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Voices for Children attempts to provide stability for kids
(by Casey Critchlow - March 04, 2008)
Although it can be a lifesaving and heroic event, the removal of children from a household deemed unfit, neglectful or abusive can be so emotionally scarring and devastating that through a child’s eyes the intervention far exceeds any abuse or neglect he has experienced.
It may be a difficult concept to comprehend, but not only is the child uprooted from the stability of his own home, he is surrounded by a new set of faces that may revolve endlessly. It is during this critical stage that the organization Voices for Children becomes involved.
Formerly known as the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, or CASA, the local chapter of Voices for Children is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is “to speak on behalf of abused and neglected children in the city of St. Louis.” The program began in St. Louis in 1998. An integral part of this organization is the role of volunteer advocates, defined as “community volunteers who dedicate their minds and hearts to improving life for children in St. Louis.”
Because Voices for Children is so multifaceted and aims to assist children on different levels using various channels, even the newly hired executive director, Jan Huneke, admitted it can be a struggle to define the organization in just one or two sentences.
The ultimate goal of Voices for Children is to find “a safe, permanent home for foster children, while protecting their rights and addressing their needs,” Huneke said.
Now in her fifth month with Voices, Huneke brings several years of experience with not-for-profit groups to the table.
Prior to Voices, Huneke worked as a strategic planning analyst for McDonnell Douglas while obtaining an MBA. During her time there, she volunteered for the program Operation Teamwork, coaching children at risk in various sports and other activities.
It was during this experience that she made the “leap out of the corporate world” and into the not-for-profit sector, where she has remained for the last 15 years. Her attraction to Voices for Children can be attributed to her past not-for-profit experience working with people from similar backgrounds.
Voices is comprised of many players, but the two individuals who have the most interaction with the children are the volunteer advocate and his or her attorney supervisor.
While attorney supervisors provide the legal knowledge and know-how for the case, they are supported by the volunteer advocate, who helps to build a personal relationship with the child.
In addition to individual visits with children in care, the advocate also meets with others who have direct contact with the child, whether it be in school, therapy or at home. As officers of the court, the advocates are outfitted with a court order and can obtain useful documents such as medical and school records.
An advocate for six years, Lee Redel is considered a veteran. He estimates that he has worked on about 20 to 25 cases. Redel said he was motivated to get involved after reading a newspaper article about Voices; he knew early on that the work he was doing was significant.
As part of the training, the volunteers are required to complete 30 hours of classroom preparation, spread out over five weeks. Redel and the other participants were scheduled to meet the night of September 11, 2001.
The class went on as scheduled and Redel remembers vividly that “all but two or three showed up of the 23 enrolled.”
He remembers his first case, which for a novice proved to be challenging. “I had five kids, comprised of two sibling groups,” he said. But clearly it did not shake him, as he continues to advocate for children.
And in addition to the accomplishment he feels when, at the end of a case, “the child is happy,” he has received his other affirmations in the form of drawings and notes from the children he represents.
Kelley Winkler has been working with Redel as his attorney supervisor for the past year and a half.
Although they have only worked four cases together, Winkler said she recognizes traits in Redel that make him a strong advocate. Notably, Winkler said, Redel “is not afraid to ask hard questions.” Through the work Redel and the other advocates do, attorneys can “formulate better recommendations on behalf of the child in court,” she said.
With 1,100 children in foster care in St. Louis, the need for volunteer advocates has grown. Training coordinator Rachelle Morgan says that volunteers “come from all walks of life,” but the one unifying trait among the advocates is that they are “committed to helping children.”
While the work that the attorneys and advocates do is significant, the decision of placement is ultimately decided by a judge. As the presiding judge over family court, Judge Jimmie Edwards is aware of the work that Voices for Children does and said that if Voices for Children did not exist, “children would not receive the help they need to recover.”
When asked how he views success with regard to these children, he quickly replies, “In this court room, I paint by dots,” meaning he applauds all achievements, however small. The standard of success has to be determined on a case-by-case basis, he said.
The application deadline for the next training session is March 14, and classes will begin on April 29. Please forward all questions and comments to Rachelle Morgan at rkmorgan@voicesforchildrenstl.org.
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