Ginger Littleton changed lives as a teacher, and now as a CASA

Ginger Littleton is coming up on her 8-year anniversary as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. During that time, she has advocated for 13 children on five Dependency & Neglect cases in Colorado’s Fourth Judicial District.

It’s a fitting volunteer job for the retired music teacher who always craved more backstory on the kids she watched progress, year after year, from kindergarten to sixth grade.

“I would see the kids twice a week and then year after year, but I didn’t get to know them as well as their classroom teachers,” she said. “A lot of them had quite the backstory. I thought with CASA, here’s a chance to get to know a child well and get to know the whole child… to see what their backstory is before they go to school.”

As a Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA Volunteer, Ginger is assigned to one case at a time – a case that was opened because of child abuse or neglect.

She gets to know the child or sibling group on the case. She also spends time with foster parents, biological parents, relatives, teachers, therapists, and anyone else playing a role in each child’s story. She gathers information, identifies what needs should be met, and makes recommendations in court.

The 800+ kids who need a CASA volunteer in the Pikes Peak Region each year all have different stories with unique circumstances. Some of their cases close with adoption. Some kids are reunified with biological parents. Others go to live with relatives. Teens often age out of the foster care system at 18, entering the world as adults.

For the judges who must make decisions on these kids’ behalf, the input of a CASA volunteer is invaluable.

Because she only has one case at a time, people like Ginger are often the ones who know the most about the child they’re working with. She provides a voice for the child – not for the parents, families, lawyers, or the system – but for the child.

For Ginger, swearing in as a CASA volunteer on December 14, 2016 was her answer to a calling for service in a community she knew was suffering.

“I thought this was something that I could do to help a community that needed help,” she said. “I enjoy getting to know the kids really well and feel like I can make a difference in somebody’s life in a positive way. That’s what keeps me coming back.”

CASA volunteers complete a training class before they become officers of the court and before they are assigned to any cases. After a case closes, their work being the ‘eyes and ears’ for the court is over. The families and children do have the option to stay in touch with their CASA volunteer and that has been the outcome for many of the kiddos Ginger has worked with.

“My first case was with three kids and they ended up in guardianship with their maternal aunt. They live in Alabama now and I’m still in touch with them,” she says. “The oldest girl just turned 15 and she was in kindergarten when I first met her. I have stayed in touch with them by their choice and they still talk about how I was a good person in their life.”

That girl just sent Ginger a photo of her 15^th birthday cake. There’s another girl Ginger advocated for back when she was in the fourth grade. She’s a freshman in high school now.

“She and her aunt have chosen to stay in touch with me and we’ve talked about her transition to middle school and then her transition to high school and things like that. So I’m sort of like an auntie in their lives.”

Ginger closed her fifth case this month. The children were aged three, four, and six when they were removed from their parents due to substance abuse, domestic violence, and educational and medical neglect.

The case lasted about a year-and-a-half and Ginger, from a much-deserved family vacation in Minnesota, described the ups and downs of the case over the phone. Finding a foster home that would take all three children was one of the bigger challenges, especially considering the special needs of the middle child. The case worker from the Department of Human Services was in agreement with Ginger on the sibling bond.

“We did not want to split those kids up,” she said. “They were the three musketeers. Some foster families would say I can take one or I can take the two younger boys, but we wanted to keep them together.”

The trauma of an upended life, a seemingly never-ending cycle of parental substance abuse, and hour-long drives to supervised visits with their parents was eased a bit for these kids because of the presence of Ginger. Ginger’s support of the foster family also strengthened the best possible placement for the children as they waited for their parents to make necessary changes.

Eventually, mom and dad became sober, completed their court-ordered treatment, found housing, and were reunited with their children in time for the new school year.

There are hundreds of children and families in need of the advocacy that Ginger provides. Through advocacy, Ginger has changed the life trajectory for each child she has worked with. If each respectful adult who had a heart for kids would advocate for just one child, together we could change the world.

Learn about volunteer opportunities at CASA of the Pikes Peak Region here.