Macon Magazine

76 maconmagazine.com | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2023 W hen Joshua* was abandoned by his adoptive family at 13 years old, he spent the subsequent years in Central Georgia bouncing between group homes and foster families. His hope of finding a forever family never waned, even when he moved as far away as Atlanta. The instability alone was enough to cause any adolescent anxiety, anger, or fear. But the collective impact of all of those CASA volunteers on all of those children and families over the 25-year history of the organization and into the future is tremendous, not only on those families but on our community as a whole. Joyce Snead, a retired insurance agent, visited Joshua each month to ensure his welfare and to better understand the reality of his environment. She came to know Joshua and, through observing him in foster home placements and during visits from his original adoptive family, came to understand the bigger picture of his case. Snead summarized her findings in written reports to the judge and attended hearings connected to Joshua's case. Snead translated his experiences for a judicial context, and so she gave this neglected child a voice in a grown-up world. Snead is a part of a small but powerful community organization known as Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, Central Georgia. CASA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in foster care in Bibb, Peach, and Crawford counties. By advocating for children who have experienced abuse or neglect, volunteers from the community amplify each child's voice and help change a child's story. As CASA volunteers, "we come to know their struggles and are supportive of the children throughout their struggles," Snead said. "My job is not to make them who I think they should be, but bring out the best that is within them for themselves." From group homes to foster homes and back again, Snead built a trusting and insightful relationship with Joshua, one that provided a unique and valuable perspective to the many parties involved in his outcome, most notably the juvenile justice court judge appointed to his case, Judge Chéferre Young. "CASA volunteers bring a sense of balance to the case," Young shared. "They are the party I look at as a non-biased party." Attorneys representing the child, the parents, and the Department of Family and Child Services are all arguing for various outcomes in any given case. "My job is to determine the best interest of the child. Whenever there are competing viewpoints, I look to the CASA volunteer to offer an unbiased perspective with no self-interest involved. It is a huge benefit when deciding such sensitive cases." Over the years of Joshua's struggle for permanency, he found Snead to be the adult in his life who helped the court see his path forward. "Ms. Joyce has definitely made a difference in my journey," Joshua said. "Throughout my childhood, I've been through a lot. CASAs are the ones that are pushing me forward

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