The background. I really thought that after I graduated college I would continue my work in the social service field. I worked with troubled youth all through college. Most of that time I worked at Valley Mental Health. I loved my work, and some days I really thought that I made a difference. Well making a difference doesn't pay the bills, so now I am a paralegal. I few years ago I started to miss the work. I started to look for volunteer work that would allow me to continue to try and make a difference in one child's life. I selected the CASA program through the Guardian Ad Litems office. There are some difficult cases, but it helps me keep a prospective on my life. Some of these kids have multiple strikes against them before they hit 16. I was recently assigned a case involving a 4 month old baby. Mom and Dad are not capable of caring for this young child who needs extra medical care. I have been visiting the little one for approximately 1 month up at PCMC. Well today was the first court hearing I have attended. It was so hard to listen to the parent's lawyers try to convince the judge that they could care for this child. I didn't believe it, and I know the judge didn't either. As hard as it is for me to imagine a parent without there child, the judge said it best..."sometimes love just isn't enough." I agree that these parents love their child, I just don't think they have the capabilities to care for him in the manner the child needs. It's hard to imagine that I am making a difference by suggesting that a family be separated, but "sometimes love just isn't enough."
5 comments:
dang you're tough. i totally admire you. i love that you are able to separate out the emotion enough to be objective.
i'm sure you make a difference so much more than you know or will ever see.
I didn't know that you were a CASA worker. I love all the CASA workers that I have worked with, most of the time they have really helpled me on my cases. I will say that juvenille court sucks. Sometimes I don't know what the Judges are thinking although in this case it sounds like the right decision was made. Send me an email and tell me who the judge is, I'm curious.
I don't have your email, or I would and then maybe you can add me to your blogg. You know my friend Britta thought of me when making her blogg private :)
So rude. I only have your work email (if that's even right, i think i got it from your brother 2 years ago!) mine is attoad@yahoo.com
I didn't know you were a CASA worker either. That's what I want to do when I grow up! See ya tomorrow!
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