CASA/GAL Volunteer Program imprints on the life of a Community member

Velia Moncada

Gila River Indian News

The Court Appointed Special Advocates/Guardian Ad Litem (CASA/GAL) volunteer program allows everyday people whom a judge appoints to speak up for abused children in court.

It’s also a program that Salvador De Luca, a GRIC urban member from District 1, strongly supports as a former ward of the state.

De Luca was pleased to hear about the program from a personal standpoint and as a court clerk with the Community’s judicial office.

“I didn’t get a caseworker till I was maybe 16 or 17. It wasn’t something that I had throughout the wardship. When the caseworker came into play, they kind of brought up this program. I would be assigned an advocate,” said De Luca.

De Luca was an infant when he was admitted into the Kern County Juvenile Wardship in the State of California off and on until the age of 18. While in foster homes, he never attended his own court trial hearings determining his residencies or given the opportunity to voice his opinion on where he would like to stay.

“When you’re in the court system, you don’t always get to speak,” De Luca said.

It wasn’t until De Luca was expelled from the Kern County Community School District for behavioral issues at the age of 17 that he was assigned to a CASA/GAL Special Advocate named Michael, who would meet with De Luca after school each week for the rest of the year until the end of De Luca’s wardship.

“When I first met him, I just kind of, clammed up,” said De Luca. “Then he starts asking me about my hobbies. What do I like to do?”

De Luca found a connection with Michael as a young ward of the state. They talked about music, sports, and anything else that came to mind. De Luca eventually felt more comfortable with Michale to discuss personal topics that concerned his court cases and his future.

“I think that was kind of like the connecting point because, it’s not about what’s going on at home or about the court case. It’s not about, what I’m going to do. He’s not pressuring me to, you know, decide what I’m going to do. It’s just a casual, friendly conversation,” De Luca stated.

This interaction continued throughout the final year of De Luca’s wardship as he prepared for adulthood, which meant living a life without the involvement of the Kern County Juvenile Court system. De Luca explained that after years of not having a say in his life, he finally experienced what it felt like to have a voice and someone in his corner.

“And then, you know, I aged out in the system and then that kind of ended. Like I said at first, I didn’t think I needed one. It wasn’t until after the fact, I kind of missed having somebody I could just talk to. I feel like that’s all I really wanted at that point. Was just somebody to kind of talk to,” said De Luca.

After being released from the Kern County Juvenile Court system at the age of 18, De Luca was no longer a ward of the state and was removed from the CASA/GAL Special Advocate program. However, Special Advocate Michael asked De Luca to keep in touch. Unfortunately, due to De Luca’s big move from Bakersfield, Calif. to Arizona, De Luca lost that information and has yet to reconnect with his former special advocate. 

“He was very supportive, very ‘You could absolutely do it.’ He gave me the kind of motivation and belief that I could do something apart from whatever happened in the past,” said De Luca.

Now, at the age of 32, De Luca is a Judicial Court Clerk for the Community and is enrolled in an undergraduate law program at the University of Arizona. He studies law with aspirations to become a judge.

“I’m appreciative of the (CASA/GAL) experience, because it was the only time I felt like I had an input in my entire time in the court system. I think it’s going to be very beneficial for the youth of the Community,” concluded De Luca.

CASA/GAL’s vision is for every child to be safe, nurtured, and granted the opportunity to grow in an environment that is well-suited to honoring their culture/tribal identity. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Sharon Banda, CASA/GAL Coordinator, at (520) 562-9860 or email Sharon.Banda.JUD@gric.nsn.us