THE March ADVOCATE OF THE MONTH IS:
Jeanmarie Murray
The March advocate of the Month is Jeanmarie Murray. March is usually a time of excitement, reassurance and renewed hope as it ushers in spring and all the new beginnings after a cold winter. We can’t help but feel this is a perfect analogy for Jeanmarie and her relationship with her CASA child. The young girl assigned to her has been through some tough times, however Jeanmarie’s visit month after month are a bright spot for her, especially when she brings new books to read.
Jeanmarie’s case has been unusual and lasted much longer than child welfare cases usually do. Jeanmarie has stayed consistent, dedicated, and has been a source of support, hope and light for her child every month for 12 years.
She recently had to testify in the trial and as you can imagine, it’s hard to sum up 12 years’ worth of history in your answers. However, Jeanmarie did it well. She was able to summarize the issues and concerns without minimizing them, share about past and current efforts for permanency, and advocate for the child’s best interests as she spoke on the stand.
When someone signs up for be a CASA Advocate the initial ask is a 12-18 month commitment. Jeanmarie’s case has taken many turns, ups and downs and more over the years. No one expects a case to last this long, but we are forever grateful for Jeanmarie and her commitment to her child. Over the years this child’s had multiple placements, schools, caseworkers, therapists, and more; but she’s on had ONE Advocate. Because of Jeanmarie, this little girl has familiar face to celebrate the big things like birthdays and holidays with; and small things like making the honor roll or having someone to talk to about hard days. Someone consistent to check in and make sure her needs are met and someone who can share an accurate life and case history with other parties on the case when they change over the years. This is the difference CASA makes over the life of a case, not matter if it’s 12 months or 12 years.