The importance of CASA's existence is described by Moira Szilagyi, MD, PhD, Past Director of Starlight Pediatrics, pediatric medical home for children and teens in foster care in Monroe County. Dr. Szilagyi said, "We are always delighted to learn that a Family Court judge has assigned CASA to a foster care case because we know that there will be diligent effort to obtain information from all the family and professionals involved in the case, that communication among all of the professionals will be enhanced, that both foster and birth parents will feel supported, and that children will have excellent advocacy. We are often able to obtain important health information from the CASA worker when all other avenues have failed. We are also able to ensure that important health information reaches the attention of the Family Court judge. And CASA is invaluable in helping families to obtain services and equipment for medically complex children when all other avenues have been exhausted."
Retired Judge Anthony Sciolino notes " During a 20-year time span as a Monroe County Family Court judge, I became well acquainted with CASA of Rochester/Monroe County. Child abuse and neglect cases, involving vulnerable children, from infancy to teenage, formed a significant portion of my busy court docket. The vast majority of these children were born into dysfunctional families, often intergenerational, characterized by poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, violence, or other living conditions. To deal with these often heart-rending cases, I considered myself blessed to have the assistance of CASA representatives to act as my eyes and ears outside the courtroom. The written and oral reports they provided helped me to make more informed judicial decisions, particularly, particularly in cases that seemed to require Solomon-like wisdom."
