Malvern Woman Honored For Work With Neglected Children

Christina Baker Kline, author of The New York Times #1 bestseller Orphan Train, will address a crowd deeply committed to advocating for children very similar to her novel’s protagonists at the CASA Youth Advocates annual Gala.

The following four individuals will also be honored for their work with abused and neglected children:

- Christina Wiita of Narberth

- Francy Strathmann of Newtown Square

- Maureen Rodenhiser of Malvern

· - Carolyn Longo of Media

Delaware County CASA recruits, trains and supports volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates who work to ensure abused and neglected children in Delaware County’s and Chester County’s Dependency Court systems a safe, permanent, and nurturing home.

Meanwhile, Orphan Train’s two main characters – a Depression-era orphan and a modern-day foster child – seek just such safe, nurturing homes in their own lives, but with little support along the way.

Kline’s address will explore the historical context that inspired her novel: the real-life orphan trains that transported orphaned and abandoned children from the East Coast to the Midwest between 1854 and 1929. Her description of the challenges and discrimination faced by these unwanted, mostly immigrant children is anticipated to strike a chord with the evening’s guests.

According to research conducted through the National CASA Association, children with a Court Appointed Special Advocate are more likely to be adopted, half as likely to re-enter foster care, receive more services while in the system, and perform better in school. Insuring these improved outcomes for all children in Delaware County’s and Chester County’s Dependency Courts becomes a matter of scale and resources, which is where fundraising events like the CASA’s annual Gala play an important role.

The event will take place on December 4 at the Drexelbrook Corporate Center in Drexel Hill from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Tickets and sponsorships are available by contacting 610-565-2208 or visiting www.delcocasa.org.

Since 1992, CASA Youth Advocates has worked to ensure each child in Delaware County’s child welfare system a safe, permanent, and nurturing home. Delaware County CASA recruits and trains volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates to advise the courts on the best interests of an abused or neglected child, with support and guidance from CASA’s professional staff of social workers and attorneys. In 2015 CASA expanded services to Chester County children.