CASA Delaware Live!

In Episode #57, we chat with Jessica Sinarski, LPCMH about vicarious trauma and self-care. Jessica has spent 20 years in the mental health field specifically focusing on the brain, brain development, and how trauma affects the brain. This topic can be applicable to all CASAs in all situations, so please enjoy!  Here are some links to what Jessica referred to during our conversation: https://www.st...

In Episode #56, we chat with Meg Garey, the Executive Director of A Better Chance for Our Children "ABC." ABC is an adoption agency in Delaware that holds a contract with the Division of Family Services in order to offer foster care and adoptive resources. ABC conducts home studies, or family assessments, for families interested in adoption. Meg chats with us about what goes into a famil...

In Episode #55, we interview Tara Oliver from Healthy Families Delaware. She describes her program, how it offers support to families with infants, and how they connected families in need with community resources. As a CASA, think about how your family might benefit from their services, though be aware that the services must start before the baby is 2 months old. This services is wonderful and con...

In Episode #54, I discuss our upcoming 2022 training calendar. Here are some highlights: In-Services will be back in-person! They will include a hybrid option via Zoom so anyone who cannot physically attend can still receive the information.  New Castle County will meet the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 2-4pm. We will start in January at the Courtyard Marriott by the University (400 David Hollowe...

In Episode #53, we chat with Meredith Seitz, Chief Policy Advisor to the Division of Services for Children, Youth, and their Families as well as Antonisha Busby, the Youth In Transition Coordinator at the Office of the Child Advocate. These amazing ladies discuss the recently signed House Bill 123 which grants higher education tuition waivers to youth who have experienced foster care. This bill ha...

In Episode #52, CASA Coordinator Camille Kesheshian discusses how CASA Volunteers can work positively within their teams. These teams focus around the same goal: Permanency for the Child. During the treatment phase of a DFS case, CASAs will work with a variety of different partners from biological parents to foster parents, from DFS social workers to family interventionists. There are a lot of pla...

In Episode #51, we chat with 4 amazing CASA Volunteers who have been with their youth for over two years! That's right, 2 years of consistent advocacy for the same youth.  The purpose of this interview was to highlight how relationships change over time and to provide the audience with some ideas on how to keep the live alive if they find themselves with a youth for a lengthy period of time....

In Episode #50, we chat with two CASA Coordinators, Emella Kamara and Jennifer Falkowski. Both coordinators share insight on the benefits of youth engagement during their court hearings. They discuss some barriers as well but also discuss how the virtual court appearance option has allowed more youth to attend court and feel comfortable doing so! By virtually participating in court, youth have mis...

In Episode #49, we conduct a follow up discussion with Family Court Judge Jones, Alaina Chamberlain -Child Attorney, and Michelle Skoranski-DFS Attorney discuss with us reasons why DFS would be excused from providing reasonable efforts. Through their discussion, we focus on specific incidences where DFS may be excused from working towards reunification through providing these reasonable efforts. J...

In Episode #48, we chat with Mrs. Melissa Briddell of the Elizabeth W. Murphey School located in Dover. The Murphey school is a group home that serves children ages 6-18 then offers a transitional housing option for those over 18 years old. Ms. Briddell outlines life as a house parent, explains the residential breakdown of cottages, and then explains the transitional housing options for youth who...

In Episode #47, we celebrate 50 years of the Delaware Family Court System! To honor this momentous occasion, we interview Chief Judge Michael Newell, Sussex County Family Court Judge Kenneth M. Millman and Child Advocate Tania Culley, Esq. of the Office of the Child Advocate. These three guests discuss their involvement in the Family Court History Book project as well as how they have witnessed th...

Episode #46 focuses on the development of children! Pediatrician Judy Gorra speaks to CASA volunteers about what they should know about child development. We go through the early infancy years through the teenage  years. Dr. Gorra shares some very insightful information on the prenatal process as well as the necessity of early bonding between children and caregivers. All CASAs can benefit from lis...

