County

What a typical CASA case looks like

RBC | Mia, Jake, Kyle and Alisha were living in a trailer with their Mom.  Mom was dealing methamphetamine from their home, robbed at gunpoint and beaten in the presence of the children.  Routinely, Mia would gather her younger siblings and lock them in the bathroom to keep them safe from strangers that were “living” in their home.  The children were taken into foster care and the father of two of the children was located by The Department of Human Services (DHS) in another state. The Father moved to Colorado to take custody of the children and tried his hand at full time fatherhood. He even wanted to adopt the third and fourth children since all four of the children considered themselves siblings.

A CASA was assigned to the case and established a relationship with the children. Dad welcomed the CASA’s help and CASA visited the children every 10 days or so. The CASA followed them through several moves. The CASA was able to alert the child protection team to 2 different unsafe living situations that Dad had moved to due to financial difficulties.  The CASA was also the person Jake’s teacher called when she suspected Dad of child abuse.  The CASA was able to direct the teacher to report the suspicion to the child abuse hotline, speak with Jake to clarify what had happened and then arrange a meeting with DHS to educate him on appropriate discipline measures. The CASA spoke at length with Dad and helped him understand that some of Jake’s behaviors may have been a symptom of prior sexual abuse rather than defiance.  As a result, Dad understood the importance of patience with Jake and insuring Jake  attend his therapy appointments.

Three of the children had involved medical needs that had not been well documented in the case. As a result of the trust that the CASA had gained with the children, they opened up about their physical well-being and the CASA was able to bring the children’s needs to the Court’s attention.

Initially, Mom had denied abuse and neglect petition. The CASA testified in court as to what the children had described to her about their living situation when they had been in Mom’s care. The children’s versions all were similar but drastically contradicted Mom’s version. The Court was able to get the 360 degree view of the children’s situation and make a determination based on information provided by the children rather than merely on Mom’s account of the facts. Mom was found guilty of abuse and neglect.

Dad continued to meet the children’s needs and grow in his knowledge of child rearing. He was able to apply for low income housing with the help of the CASA.  The Court awarded him permanent, full custody of all the children and the case was able to close with a safe, stable and permanent home for the children.

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  • Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
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Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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