Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Pushpa met “Cassie” during a tumultuous time in her life. The teen was constantly being moved from to home to home within the foster care system, and she started acting out. Despite the fact that Cassie didn’t seem to want a CASA, Pushpa didn’t hesitate to take the case.
At first, Cassie didn’t make it easy for CASA Pushpa. Pushpa called every week, but Cassie usually refused her calls. Still, CASA Pushpa remained consistent and worked behind the scenes to ensure all of Cassie’s needs were being met.
After moving back to Riverside County from an out-of-county placement, Cassie was sent to Juvenile Hall. When CASA Pushpa came to visit, Cassie was shocked. After the way she acted toward Pushpa, the teen couldn’t believe that her CASA still wanted to see her.
Cassie says that was a turning point in her life. She realized that someone else saw her as worthy, and she began to feel the same way about herself. Today, Cassie is happy, confident, succeeding in school, and enjoys spending quality time with her dedicated CASA.
Volunteer Name: Pushpa A.
County: Riverside
Became a CASA: 2017
Favorite part of being a CASA: Doing little things for my case child, like buying their favorite food, taking them to the beach, or biking, and seeing them enjoying themselves!
Advice to a new CASA: Never give up. Sometimes you feel like you are not making a difference, but I found that we do make a difference in our case children’s lives by being consistent.
You, too, can make a difference in the life of youth in foster care. Learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer.
San Diego County CASA of the Month – May 2022