Although there has been considerable integration progress made, there is still more to do. Your continued patience and understanding is greatly appreciated as transitions in communications, administration and programming operations move forward.

Voices for Children will operate two offices, and staff members can be reached at their respective location.

Administrative & County Program Offices:

121 South Meramec Avenue, 2^nd Floor

St. Louis, MO 63105

(314) 615-2908

City Program Offices:

920 North Vandeventer

St. Louis, MO 63108

(314) 552-2352

Thank you for your support as this historic occasion has unfolded. There is much excitement around what is possible, and we look forward to your ongoing involvement in our combined work.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jan K Huneke, Chief Executive Officer, at (314) 552-2278 or jkhuneke@voices-stl.org.

Thank You to

WHOLE FOODS MARKETS

for partnering with CASA for 10 wonderful years!

2011 was another successful year for our annual Giving Tree!  Thanks to the support of the St. Louis community, we were able to ensure that every child in foster care served by a CASA volunteer (in St. Louis County) had at LEAST 2 of their wishes fulfilled for the holidays!

The below businesses went above and beyond by supporting multiple children in foster care and we are forever grateful!

Whole Foods Locations:

1160 Town and Country Crossing Drive
Town And Country, Missouri
Phone: 636.527.1160

1601 S. Brentwood Blvd
St Louis, Missouri
Phone: 314.968.7744

United Health Care

13655 Riverport Drive  Maryland Heights, MO 63043-4812

Washington University

St. Louis, MO

Air Products

12834 Gravois Rd. St. Louis, MO 63127

AON Hewitt

8182 Maryland Ave # 1500  St. Louis, MO 63105-3916

Cassidy Turley

1034 S. Brentwood Blvd. Ste 800, St. Louis, MO 63117

Edward Jones

12555 Manchester Road, St. Louis, MO 63131

Inside Message:

“…And best wishes for a happy new year!”

To avoid shipping & handling costs, you may pick up your cards at the CASA office at 121 S. Meramec, Second Floor, St. Louis, MO 63105

Inside Message:

“Merry Christmas!”

To avoid shipping & handling costs, you may pick up your cards at the CASA office at 121 S. Meramec, Second Floor, St. Louis, MO 63105

Inside is BLANK for your own personalized message.

To avoid shipping & handling costs, you may pick up your cards at the CASA office at 121 S. Meramec, Second Floor, St. Louis, MO 63105

Inside Message:

“Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season!”

To avoid shipping & handling costs, you may pick up your cards at the CASA office at 121 S. Meramec, Second Floor, St. Louis, MO 63105

Inside Message:

“Warmest holiday wishes!”

To avoid shipping & handling costs, you may pick up your cards at the CASA office at 121 S. Meramec, Second Floor, St. Louis, MO 63105

Inside Message:

“Season’s Greetings!”

To avoid shipping & handling costs, you may pick up your cards at the CASA office at 121 S. Meramec, Second Floor, St. Louis, MO 63105

Amanda’s story is not unlike many children in the foster care system. Amanda first came to the attention of the Court after an allegation of physical abuse from her mother’s boyfriend. Knowing she was both physically and mentally unable to care for her, Amanda’s mother consented to terminating her parental rights and hoped that her daughter would someday understand her decision. She wrote Amanda a letter so that her daughter would know she wanted what was best for her. Amanda’s CASA Volunteer, Marion Haskell, remembers what Amanda’s mother said to her before signing the papers to terminate her parental rights, “You think I’m bad. I’m the best in my family, and I want my daughter to have better.”

The Fishers*, Amanda’s current pre-adoptive parents, entered her life when she was three. They soon fell in love with her and decided they wanted her to be their daughter. Marion, who was first appointed as Amanda’s CASA volunteer after she had already been in foster care for over a year, has been instrumental in the successes Amanda has seen. She recalls how things were when Amanda was first placed with the Fishers. “She was afraid to go to sleep at night. She had to sleep with the light on, and one of the Fishers would sleep on the floor beside her and hold her hand. Thanks to them, she sleeps by herself now in her very own room.” Other obstacles Amanda initially faced included developmental delay and difficulty transitioning to a new school. To help with these and other issues, Amanda began speech and play therapy.

Amanda has made great progress since she first entered foster care. Today, her play therapist feels that she no longer needs weekly appointments and is very glad to see that Amanda is verbally expressing her needs, as well as her anger towards her mother and past situations, in an appropriate manner. She also is showing no signs of attachment disorder, an illness that often occurs in children in foster care and those adopted. As a result of the abuse or neglect these children have endured, they lack trust in adults due to the instability and trauma they have suffered. This mistrust and fear creates a barrier that makes it very hard for a child to “attach” and bond with others. Recently, Amanda’s special education teacher recommended that she move into a larger classroom setting so that she could be exposed to further peer interaction. Marion recalls the amazing strides Amanda has made. “In the beginning, she could barely talk. She babbled her words. When she began speaking and reacting to the people around her, it was like opening a bottle of champagne. Finally, she’s on track with kids her age.”

The adoption process was about to be completed when Amanda’s father, Rob*, came into the picture. The Court had been looking for him since she first came into care. However, most of the individuals involved in the case believed they would never find him. Rob lived in Maryland and until recently, he was unaware he had a daughter. Despite the distance, he wanted to be with Amanda.

Marion understood the situation that Amanda’s biological father was in and was passionate about giving him a fair shot at a life with his daughter. Marion supported Rob getting to know her and watched as they played games with each other during visits. Amanda appeared to be having fun and enjoying her time with her father. However, after getting to know Amanda better, it became clear to Rob that she was already in a wonderful home with people who loved her very much. When Amanda returned to the Fishers after visiting with her father, she expressed to Marion that “This was her home,” thereby validating how she felt about her pre-adoptive placement.

Coming to terms with the realization that Amanda would be better off being raised by another family was difficult for Rob. “It took a lot of guts for Amanda’s parents to give her up. Her father is a very sick man, both mentally and physically, which would make raising Amanda nearly impossible. He, too, was adopted as a child. So, he knows how difficult it has been for Amanda. Most people see giving up their kids as unthinkable. But in some cases, giving up a child so that he or she can have a better life is the most loving thing any parent could do,” Marion explained.

If everything goes according to plan, Amanda’s adoption will be finalized in only a few short months. Someday, she will read the letters from her biological parents and know that although they couldn’t care for her, they loved her enough to give her to a family that could. It seems as though Amanda will finally have the nurturing and stable home she’s been waiting for her entire young life.

*Names changed to protect confidentiality

Inside Message:

“Happy Holidays”

To avoid shipping & handling costs, you may pick up your cards at the CASA office at 121 S. Meramec, Second Floor, St. Louis, MO 63105