Q&A with Advocate Jacque Dillemuth

Jacque was one of CASA’s first virtual trainees as she joined the cause during the early 2020 shutdowns.  Since being sworn in as a Court Appointed Special Advocate via Zoom in July of 2020, Jacque has had two cases. Her first case ended with a toddler being reunified with a biological parent, and she is currently working her second case as the advocate for a sibling group of four.

 

What led you to become a CASA advocate? 

I have always thought about helping kids in foster care, thinking I would eventually become a foster parent, but that isn’t practical for our family at this time, so I decided to explore other ways to get involved. That led me to CASA.

Tell us about the case you’re working on right now.

The case I am on right now is on a long path. Being their CASA has brought some consistency to the kids and the case. The case has had changes in caseworkers, foster homes, parent attorneys, therapists, etc, so I feel that the consistency of knowing that I know the history without having to read the lengthy reports and files is important.

What unique life experience or skillsets do you bring to your CASA cases?

My own kids have a variety of backgrounds and challenges, so I had already done a lot of reading about childhood trauma, ADHD, and other challenges. Plus, I have worked in elementary schools for about eight years.

If you had a friend or family member who was thinking about being a CASA but they weren’t sure, what would you tell them?

If you have the passion, do it! It takes time, but we make the time for what is important to us, so at least go to an information session and see what you think.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell me about yourself or your work as a CASA?

I love my CASA kids! They are the most amazing people I have ever met. They are strong, resilient kids and it is so important that their voice is heard as loudly (or louder than) any other person on the case.

In addition to carving out time to be a CASA volunteer, Jacque is a busy wife and mom and is an avid reader. If you are interested in making room in YOUR schedule to support vulnerable kids, attend an upcoming Volunteer Info Hour at the CASA office!

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