October 26, 2022
By Ciara Walker Williams
For years, Steve Reinbrecht has used his passion for research and writing to tell stories of Berks County while working at the Reading Eagle and Berks Community Television. Today, he enjoys the other end of the pen while sharing his story as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) working with a 7-year-old boy and a 2.5-year-old girl whose mother has been diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease.
Huntington’s Disease is hereditary and known to cause a breakdown in one’s physical, mental, and emotional abilities. At this time, there is no known cure. It will be a year in December since Reinbrecht became a CASA and began working with the family.
“I’d say the mother is pretty young; maybe in her 30s. It [Huntington’s Disease] keeps her from doing a lot of work around the house, and she can’t drive or work. It’s very sad,” he shares. “There were some concerns about the children and they were taken for about a month, but then they were returned and have been at home the whole time I’ve been working with them.”
Because of this life-changing diagnosis, Reinbrecht understands that his role as a CASA plays a big part in communicating the needs of the children and the family through the court reports that he writes as well as the information he shares with the social worker, teachers, and doctors.
“I talk to their doctors, dentists, and other people on the team working with them to get a picture of what they need and how they’re doing. I also have a meeting to talk to the teacher because I think it’s important to get that input,” he says. “The court takes my reports seriously and the team gives me feedback so I know they’re hearing my input and listening to my point of view. That makes it rewarding.”
Reinbrecht shares that while he received a lot of great training and has experience working with children through tutoring and mentoring, there were some things that he had yet to experience.
“Once I started doing it, I felt a little over my head,” he says. “Their home conditions aren’t always pleasant and they have a lot going on in the background, which might interfere a little with me developing a relationship. So, there have been some challenges.”
Despite the challenges, Reinbrecht has been able to connect with the family and advocate for services such as counseling for the son as well as assistance with housekeeping, meal preparation, and laundry for the mother. The team is also working on getting classes for the parents as the emphasis has been on making sure the children get to school and their appointments.
While some kids in similar situations end up in foster care or adopted, Reinbrecht is hopeful that this family will be able to stay together.
“I feel like I have a pretty good relationship with the children and the caregivers. They talk to me and the services they’ve gotten have made a difference as far as getting things picked up and having a safe environment. I also think the little boy will start counseling at school,” he says. “The children always seem happy when I visit them. They love their parents and the parents love them. I don’t see stress or any problems so things aren’t going backward. The goal is to keep them in their home and that has been my recommendation because the children, in my opinion, are happy and safe.”
Reinbrecht says volunteering as a CASA has taught him a lot about the system as well as opened his eyes to the reality of children and families who need extra help. He looks forward to continuing his journey with CASA of Berks County and encourages others to join him.
“I feel like I’ve learned so much, and I like hanging out with the kids,” he says with a laugh as he recalls playing in the backyard with the brother and sister and watching them swing on the tire swing. “The system is not perfect, but I look at everything in life as a learning experience. I’m learning a lot and it’s very meaningful. I definitely plan to keep doing this as long as I can and encourage others to do it.”
About CASA of Berks County
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Berks County is a non-profit organization that recruits and trains volunteers as child advocates for the children in Berks County who reside in foster care. It was founded in 2015 under the initiative of Judge Ullman, who saw the need for additional “eyes and ears” on the care of Berks County foster children. Children in foster care who have a CASA volunteer, who is a caring consistent adult in their lives, are more likely to succeed in school, more likely to find a forever home, and half as likely to re-enter the foster care system. There are over 400 children in Berks County who reside in foster care at any one time. The organization’s 50 volunteers advocate for 110 children each year. More information at www.casaberks.org.
CASA of Berks County is actively seeking volunteers. If you’d like to help advocate for children who cannot advocate for themselves, come to an information session to learn more about the application and training process involved in becoming an advocate. Email our Advocate Manager at: christa@casaberks.org for more information.
