How Lauren Busch shows kids people care about them

A lot of people know about the work CASA’s volunteer advocates do.

Fewer people know about the other volunteer opportunities available through CASA, which may be a better fit for someone who wants to make a difference but is strapped for time.

Lauren Busch fell into the latter group.

“I was trying some other volunteer organizations but it didn’t feel like I was really needed as much as I wanted to be needed,” she says.

She saw a friend post on social media about the difference she was making as an advocate, but Busch is a mother who works fulltime as an orthodontist. She knew she didn’t have time to be an advocate, but she loves kids so much she decided to look into CASA anyways.

That is when she heard about Life Long Links – a program in which volunteers search for and interview family members of foster children to ensure the kids have continuity in relationships, family information, and long-term connections for the future.

After being sworn in as a volunteer in July of 2022, Busch knew she was needed and making a difference when she helped two kiddos become reunited with their grandmother.

“It was two kids and they were just these awesome kids – a three-year-old who had a lot of medical issues, and a six-year-old,” she recalls. “The grandma didn’t even know they were in foster care. So when we contacted her, I mean, she pretty much got on the plane and that was like the best thing that could ever happen. They’re with her now.”

Making connections like this is the whole point of Busch’s role. She and the other LLL volunteers use ancestry and genealogy sites, obituaries, and social media, to identify, locate, and engage with family members of CASA children.

Busch works on one case at a time, as her busy life allows. Others work on more than one. The role is a perfect fit for various types of work and family schedules.

“Each case is very different, but I have found that on each case I have been able to help.” She says. “I saw from my friend’s post that it’s fulfilling and meaningful work. It’s true. Like you are actually finding people for the kids and the people are responding.”

Life Long Links volunteers like Busch are painting pictures for children to show them there are people who care, and they’re creating family trees to show that they belong.