Finding steadiness in uncertainty

How long can a child live in uncertainty? For one girl, the number at the top of her court report gave the answer: 534 days in out-of-home care, spread across several foster homes.

Think about that for a moment: 534 days of uncertainty. 534 days of not knowing how long she would stay in one place or when she might be moved to the next. 534 days of wondering if she’d have to change schools again. 534 days of waiting for an answer to the most basic question a child can ask: Where do I belong?

For this child, reunification with her parent was no longer an option. So what would come next? Adoption? Guardianship? Or might she turn 18 without ever having a safe, loving, permanent home?

Here’s the hard truth: 534 days actually falls short of the average. Most children spend closer to 1,000 days—nearly three years—in foster care. Which means this child may be just over halfway through her journey in the child welfare system.

You might be wondering: how does a child survive this? (You might even be wondering how you would survive this.) The answer is that others step in to walk alongside them. Every child has an attorney to help navigate the judicial system. Every child has a foster care worker to guide them through the child welfare system. And a judge ultimately makes decisions about what is in the child’s best interest.

And then there are Court Appointed Special Advocates—CASA volunteers. A CASA volunteer has just one case and just one focus: the child they’re appointed to. Because of that, they have the time to really get to know the child’s world and gather information from teachers, caregivers, therapists, and others. They bring all of that perspective together and share it with the court—so that, alongside the work of the attorney and the caseworker, the judge has the fullest picture possible to make decisions. Most importantly, a CASA is a steady, caring adult who shows up—week after week, month after month—through all 534 days, or 1,000 days, or however long it takes.

That’s the difference CASA makes. When everything else feels uncertain, a CASA volunteer is the steady presence a child can count on.

And that includes you. Your care and support—whether through your time, your advocacy, or your generosity—make it possible for children in foster care to know they are not forgotten. Thank you for being part of the community that makes this possible.

This story is featured in the Fall 2025 edition of CASA Connect, CASA of Kent County’s quarterly newsletter. Click here to view a pdf version of this newsletter.