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In the past two years, Child Advocates San Antonio has tried many things to recruit volunteers to become Court Appointed Special Advocates for children in foster care.
They have partnered with churches, paid for social media ads, marched in parades, handed out flyers and made pleas on TV, at churches and even in apps like Nextdoor.
But as the nonprofit agency fights a nationwide trend of declining volunteerism, it needs more than double the 400 volunteer advocates it currently has.
“Right now, we have about 270 children that a judge has requested a CASA advocate to serve,” said Child Advocates San Antonio President and CEO Angela White. “The older children know what a CASA advocate is and ask to have one, and we would love to be able to give an advocate to every child who needs one. Last year, we served 1,419 children. It sounds a lot, but with over 4,000 children in the system in Bexar County there is so much more to do.”
CASA’s experience reflects the current decline in volunteerism that has been ongoing for decades. The U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps reported that a recent survey showed the largest decrease in volunteerism since beginning the survey in 2002. Formal volunteer participation was just 23.3%, a drop of 7 percentage points between 2019 and 2021.
CASA and other volunteer-based organizations are feeling that decrease even as they continue work to serve vulnerable populations like children in foster care.
CASA advocates are the only volunteers who are sworn in by a judge to advocate for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect. CASA advocates stand beside the child, getting to know them and their family, facilitating connections for the child, and sharing the child’s needs with the Judge overseeing the case. They find family members and keep kids connected to their siblings, work with schools to meet educational needs, keep track of medical concerns, and may be the only consistent person in a child’s life as children move three or more times a year while in foster care.
“I was one of those kids,” said Joan Ulsher, who has been a CASA advocate for five years. “I was in foster care, and I didn’t have anyone to see me through the system, calm my fears and keep me safe. Now I’m driven to help any other kid in a similar situation.”
Ulsher has worked with 23 children and youth over the years — an unusually high number, but as a retired Army veteran, she makes volunteering for CASA her full-time mission. Most new advocates work on one case serving one to two children.
“Being an advocate is rewarding because it fills the need to serve, to live a purposeful life, to give of ourselves and be intentional in that giving, and you never go through this alone — every advocate has an experienced CASA staff member they can call on at any time,” said Ulsher. “Seeing children reap the reward and benefit of genuine trust, communication and outreach has been transforming to me.”
Jeff and Janice Ivey volunteer together as CASA advocates. Their very first case included a baby who everyone thought was deaf because she had been so neglected that she stopped making noises or responding to sounds. The Iveys were able to make sure she got the evaluations she needed, and she and her brother were placed in a loving, caring home.
“Seeing this child everyone thought was deaf transform into a rambunctious, happy little girl, I think that’s when it struck me that what we were doing was making a difference,” Jeff Ivey said. “The need is never going to go away, as much as we’d like that to happen. These are innocent children who did nothing to cause them to be abused or neglected.”
Jeff Ivey is the president of River City Federal Credit Union, and board president of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “The children have every right to live a normal life, to be safe, to be in a loving environment, a healthy environment — they deserve that,” he said.
White is grateful that Ulsher and the Iveys are there to advocate on behalf of children in foster care, and thankful for all the CASA volunteer advocates who serve.
“We need volunteers more than ever,” she said. “If you have ever thought about being an advocate, the time is now!
“Being a CASA advocate is about more than just ensuring the children’s voices are heard in court; it’s also about spending time with them and lifting them up to make great decisions and believe in themselves.”
White emphasized that the agency needs everyone to consider becoming a volunteer. Volunteers must be 21 years old, have a valid driver’s license and pass a background check.
You can find out more and sign up for a volunteer information session at www.casa-satx.org.
