Shock, denial, disbelief, confusion, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, fear … these are all symptoms of trauma.
If you've never dealt with stress, anxiety, and grief on a regular basis before, you're likely very familiar with it now.
This COVID-19 pandemic has changed the very fabric of our daily lives. Normal is not a thing anymore. Things are both ever-changing and overwhelmingly stagnant. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, and some days we almost dread what awaits us when the sun rises.
This feeling, this all-consuming, life-changing feeling, is common for many children in foster care...every day.
Not knowing when they can return home. Not knowing if they'll see their own families again. Not knowing how long this will last. Not knowing when they'll see their friends or teachers or when they'll get a hug from someone who cares about them.
It's hard enough for us as adults with support systems. Imagine what this feels like to children without them.
This is part of the reason why a CASA is so important. When a child's life is turned upside down through no fault of their own, it's traumatic. They need someone to help them through that trauma. Someone to explain to them that what happened to them was not their fault and that now they have an adult – an advocate – who isn't going anywhere. They have someone to help make sure their needs are being met and their present turmoil doesn't have to be their future life.
There are currently more than 500 children in foster care in Luzerne County because of abuse and neglect. We currently have volunteer advocates speaking up for the best interests of 74 of those children.
But there are still hundreds more.
Once this pandemic has passed, we'll return to life as normal. We'll be back in the gym, in restaurants with our friends, at the movies with our families. Eventually the panic and fear will subside and we'll sink back into that comfortable security most of us had before this started.
Those children who are waiting for an advocate will likely not have that same luxury.
This is why it's important for our community to continue to come together. From advocates, to donors, to those who share our mission with others, we are all working together to strengthen the foundation of our community and stop cycles of trauma before they continue to new generations.
If you'd like to talk to us about becoming an advocate, you can reach out to us here. If you'd like to be donor, you can donate online here or participate in the 501cFree virtual fundraiser here. If you'd like to share the need for CASA with others, you can follow us on Facebook here.
