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Teacher Turned CASA Volunteer

Posted on January 15th, 2019

Mary spent 20 years teaching young children in Indianapolis schools. Throughout her career, she saw children who clearly had “more to deal with than they should in their young lives.” She saw firsthand the impact of poverty and drugs on her young students. Mary made sure they were supported and cared for while in her classroom and wondered what they had to deal with when they left her safe haven for home.

Her compassion for children in difficult situations led Mary to explore being a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer. A fellow teacher was an advocate and shared her experiences. “I felt that as a teacher I could be effective with younger children who might be experiencing problems in the classroom,” said Mary. “As a teacher, I had insights as to how to find the right person to help a child or help a family member to navigate a complex system.”

Recently Mary did just that. A grandmother of a child whose case Mary previously handled called her to ask help with the little girl who was having difficulty in school. Mary said, “The grandmother turned to me because I knew how to help her help this child because of my experience as a teacher.” Not long after, Mary was reassigned to the case and is helping advocate for this child again providing consistency and know how.

Mary has spent three years as a CASA and she finds the work so rewarding. “This is a really supportive environment. CASA’s get extensive training and then have a Guardian Ad Litem who can help them as they take on their cases,” Mary said. .

Mary says that anyone who cares about children would find being a CASA richly rewarding, “There are so many children in this area who need our help. It’s so important.” Mary added, “It’s all about the children.”


To learn more about becoming a CASA Volunteer or supporting Child Advocates, please visit our website or call 317.205.3055