9 minute read
Make A Difference
Bring Sunshine Into A Child’s Life
In 1950, teacher, scholar, and Boy Scout executive Forest Witcraft penned an article for Scouting magazine. One quote remains popular — and powerful — to this day: “One hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove…but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”
The difference we can make in the life of a child extends well beyond the crucial involvement with our own children and grandchildren. We know that every child needs and deserves love and support from caring adults, and we also know that far too many children are in desperate need. The latest data from The Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Maltreatment Report ranks Kentucky fifth in the U.S. for the number of child abuse and neglect cases – a heartbreaking statistic.
We can, however, improve these numbers one child at a time. Each of us can do it, and it doesn’t take a professional degree in child development. If you have a little time and a lot of love to give, consider this a gentle call to action. Three local youthserving organizations have an immediate need for assistance; in fact, each of their missions depends on volunteers to support the children of our community.
St. Joseph Children’s Home
Volunteers with St. Joseph Children’s Home provide children with “a place to call home” through becoming a therapeutic foster parent and/or an adoptive parent. Approximately 8,000 children in Kentucky are in need of in-home care, and there simply aren’t enough foster parents in place to serve them. Tiffany White, St. Joe’s communication manager, wants to dispel some of the preconceived notions about foster care. “The narrative out there is based on an assumption that this ‘troubled child’ will make life miserable,” Tiffany says. “The truth that foster and adoptive parents know is that, just like caring for any child, it’s not easy, but it’s worth it. My hope is to light a fire under people to get them curious enough to learn more.”
How to help St Joseph’s Children’s Home:
• Respite care is a good first option. You can give foster parents a break by taking care of the child in your own home for an overnight or a one-week visit. You’re supporting foster parents while figuring out if you’d like to take the next step toward becoming a foster parent yourself.
• Training and preparation for foster and respite care volunteers is extensive. Each person becomes certified and well-prepared through a process that includes CPR training, home preparation, background checks, and more.
• Once the home is ready and training is complete, the matching process begins. St. Joe staff and the foster/respite care volunteers work carefully and thoughtfully to find the best fit for everyone involved.
• St. Joe’s provides 24/7 support for all their volunteers.
• Reunification of the child with their biological family is always the goal, but the bond formed between child and foster parent is one that lasts a lifetime.
“Anyone can foster a child — a single person, older person, younger person, married couple, same sex couple. There is no limitation. Love and the ability to give a child a stable home are the only criteria,” Tiffany says. “Anyone who is curious about volunteering or just wants to learn more about our work at St. Joe’s can attend an information session. We meet every first Tuesday of the month at 5:45.” To learn more, check out sjkids.org.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Of Kentuckiana
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana (BBBS) believes that mentorship is the top approach to combating trauma and increasing mental health in young people. Jennifer Hoffman, senior manager of external relations and events, says proudly, “Now more than ever, mentorship is super important. We believe we’re the best mentoring agency in Kentucky and have the statistics and metrics to prove it. When our young people (Littles) are matched with their mentors (Bigs), we have a 100% graduation rate from our programs. Our mindset is that it takes two — a Big and a Little — to change both of their lives for the better.”
How to become a volunteer at Big Brothers/Big Sisters:
• BBBS ser ves seven counties in Kentucky and three in Indiana. As of this writing, there are 596 Littles on a waiting list; 226 of those are ready to be matched with Bigs.
• Anyone age 18 and up can be a mentor. Those who are over 50 or are empty-nesters may find themselves particularly well-suited to this fun and meaningful volunteer opportunity.
• If time commitment is a concern, BBBS wants volunteers to know that it just takes TWO: two hours, two times a month to change lives.
• Bigs and Littles are matched with a 30-day process involving conversation with enrollment and match specialists.
• BBBS suppor ts the mentoring relationship from the initial inquiry phase through the entirety of the process by offering extensive professional resources and consistent check-ins. The life expectancy of most matches exceeds one year due in large part to the care and support given to building strong Big/Little matches.
Jennifer asks you to consider this question: “What have you done for the past two hours? Have you been decompressing, watching a movie, taking it easy? Do you have time for a 30-minute phone call, to go get an ice cream, or go watch a soccer game?” Being a mentor doesn’t have to take a lot of your time, but it makes a huge difference in the lives of both mentor and mentee. “It takes little to be big,” Jennifer says. “Go to our website at bbbsky.org to watch a 12-minute video to learn more.”
CASA Of The River Region
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are volunteers who support vulnerable children in our community by speaking up for their best interests. CASA of the River Region serves Bullitt, Henry, Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, and Trimble counties and will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year.
“We are really proud of our work, but we are also experiencing a decline in volunteerism since COVID,” says Will Myers, president and CEO of CASA of the River Region. “We are working to get our numbers up.”
As of now, there are 147 kids waiting to be matched with a volunteer. This is a critical step in the process because only volunteers can serve as CASA representatives, and their voices on behalf of the children often make the crucial difference in those kids’ lives.
“As an organization that only works with volunteers, it’s been a real challenge,” Will says. “The state is suffering from a lack of social workers and other youth-serving staff. Sometimes our CASA volunteers are the only ones checking in on kids experiencing abuse and neglect. I look at this as a call to action.”
How to get involved in CASA:
• CASA volunteers are people who get to know children experiencing abuse and neglect, and they walk with them through the journey in court. They check that a child has a safe home environment, that they get to the doctor and dentist as needed, and that their needs are being met. CASA volunteers write these findings in a report that is given to the family court judge.
• In Kentucky, CASA volunteers are part of a team composed of a social worker, county attorney, guardian ad litem attorney, and school representative. A CASA is not a professionally trained youth worker but a supportive and caring volunteer looking out for the child’s best interests.
• CASA volunteers must be at least 21 years old, have a clear background check, and not be involved in family court as a foster parent.
• After completing an application, interview, and background checks, CASA provides a 30hour training for each volunteer (either in a group or individually). Once ready to serve, the volunteer is sworn in by a judge and must agree to serve for one year. This is because commitment and consistency matter, particularly for these children.
• A CASA supervisor provides ongoing support for the volunteer all the way through the process, including going to court and conducting home visits.
“One unique thing is that we allow the volunteer to pick their case(s) and how much of a time commitment they can make,” Will says. This allows CASA of the River Region to retain more volunteers, and that ultimately benefits the children they serve. “I want people to remember that CASA volunteers don’t need a social work background. They are supportive people who ensure that kids get the attention and care they need. They get to know the children, to be involved in their lives, and to make a huge difference. It really just takes common sense.” To learn more and watch an informative video, go to casariverregion.org.
Each of these local agencies go above and beyond to serve the needs of our vulnerable youth, but we all know that it takes a village. Hopefully, this piece will have piqued your curiosity to learn more about the different ways you can help. Each organization’s website will tell you more about the opportunities described here, but they also list other ways that you can support their incredible efforts. As author Paula Coelho says, “A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be curious; to fight tirelessly for something.”
By Megan S. Willman
Winter 2023-2024 / Today's Transitions
