In April of 2018, I was part of a CASAMN board member team invited to address judges, lawyers, professors and other officials from Latin American nations about child abuse, childhood trauma, and specifically, the *CASA guardian ad litem volunteer program that was of most interest to them on their visit to Minneapolis.
Hennepin County Guardian ad litem program manager Laurie Kusek explained recruiting, training and the nuts and bolts of how Guardians ad Litem advocate for children in the complex institutional system of child protection. Laurie spoke of institutional issues and the management of recruiting, training, and importance of CASAs commitment to the child.
CASAMN board member and attorney Joseph Winebrenner explained how our courts function with Guardians ad Litem and the how and why they are an effective voice for abused children in the proceedings.
My words were about the impact of trauma on children and how valuable community Guardians ad Litem can be in interrupting that trauma, healing children and helping them become healthy members of the community. I spoke of the warmth community volunteers bring to the harsh world of child abuse and mechanical nature of courts and institutions.
These were smart, committed, child centered professionals with the right leadership skills for advancing the health and safety of at-risk children in their home nations. They had travelled extensively to learn about the many moving parts of public policy, justice, child rights, courts, domestic violence, child protection systems, child advocacy, foster care/adoption and children’s mental health.
It was an honor to speak with these impressive leaders from other nations and uplifting to know that America’s State Department had recommended the CASA guardian ad Litem program to be identified all over the world as a powerful voice for children. Most of all, it felt great to know that any nation can create this program to save vulnerable children and that great leaders wanting to know how had come to Minnesota to find out how.
Thanks to the U.S. State Department for this International Leadership Program, Faegre Baker Daniels Law firm and Minnesota’s own Global MN for making this important meeting happen
*CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocate (for the child)
CASAMN was the last of four intense informational child protection meetings this group had that day. Our meeting lasted for two hours. We finished about 630pm after many hard questions were answered.
Judge Maria Lucia Espinola Correa of Paraguay and this dedicated team of professionals came to Minnesota to investigate our Child Protection System because they wanted to give their at-risk children the best chance of success. That’s leadership. It’s critically important in Child Protection in America right now.
*CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocate (for the child)
KARA Tracks & reports on the issues of child abuse.
This article submitted by CASA volunteer Mike Tikkanen
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