In Episode #45, we chat with Moira Dillon of the Division of Family Services as she walks us through the Permanency Planning Committee process. This process is known to many as the "PPC" and it is what determines a child's permanency plan while in the custody of DFS. During most cases, a CASA volunteer will attend at least one PPC meeting on their child(ren). In this episode, Moira...

In Episode #44, we chat about a dependency/neglect case flow from an Ex Parte Order to the Permanency Hearing. We discuss when court reports are due by CASA volunteers, what the purpose is of each court hearing and how to should always focus on permanency....we must seek an Urgency for Permanency! We do not want children to grow up in foster care, so CASA should always work with team members in at...

In this episode, we interview CASA Caroline Jones who also happens to be the founder and CEO of a Delaware Non-Profit called Kind to Kids. Caroline became a CASA in 2007 and during her first few years, she experienced several hardships for kids in foster care who she realized she could help! So, Kind to Kids was founded in 2010 with the mission of "a future for every child." In our chat,...

Jessica Hazzard is the newest member of the CASA Staff! We are so excited to have her join us as a CASA Coordinator serving Kent and Sussex Counties. Jess joined the CASA Program on April 13, 2021 and is now assigned several new CASA volunteers as well as a few veteran volunteers. She brings with her child welfare experience having worked in a homeless shelter, as a child welfare investigator and...

Have you heard the term "Reasonable Efforts" in a dependency/neglect proceeding yet? Have you ever wondered what that actually means? In this episode, we interview Family Court Judge Peter B. Jones along with child attorney Alaina Chamberlain and DFS attorney Michelle Skoranksi. Our three panels describe Reasonable Efforts and how they pertain to child welfare, specifically what findings...

In this episode, we interview Jennifer Tozer from the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services, known as DDDS. Jen chats with us about how clients are referred to their programs, what community partners and connections DDDS works with as well as how clients can take advantage of their services. We also chat about housing options, case manager and worker support, and philosophies. Jennifer a...

Mayda Berrios entered foster care in her mid-teens as a result of a challenging relationship with her biological mother. From day one, Mayda was a strong self-advocate. She stayed in foster care until the age of 18 when she graduated high school and headed off to Delaware State University where she is currently a Junior. She took advantage of Independent Living Services and was able to seek severa...

In Episode #38, we take a moment to chat with State Director Melissa Palokas. Missy chats with us about the current state of the CASA Program including our current recruitment efforts and the need for more CASA volunteers. Currently, only about half of children in foster care have a CASA volunteer. All children experiencing foster care have an attorney, but only half have the additional support of...

In Episode #37, we interview 6 amazing advocates in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month. We start off with Prevent Child Abuse Delaware's Director Kellie Turner along with her colleague Tricia Ewing, the Director of Advancement. Tricia also recently became a CASA Volunteer!   We have Sharon Fallen - Family Crisis Therapist, who works in the Little Kid Treatment unit, her role is case planni...

In Episode #36, we interview Michelle Darling of the Youth Rehabilitative Services ("YRS") which is a sister agency to the Division of Family Services ("DFS"). In our chat with Michelle, we learn how YRS operates, how they offer services to the children they serve, and how they partner with other state agency. Michelle helps understand the purpose of YRS and how clients are ref...

In Episode #35, we chat with attorney Alex Corbin. Alex walks us through some of the early processes the Department of Education took in order to respond to the pandemic in Spring 2020. He discusses what some of these adjustments were as well as how they affected students, especially those who use special education services as well as children in the custody of Division of Family Services. Alex di...

In Episode #34, we honor retiring CASA Coordinator Jacqueline Kemp. Jacqui is retiring after 18 years in the child welfare arena having spent the last few years with the CASA Program. In our chat with Jacqui, she discusses how the child welfare sector has changed over the past two decades and what life was like growing up with a father as a traveling doctor. She discusses how these experiences hel...

In Episode #33, we have the privilege of interviewing Chief Judge Michael Newell.  During our chat, the Chief Judge discusses fascinating history within Family Court as well as his own personal path to the bench. The Chief Judge also discusses some of his initiatives leading the Family Court as well as what he hopes to undertake in 2021 including celebrating 50 years of Delaware's Family Cour...