Apr 23, 2018
A Family Reunited.
When Spanish monolingual parents are at the mercy of an English-only system, CASA volunteers help them navigate a complicated judicial system and reunite with their children.
In a recent case, a family's children were removed from their parents and placed in foster care. The children were traumatized by the separation and the parents were shocked and confused. The language barrier confounded matters. They did not understand the system or what was being asked of them and the children were devastated about not being home.
New Mexico Kids Matter advocates for children who’ve been abused or neglected by empowering community volunteers to speak up for them in the foster care system. The agency acted fast to minimize the trauma of separation for this family and a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) was brought to the case.
Fluent in Spanish, CASA volunteer and Sandia Labs employee, Vanessa Aranda, immediately investigated the case and identified each child’s specific needs. Vanessa supported the parents in coordinating with the schools and other providers. Vanessa communicated criteria set forth by Child Protective Services and supported the family in understanding how to meet the needs of their children in order for them to return to the household.
During the first court hearing the Judge commended New Mexico Kids Matter for providing a Spanish speaking CASA. Thansk to the support of the CASA, the family was moving towards reunification in a timely manner. Six months later the case was dismissed. At the dismissal hearing the judge commended the CASA for taking the time to not only be an interpreter for the family, but to respectfully communicate the court's expectations around parenting.
New Mexico Kids Matter extends heartfelt gratitude to Vanessa and all of the CASA volunteers who advocate for children in court, school and in our community!
Want to learn more about what it means to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate?
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