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CASA Shari Devotes Five Years to her CASA Kiddos

By CASA of Berks County

Apr 01, 2022
CASA Shari with Grace, Alice, and Lucy (not their real names)

Siblings removed from their home in 2017, reunite to celebrate adoption of third sister in 2022.

“Where would the girls be without me? I am really not sure, but I am grateful to be a part of their lives!” said CASA Shari Wapinsky when asked about her advocacy for three siblings she worked with for the past five years. “I am happy to say they are all finally adopted into separate loving homes with support systems that will allow for their growth into beautiful young women.”

 G, A, and L were brought into foster care due to domestic violence and medical neglect. Aged 7, 4, & 2, all three girls suffered from high lead levels untreated for some time. Unfortunately, the effects of observing domestic violence and untreated lead poisoning resulted in behavior challenges for each of the children. A foster home able to care for all three girls simultaneously was not available. The girls were eventually placed into three separate homes to receive the one-to-one care needed.

 CASA Shari was assigned to the girls in early 2017 and stayed as their CASA advocate until December 2021, when G’s adoption was finalized. Over the nearly five years, CASA Shari visited each of the girls when they were in foster care, and each time, they went back to their mother in everyone’s attempts to reunify the family. Unfortunately, drugs and domestic violence make it hard for anyone to be a stable parent. The girl’s mother tried to make it work, but each time the reunification failed. And each child went back to foster care.   The girls have been in over 12 different foster homes between the three of them. Each time CASA Shari was there.

 Keeping the siblings connected became the focus of CASA Shari’s advocacy. “The girls were, unfortunately, all placed in different homes throughout the five years which lead to a different challenge, how to see them all and also how to get them together so they could remain connected.”  Eventually, L and A were adopted by their foster parents. The two foster families shared the goal of keeping the girls connected and sponsored several ‘get togethers” so that the three siblings stay connected.

 G had the most challenging time recovering from her traumatic early life. She experienced more domestic violence than her younger siblings and saw herself as the one responsible for protecting them. As a result, she never got to be a little girl herself. It was a slower process helping G become at peace with her trauma experience and become a little girl someone wanted to adopt. Shari was faithful in her visits and celebrated when G’s adoption was final this past December.

CASA Shari with Grace, Alice, and Lucy (not their real names)

 Shari says of CASA work, “Being a CASA has been eye-opening and made me humble. I encourage people to do it because we need advocates for children.” Shari reflected more on her experience. “I found being a CASA for several children at one time frustrating at times. But, I always had Christa’s [ CASA Volunteer Manager] support and wisdom to help me off the ledge. I am thankful for her guidance.”  Would Shari do it again. She told Christa that she needed a bit of a break. After that, she will be back to take on a new case of children who need an advocate, “if you have the time, being a CASA is the way to go.”

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