CASA Helps Foster Children Feel At Home During The Holidays
by Stephanie Baker
Christmas comes a little early to foster children thanks to CASA of the Fifth Judicial District, which makes the second Friday in December one of the most magical days of the year.
At the annual Christmas party, local children in foster care visit Santa and the Grinch and celebrate the holiday with other children in care.
The CASA staff dress as elves; festive treats are served, and Judge Ken Coker also attends, providing the children a rare opportunity to see him outside of the courtroom setting.
Currently, over 100 children in the Fifth District are in foster care. CASA’s team does everything they can to make the annual Christmas party as wonderful as possible for the children, and each child leaves the party with the personalized presents they requested. However, Santa doesn’t provide the gifts on each child’s wish list, the community does.
The organization compiles the Christmas wish lists of every child in care within its district and shares an angel tree style anonymous gift list with the community. Volunteers can purchase gifts for one selected child or donate funds to go towards the Christmas gifts.
“Just because it’s the holidays, unfortunately, doesn’t mean that kids stop coming into care,” said Johnson and Franklin County Volunteer Advocate Coordinator Allison King. “Monetary donations can help us make sure that we can get those last-minute gifts for those kids who come in really close to the holidays,” she said.
CASA ensures each child receives the items on their Christmas wish list, ranging from warm clothing, shoes and toiletries to larger gifts that have included bikes, iPads, and laptops.
One hundred and eleven children are currently on CASA’s list, and the team expects a few more to be added before the Christmas party.
“People have stepped up quickly,” said Program Director Lori Kamerling.
At press time, only 15 children’s wish lists remained unpurchased. A link to the updated wish list is available on the CASA of the Fifth Judicial District Facebook page.
The holidays are especially hard for children in foster care, as they are separated from family, said Kamerling. The celebration is a way to help make Christmas special for the children. The celebration also allows children to meet other children in foster care, which plays a critical role in realizing they are not alone and cultivating friendships among the children, she said.
The Role Of An Advocate
The role of a Court Appointed Special Advocate -or CASA- is to be a voice for the child and advocate for the child’s needs inside and out of the courtroom.
Children need a constant person in their lives while navigating through the foster system, said King. A CASA volunteer stays with them throughout placement with foster families and until the child finds a permanent home. The volunteer spends time and creates a bond with the child, serving as a stable adult in their life throughout their time in the foster system, and helps ensure their needs are met…Read the full story in the Dec. 10 issue of The Graphic, available online and at businesses throughout Franklin and Johnson counties. Subscribe or donate here to support more hometown journalism.
CASA is providing gifts for local children in foster care at its annual Christmas party. An online sign-up is now available to purchase gifts from the children’s wish lists through the CASA of the Fifth Judicial Facebook page. CASA staff and board members include (from left) Danielle Woolsey, Pope County advocate supervisor; Allison King, Johnson and Franklin County advocate supervisor; Genney Baker, executive director; Pam Halverson, board member; Lori Kamerling, program director; Tammy Wortham, board member; and Jennifer Rye, resource specialist. Not pictured is Bethany Lortie, teen specialist.
-Photo courtesy CASA
