Community feature exploring child advocacy and volunteer impact
Interview by Samantha Shrock
Many dream of making an impact, yet overlook their own communities. Local need is great, but hands are scarce. For Larry Nafziger, a retired educator and administrator of 42 years, service could have faded with retirement. Instead, it expanded.
Nafziger’s passion to invest in the future of local youth has endured beyond his career in education. Among his many volunteer roles, Nafziger has served more than 15 years as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate with National CASA/GAL Association. CASA is a nationwide nonprofit that trains volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in court. CASA’s core mission is to provide safe, stable, and permanent homes for every child in need. Over 79,000 volunteers annually serve more than 200,000 children across 890 active programs in the United States.1
Nafziger has encountered 10 cases in his 15 years with CASA. His longest assigned case spanned nearly five years. During his time as principal of Wakarusa Elementary School, Nafziger frequently crossed paths with CASA when the organization’s volunteers supported his students. That impact prompted Nafziger to be sworn in as a volunteer after retirement.
Q: Thank you for joining me, Larry. I know you’ve made such a positive impact on many children through this program. Could you describe some of your responsibilities as a CASA?
A: Thank you for having me. To become a CASA, I was sworn in by a juvenile magistrate and appointed my first case shortly after. I work with neglected and abused children who are struggling to thrive in broken homes. Volunteers meet with their assigned children a least once per month, though more frequent visits are encouraged. Volunteers also complete welfare checks to ensure the children’s parents are following through on medical appointments, vaccinations, and any other court mandates. Adequate food, clothing, and safe shelter are the key provisions in these checks. Volunteers are welcome to take on multiple cases, though two or three at a time is typically most manageable.
Q: How has your volunteer experience been most meaningful and rewarding for you?
A: I enjoy interacting with the children. I am currently assigned two sisters, a toddler and a one-year-old. Both were removed from their home due to parental abuse, including challenges the mother faced in addressing the younger child’s medical needs. I value the opportunity to advocate for these sisters, spend time with them, and support their wellbeing. I want them to feel that someone is looking out for them and wants them to thrive.
Q: What has been one of the most challenging variables of volunteering? I’m sure the cases pull at your heart strings.
A: It is heartbreaking to witness the situations these children face—they cannot protect themselves. Of my cases, neglect has been the most common form of abuse. I encounter many children who suffer from malnutrition and inadequate hygiene due to parental neglect. In some cases, these children are living in environments with pets that receive more attention and care than the children themselves.
Q: What seem to be the most common reasons children enter the protective service and foster systems?
A: In my experience, many of the parents who create unsafe living environments struggle with substance abuse, including alcohol, drugs, or prescription misuse. If a child is removed and the parent takes all necessary steps to get and stay clean during the separation, reunification becomes much more likely. There are powerful success stories when parents turn their lives around for their children, but in some cases, permanent separation is the best possible scenario to keep the children safe. Many of these adoption stories are also powerful celebrations, especially when children find security and a sense of belonging for the first time in their lives. Provisional and emotional support from a caretaker position a child to succeed.
Q: Have more of your cases closed with adoption or reunification? And do you stay in contact with the families after your cases close?
A: Cases tend to balance out evenly, with as many children returning home as being adopted into loving families. After a case closes, I cannot initiate contact–the parent or guardian must reach out first. Most cases are active anywhere from one to five years, so you spend quite a bit of time investing in a child’s life as a volunteer. Naturally, you attach and become protective of the child. Parting ways at the end of the case is difficult, but the hope and priority is sending the children forward with significantly more stability.
Q: CASA is always seeking new volunteers. For those interested in serving, what does that process look like?
A: Prospective volunteers complete weekly online modules containing chapters and assessments. Nine modules are required to complete training. These modules contain crucial information on how to speak to and for children in court, with instructions on how to follow up on court mandates. Also required is an interview with the director of your local CASA office, as well as background checks and references. Once completed, volunteers are sworn in as official CASAs. As a volunteer, certain privileges are granted, including access to court and school records pertaining to your assigned cases. Volunteers also partake in family team meetings with case workers and parents to develop a system of checks and balances. These meetings ensure the ongoing safety and wellbeing of the children, occurring at least every three months.
Q: Larry, thank you so much for sharing your experiences. What would you say to a reader who feels called to help, but doesn’t know where to start?
A: Thank you for the opportunity to share. We are always seeking new volunteers. Our work is far from finished, as there are so many children who still need our help. I highly encourage anyone considering a volunteer role to reach out to their local CASA office for more information on how to get connected. If you’re looking to make a hands-on difference in your community, this is exactly the way to do it.
*If you’re interested in learning more about becoming CASA volunteer, click here.
- Our Reach. National CASA/GAL Association for Children. https://nationalcasagal.org/our-impact/our-reach/
Samantha Shrock 