Court Appointed Special Advocates help Borderland foster children
EL PASO (KVIA) -- If you go to the Heart Gallery of El Paso website at www.heartgalleryelpaso.org you can see a handful of amazing kids who hope to find a forever home. ABC-7 Anchor Paul Cicala continues work with the Heart Gallery to spotlight youngsters from our borderland who hope to be adopted.
Heart Gallery of El Paso also works closely with the non-profit "CASA" (Court Appointed Special Advocates).
CASA Training Director, Viviana Silva, said, "It's really just coming together to advocate for these children in need and just being a voice for them, especially since their going through this process, trying to find a forever home."
It's a vision that's also shared by Heart Gallery of El Paso.
Lisa Saucedo, CEO of CASA of El Paso, added, "Casa of El Paso serves the abused children that are in foster care. We provide volunteers to advocate for their best interest in court."
"Because our advocates are court-appointed," Viviana Silva said. "They're able to talk to anyone and everyone involved in the system with teachers and biological families, to case workers, attorneys, anyone and everyone so that they can give that recommendation as to what are in the best interest to the judge when there are court hearings."
The charity CASA also encourages volunteers to step up and donate their time with the non-profit.
"If you just think about a volunteer doing what we'd do for our own children," said Saucedo, "We would get to know them, know what's happened to them, get to know their foster parents, talk to their teachers, their doctors, their therapists. Figure what they need. Do they need to be on a soccer team. Do they need a school uniform. Do they need therapy sessions. Do they need help in school or with homework. What will make their lives better while they're in foster care."
ABC-7 anchor Paul Cicala has done a number of segments on kids looking to be adopted, as KVIA continues to partner with the Heart Gallery, and will continue with these profiles in the upcoming weeks. Look out for the stories on ABC-7.
