By Dianne Anderson

Unless someone steps in to break the self-destructive cycle, odds are stacked high against 4,000 foster kids in San Bernardino County who shuffle from foster care to group homes, then “age out” into high unemployment, jail or living on the streets.

Some of the kids are challenged, to say the least. They've seen hard lives. Many were raped or molested as children. Through their formative years, they were beaten, neglected and emotionally abused.

If those kids can emerge with any hint of normalcy, maybe they won't do it to their own kids -- as a high percentage of the 2,300 teens aging out in California annually are expected to get pregnant or become absentee fathers not long after they hit the streets.

It's a cycle that CASA, the county's Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), wants to stop before the statistics repeat another generation. Currently, the program serves about 120 local foster children, with 150 teens on their waiting list.

“So we're not even meeting 10 percent [of the need],” said Kara Hunter, CASA program director. “Our volunteers aren't permanent. They're designed to be temporary intervention, so we're always looking for new volunteers.”

Funded through grants, contracts with the county and state, annual fundraisers, and donations, CASA tries to link one child or teen with a volunteer for mentoring.

“We're dealing with families that have complicated situations,” she said. “I was always under the belief that all kids need love and families. Our kids are an example of what happens when a child doesn't get that,” she said.

Currently, African Americans represent about half of all children in the foster system nationwide, but children in San Bernardino County are more racially diversified, Hunter said, adding that African American children are still overrepresented in the system.

She said that CASA is drawing more interest from younger college students seeking internships. Some are trying to get their start in the field of social work. And there is always a need for more help.

“The referral list and the waiting list is a revolving door,” she said. “As soon as we find someone an advocate, we get more referrals. We need volunteers.”

Even in a good year, around half the 15-20,000 foster kids who age out of the system across the nation will be jobless, half will become homeless, and many more will go to prison and jails. Nationally, CASA is located in about 1,000 counties with independently run programs.

Recent years have seen an increase in volunteers, even as the economy has gotten worse. She thinks some may be stepping forward to give back, realizing there's a greater need.  In the ten years that she's been doing the work, she says most of the community wants to help, but they just don't know how to get started.

“As long as an organization has a way to make themselves approachable to the community and help them understand what they can do, recruiting volunteers isn't as overwhelming as one might think,” she said.

Maggie Harris, who also works with the program, said that involvement with these children fills a major gap in their lives, and can make the difference between losing their future or getting them interested in a career.

CASA volunteers also directly advocate for resources, collaborate with all the professionals within that child's circle, their case workers, or guardians.

It can even be exciting, she said.

Volunteers give about 10 hours a month, working on a teen's case, face to face time and building the relationship. They introduce ideas, suggestions, nudging the teen to think about college or a trade.

“Their self-esteem grows, they learn how to socialize. They learn to listen,” she said. “There's an immediate need to involve someone in these kids’ lives. If someone doesn't intervene now, what's going to happen?”

Twice a year, volunteers will go before a judge in court to talk about the child's progress. Probably the most important aspect is that the child can get stability and consistency.

“We're the only program that does what we do, so we get the referrals for the kids who need the most help,” she said. “That's what we see is most beneficial to a kid. All the other people in their lives come and go.”

For more information, contact CASA at (909) 881-6760.