Dependency Court

* Regarding the juvenile dependency court system, May 7:

The death of Lance Helms is a sure sign that our juvenile court system is overloaded and underfunded. Usually social workers rotate from case to case because there are not enough social workers to provide individual attention for each child. Even though their recommendations to the judge are very important, their assessment for a child’s best interest is limited.

From my experience as an intern at Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orange County, I have witnessed that as a child goes through the dependency process, he or she desperately needs a stable adult in his or her life. Unlike social workers who often rotate cases, the CASA volunteer remains what may be the only stable adult character in a child’s life. More federal funds should be poured into volunteer organizations such as CASA to protect and “speak up” for the rights of dependent children before it’s too late. It is our duty to protect these children from abuse.

VIVIAN Q. LE

Orange