Originally aired on January 26, 2009.
Maureen Cavanaugh : When children are abused or at risk in their homes, or their parents are absent or imprisoned, the children often enter the foster care system. In San Diego, as in most other urban areas across the country, social workers can be overwhelmed with the number of children in the legal system and the number cases they need to monitor.
For the children themselves, leaving home, even a bad home, and entering foster care is scary and often devastating. What's best for them - their individual concerns and needs - can get lost in the mix. That's where the volunteers of the CASA program come in. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. Their mission is to work with children who are new to the foster care system and be their advocates in court.
Guests
- Sharon Lawrence , president and CEO of Voices for Children .
- Libba Jackson D'Ambrosi , a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in San Diego's foster care system.
