Especially for the Booster
Summer in Texas is full of sun, swimming pools, barbecues, and countless fun activities for kids. Many children are able to enjoy their summer vacation by attending camp, playing sports, or working a summer job, but there are many children in foster care who do not have the opportunity to experience such summer activities.
When these children are removed from their homes and placed in child welfare care because their family is in crisis, they are already faced with trauma that no child should have to experience. In addition, their participation in normal childhood activities with their peers is often secondary.
“Children in foster care can feel disconnected from other children their age because of what they are going through, so it is important to help them feel as normal as possible,” said Codie Vasquez, executive director of CASA of the Sabine Neches Region. “Being given the opportunity to participate in normal childhood activities – and just be a kid – can be vital to a child’s well-being.”
‘Normality’ is a term used broadly in child protection to refer to any experiences that contribute to a child’s autonomy and social functioning. Activities associated with a ‘normal’ childhood, such as sleepovers, pool parties, eating ice cream or going to a homecoming dance, can be essential to a child’s sense of security, regularity and wellbeing. Another aspect of normality is ensuring that the realities and difficulties of a child’s situation disrupt their everyday life as little as possible.
“Friendship and social interaction are essential to children’s health and mental health. While things like visits, appointments and therapy are essential for the children we care for, we don’t want them to get in the way of everyday activities that are also important to their development, like school or extracurricular activities,” Vasquez said.
Foster parents, CASA volunteers, social workers and others who care for children in foster care must work together to make normalcy a priority, Vasquez said.
“These children have been through enough already. The last thing they need is to be excluded from fun social activities with their peers,” Vasquez said. “This summer, CASA of the Sabine Neches Region wants to give children in local foster care the opportunity to participate in normal, age-appropriate experiences.”
CASA volunteers are specially trained and appointed by judges to advocate for a child and represent their special needs in court, school, and other settings. They also get to know and work with the other adults in the child’s life, including their parents, family, foster parents, social workers, counselors, and more, to ensure the child’s best interests are put first.
Ultimately, true normalcy will be achieved when children are out of the system and have the resources and support they need to thrive – preferably back home with their family whenever that is safe and possible. Until then, they need a voice to speak for them to ensure they can participate in hobbies and activities that help them grow and heal.
Become a CASA volunteer and advocate for a child who needs you by taking advantage of CASA of the Sabine Neches Region’s upcoming training in July 2024. For more information, please visit www.casasnr.org or call (409) 886-2272.