As part of The New York Times Opinion’s Holiday Giving Guide 2021, writer Jane Coaston highlights the critical work of CASA/GAL volunteers in the opinion piece “The All-Too-Common Tragedy of Foster Care.” Coaston, who is the daughter of a CASA volunteer in Cincinnati, Ohio, speaks to the struggles facing children and youth in foster care and spotlights the best-interest advocacy a CASA or GAL volunteer provides.

“The job of a [CASA] is to ask questions: To talk to teachers, social workers, parents and, most important, the children themselves. They ask what would make them feel safe and secure.” —Jane Coaston. 

For those without a subscription, The New York Times offers several free articles a month. If you’ve already met that number, save the link to read later or search for the title of the piece on Google or a social media platform like Twitter or Facebook. 

Photo credit: Alex Merto via NY Times  READ MORE