the things Mateo would need to do in order to get them back and be the father his children needed. John could tell that Mateo didn’t have a good support system, and it seemed he’d never had anyone model what it looks like to be a stable and loving parent.
Over the next eighteen months, John built a relationship with the kids and both of their parents. Sadly, John could see that while the mom made some effort to complete the required services, she was not able to provide a safe and loving permanent home for the children. Their father, Mateo, however, was on a consistent and steady path to earning them back. John encouraged Mateo and helped him understand what he needed to do every step of the way.
“It was almost as if one day, Mateo decided he could do what was needed to help his family heal; I was happy to be a part of that journey.”, John said.
Mateo focused on his sobriety, completed classes about domestic violence, and became a leader in his parenting classes, which was not a requirement of his services. When asked what the most rewarding moment of the case was, John simply said, “It was when I knew he could do it. When I knew it would be safe for his children to return to him someday”.
CASA volunteers have a unique perspective on the child welfare system that not everyone gets the chance to witness or even understand. Sometimes, in the best-case scenario, they get to witness and be a part of rehabilitation, healing, and the rebuilding of a family in crisis.
Mateo is sober and currently works as a heavy equipment operator to provide well for his children. In fact, he recently purchased their first house! The kids are enrolled in a new school, love their teachers and classmates, and are thriving under their father’s care. Mateo still occasionally reaches out to John to share updates about their family. With every update, John is grateful he could walk alongside them and contribute to the restoration of this family.
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