Nine Monadnock Region volunteers were honored Friday in a celebration of long-term support of children in the courts.
The N.H. Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children is a nonprofit that supports minors in the justice system. CASA volunteers spend time getting to know children and young adults up to 21 who have experienced abuse or neglect. They then use their unique understanding of the child’s needs and the family’s situations to advise judges on the best course of action in a court case. CASAs don’t work for the justice system or for any party involved in the case.
“The reason you do it is for these kids and these families who need it,” said Peterborough resident and CASA volunteer Dave White. “If life takes x amount of capacity, some people have a surplus, and some don’t have enough. And if you have a surplus, you should be helping.”
White, who is in his fifth year of volunteering, has worked with seven kids whose families are involved in court proceedings in Keene.
CASA had 45 advocates who volunteered in Keene this year and 18 in Jaffrey, said Communications Manager Amanda Desmarais. The more volunteers the organization has, the more kids can be helped.
The time commitment is about 10 to 15 hours a month, according to Erica Thoits, community relations director. That includes meeting with the child at least once per month, getting to know them and the important adults in their lives, writing court reports with recommendations about what’s in the child’s best interests, and attending all court hearings.
In 2024 thus far, 663 Granite Staters have volunteered more than 92,000 hours to serve 1,531 children in 971 cases, according to the CASA of New Hampshire website.
Jen Adams, a Troy volunteer celebrating her 15th year, has served 15 children, given more than 1,200 hours and driven almost 9,000 miles during her time as a court appointed special advocate. She also helps other CASA volunteers by offering her support and guidance as a peer coordinator.
She first got involved during a career transition. As a former occupational therapist who had taken a new job working at the Inn at East Hill Farm, Adams wanted to find a way to keep working with kids. CASA was the way she found to do that.
Adams said she would encourage people not to rule out volunteering just because they work full-time. “People can fit it in their schedule more than they think,” she said.
White, a freelance commercial photographer, said being a CASA isn’t always easy. He sometimes feels that it isn’t even work he’s particularly well suited to, but he keeps doing it out of a sense of responsibility to the children he works with and a desire to serve those who are less fortunate.
White had never been inside a courtroom before becoming a CASA. Now, he’s relied upon by judges to make sure children’s needs are represented.
“We’re just looking out for the kids, making sure any loose ends get tied up and the kids’ needs are met, it’s as simple as that,” he said.
Adams said she’s been told by judges that the CASA report for a case is the most important one they read.
“It’s a really respected volunteer position to have in the court,” she said. “Judges really depend on us because we provide a different outlook on the case than DCYF can.”
CASA volunteers also serve as a trusted adult for kids who may not have another consistent adult presence in their life.
“Our volunteers’ advocacy in court is critical, but they are also a consistent, caring presence in a child’s life,” Thoits, the community relations director, said. “Many of these children change homes and schools, and adults come and go in their lives — a CASA advocate is sometimes the only constant.”
Attorneys and Division for Children, Youth and Families caseworkers often have many different cases on their plate at any given time, but volunteers like Adams and White are focused solely on one family.
“We are probably the most stable [person] that’s involved with them throughout this process,” Adams said. “We also aren’t government. We’re not DCYF. We’re there just for them.”
White said he has built good rapport with the kids he’s worked with and stays in touch with some of them after cases close. “We’re a community and we need to take care of our kids and why not me?”
CASA’s next virtual information session for people interested in volunteering is Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. and the next training course begins Jan. 21. More information about volunteering can be found at: casanh.org/volunteer.
The names of the other Monadnock Region volunteers celebrated couldn’t be shared by CASA Friday due to the sensitive nature of their work.
This article is being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
