CASA volunteer works to represent best interests of children in court

Jinnie Schenk grew up in an abusive home. When she was about 14, she went to court to fight for her rights.

“At that time,” she said, “the courts, the social services, everything, it just seemed to be not in the best interest of a child. There always seemed to be so many roadblocks.”

She said her birth parents had more rights than she did. She was frustrated and had a hard time trusting anyone.

“I, at that age, didn’t have a voice,” she said. “I was not allowed to say, ‘This is what I want.’”

So now, she tries to give a voice to children in a similar situation. She strives to be a consistent source in the lives of children who have experienced abuse or neglect in their homes.

Schenk serves as a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate, a person appointed by judges to represent the best interests of the children in the court system in cases of child abuse or neglect. Schenk was sworn in as a CASA volunteer in May 2013. So far, she has worked with two children... Click Here to Read the Full ArticleSource: The Frederick News Post, October 1, 2015