Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Beth Riescher

“Even little kids are aware and know when something is wrong.”

For children being removed from their parents and put in foster care, living with a relative is often the best-case scenario. Alcovy CASA Volunteer Beth Riescher’s first assigned case involved two young kids in this situation. The family member they were placed with, says Beth, provided “an extremely stable home.” The children were well-cared for, the placement was very supportive and involved, and the children were able to retain contact with their biological parent.

However, the legal process of foster care took longer than Beth expected, and the realities of substance abuse disorder and relapse were a barrier to the biological parent’s ability to work their case plan and achieve reunification. “You want kids to have a relationship with their biological parents,” says Beth of children experiencing foster care, “but even little kids are aware and know when something is wrong.” Being part of a family placement helped ease this burden for the children in her assigned case. 

“It was very rewarding, but it was very hard” said Beth about her volunteer experience. “You do get emotionally attached” to the children you are assigned to. “They are both the most amazing kids. They wanted to show me their stuff, their toys, and they would talk to me.” 

Beth remained the CASA Volunteer on the children’s case until they achieved permanency, the legal term for finding a permanent placement when a case is closed with the Court. The years they were in foster care were made better by their relative placement, who became the legal guardian of the children. Beth expressed her feelings of “joy when the case ended. It was closure. The biological parent could still visit, and I knew the right thing happened. I was very much certain of that. The kids needed stability.”

CASA Volunteers like Beth advocate for this stability for our local children experiencing foster care. A CASA is frequently the only consistent adult for these children, ensuring that their needs are heard by the Court. We are grateful to Beth and all of our volunteers whose hard work and consistency provides necessary advocacy for children. 

If you are interested in learning more about the CASA Volunteer experience, reach out to our staff today!