It was reported that officials had been notified of suspicious actions of Phillip Garrido by neighbors, resulting in a home visit. Nothing out of the ordinary was detected, for the reason that the victim and her two children fathered by Garrido were living in an out-of-view compound behind his home.
One of the things that disturbed people who read the story was how something like this was allowed to fall through the cracks of the system. Not only was Jaycee Dugard robbed of her childhood, but there are other children who too, have suffered similar circumstances. Now as adults, they will never get back the innocence that was taken from them through no fault of their own.
Volunteer Organization Advocates for Kids Placed in Foster Care
It is heartening to know that there is a national organization striving to restore a part of the lost childhood for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or abandonment.
Because the Child Protective Services system is overburdened, welfare workers do not have the capacity to respond in depth to the increasing number of child abuse cases reported annually. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a program serving these children by training and supervising community volunteers to be the “child’s voice in court.” These advocates meet with the child once a week, providing emotional support, fun, stability and mentoring during this difficult period. They also insure that the court has all the information needed to provide the child with a safe, permanent home as soon as possible, whether it is by an adoption from a new family or a return to their own rehabilitated family.
CASA Endorsement from Judge Denine Guy
In the 2008 CASA Annual Report, Santa Cruz County CA Dependency Court Judge Denine Guy states, “The court values the unique role and perspective that CASAs bring to our dependency proceedings. The feedback and insight in these reports can’t be obtained from any other source, and they are seriously considered and valued. Thank you for all you do.”
CASA has been praised by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the American Bar Association as a model juvenile delinquency prevention program that represents the individual child’s best interests.
The True Story of a Foster Child
Adam, (not his real name), now age 11, was removed from his home at the age of five due to neglect and abuse. A sad, angry little boy, he lashed out at anyone who tried to help and struggled in school. For the six years that he was in foster care, he lived in seven homes, had four social workers and attended eight schools.
Then Adam met Sara, his Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). They saw each other every week, building a bond of friendship. Sara got Adam involved in baseball and horse therapy, helping boost his confidence and self-esteem. He began to trust again.
Sara has been the one consistent person in Adam’s life, bringing him encouragement, fun and hope through good times and bad. His school gave him the Principal’s Award for students who make special progress.
All Children Have a Right to a Safe Childhood
The happy ending for Adam is that he eventually was adopted into a permanent, loving home. This is the hope of all the caring people involved in the CASA organization…that the children they represent will be able to do what all children should have the right to do, …to live and experience a safe and happy childhood.
BNC 101
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