The One Constant a Kid Can Count On

CASA of New River Advocates Help Foster Kids Succeed in School

School can be hard for any child, but it’s uniquely challenging for children in foster care. Switching home placements often means switching schools, which creates stress and a sense of instability. Being the new kid can make it difficult to build friendships or catch up on school work. And since children in the system are often abused or neglected, many have spent years without what they need to succeed, whether that’s lunch money, tutoring, or even just a backpack. These are just a few of the reasons behind some very sobering statistics about foster youth. Less than two-thirds graduate high school by 19. Less than half are employed at 26. And less than 3 percent earn a college degree by 25.

But there’s good news too. CASA Advocates are changing these statistics by providing consistent support for children in foster care.

“The one constant that a foster kid can count on is their CASA Advocate,” said Krista Moore, a CASA of New River Advocate. “They might switch foster homes. They might switch schools. They might switch therapists. But they’re always going to have the same CASA advocate, which is amazing.”

Re search shows that children in foster care are four times more likely to graduate from high school if they have a CASA Advocate. But what’s behind this change?

CASA volunteers often become “fierce advocates who are relentless in sharing information" and connecting kids with the support they need,” research shows. Making placement recommendations and studying case files is a big part of volunteering. But CASA Advocates also catch problems a busy social worker, teacher or foster parent may miss.

They notice when a child is falling behind in math, showing signs of ADHD or struggling to make friends. They help them find tutors, mental health services or new clubs to join. When it comes to changing a child’s story, one supportive adult can make a big difference.

CASA of New River Advocate Patsieann Misiti has been very involved in the educational life of the foster teen she assists. Earlier this month, she helped him move into his college dorm at West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) in Beckley. Last year, they attended a College Discover Day there.

“People take so many things for granted that their parents or another loved one taught them. They may not realize it’s a foster child’s very first time,” Misiti said.

Just last year, the young man Misiti works with was taken shopping by his social worker. The social worker gave him a card and said he could pick out whatever clothes he needed.

“He had never gone shopping for himself. No one had ever shown him how to do that,” Misiti said.

“He was really overwhelmed because he didn’t know how many pairs of pants or shirts to buy, what looked good or how much money he was allowed to spend. And he’s very conscious about his spending.”

The transition from high school to adulthood is a particularly difficult time for foster youth. In many cases, they can receive Medicaid, transitional housing, employment support, ongoing social casework and more until they turn 21.

Regardless, many youth still struggle to determine what comes next. It’s hard navigating college admissions, trade school applications, rental security deposits and life in general when there’s no support system to fall back on. That’s part of the reason why between 31 and 46 percent of foster youth exiting in the system experience homelessness by age 26.

That’s why the work we do at CASA of New River is so vital. Our Advocates aren’t just sitting with children in the courtroom. They’re standing beside them and lifting them up long after a judge bangs his gavel on the desk.

“Your CASA Advocate will be on the sidelines rooting for you, without a doubt,” Moore said. “And I’m proud to do that for the person I’m working with. She is so goal oriented. She wants nothing more than to finish high school and go on to college. That is so important to her. And even after everything she's been through, this young lady has maintained straight A's.”