Anonymous wrote:I was a CASA in DC! I was pretty disappointed with the training and supervision but it was good preparation for the disheartening nature of absolutely everything else about the case, and everything I learned about foster care in general as a result. I could not believe how inefficient, poorly trained and supervised, and just offensive many of the people involved in the case could be. With that said, I really liked the kid, even if his situation and his attitude could be frustrating at times. I think there were some parts of the case where I was able to be helpful and get folks to work together, or at least to have more information about what was going on. There were a few smart and dedicated people on the case (the judge, the second GAL, a social worker who stayed for about a month). After a while, I was one of the people who'd been on the case the longest (it doesn't take too long since there's a lot of turnover) so knowing a bit about the case's history was valuable.

This makes the whole thing sound awful, I realize. Several people involved said this was a particularly challenging case, but I don't have much to compare it to. I will say that I felt respected by the other people on the case and by the kid and his family, and that I'm sure people's opinions about being a CASA depend heavily on their individual case and how they get along with the CASA supervisor. It hasn't dampened my interest in adopting from foster care--if anything, it has made me realize what I'd have to put up with, but that the kids are worth it and they really need effective advocates.

Anonymous wrote:I'm in the process of applying to be a CASA in a MD suburb. I'd love to hear more insights from former volunteers.