Volunteering to advocate for local children

A little more than four years ago, Melanie Vinberg knew nothing about CASA - the Court-Appointed Special Advocates.

But a situation in her own family that she felt was mishandled by authorities got her thinking.

Melanie had a troubled youth. She came from a dysfunctional home that made her childhood years very difficult.

Someone should be there to help people in her kind of situation, she felt, and the more she learned about CASA, the more she was convinced they were the ones to help kids in bad situations.

CASA volunteers have the job of advocating in legal cases for children up to 18 years old. When there are allegations of abuse or neglect, or a whole host of other problems, CASA volunteers talk to the children, parents, teachers, friends and others and meet with Child Protective Services caseworkers. They then make recommendations to the judge as to what is best for the children.

It's challenging work, but it can be immensely rewarding, she said.

There are now about 170 children being served by 17 volunteers in the vast Hi-Line district that extends from Chester to Glasgow. There are 10 CASAs in Hill County, the largest county in the district.

Melanie said she understands why some people are afraid of the prospects of being a CASA, thinking it is too much work or too stressful and intimidating.

Melanie said she is lucky, her employer, NorthWestern Energy, has been willing to let her take vacation time to work on projects when she needs time off during the day.

Appearing in court may sound intimidating, she said, but state District Judge Daniel Boucher is very gracious in listening to what CASA volunteers have to say, she said.

"The judge makes you feel comfortable," she said.

"And people think lawyers will badger you," she said. "But they don't."

One of the most rewarding and most difficult parts of the job is talking to children whose lives hang in the balance.

"At lot of them have never had somebody to talk to," she said.

They are suspicious of people and have a real problem trusting anyone, she said.

But most of them eventually come to realize that CASAs have a genuine interest in them, she said.

Melanie said CASA volunteers provide the invaluable service of coming into the case with no interest whatsoever except the good of the child.

Child Protective Services caseworkers are overworked and don't have the time needed to deal with every case. And lawyers for the state and the parents hare often in the same situation.

CASA's first goal is to reunify the family, she said. She believes that usually the best option is to get the children back with their parents.

But sometimes it's best to get the children into foster homes at least temporarily, she said.

CASA can work with parents and led them to services that help them become better parents.

Sometimes people can be overly critical of parents, she said.

"When they come in and see that the dishes haven't been done or that the house is a mess, they think these are not good parents," she said.

She said that most parents who have young children find their houses are sometimes in disarray, she said.

But there are some incidents that are heart wrenching, she said.

When children are placed in foster homes, often visitations are planned when parents can visit the children.

"Sometimes parents don't show up," she said. "

Kids are already traumatized," she said. "This hurts them even more."

Sometimes volunteers wonder just what the proper course of action is, she said.

That's where Mark Douglass, CASA's executive director for the Hi-Line, comes in handy.

"Mark is just great to have," she said. "We can always depend on him to help us out."

CASA has very strict confidentiality rules, she said, that prohibit volunteers from discussing cases with anyone.

But the volunteers can talk in general terms with other volunteers, and they can give each other support.

Melanie said because of her background, she can see what these young people are going through.

"I can see a young child and think to myself, 'there is a problem here,'" she said.

The reward of being a CASA volunteer comes when there is a successful conclusion to a case.

"You see a smile of the child's face ..." she said.

She enjoys being a CASA volunteer and urges others to give it a thought.

She urged people to sign up for classes if they are at all interested.

A new class is starting next week, and seven have already signed up and some are still thinking about it, Douglass said.

People interested should call him at 265-6743.