Advocates for abandoned, abused and neglected children

How to keep homeless children from becoming homeless adults: ProKids
Peter Bronson, Cincinnati Enquirer, Oct. 24, 2006, Editorial pg 7B

On a rainy Monday as I waited to turn left at Seventh and Elm, a 20-something guy in sagging, stained slacks swayed on the curb, then dipped and swayed across the street like a sailor on a pitching deck. I wondered: What career path gets you to high-mileage derelict before the age of 30?

Some of the answers can be found at a house on Kemper Lane, where the offices of ProKids are tucked into a quiet residential neighborhood. It's an unlikely place to find one of the last, best hopes for abandoned, abused and neglected kids. But there it is.

Cramped offices in former bedrooms are crowded with lawyers, counselors, volunteers, fund-raisers and supervisors who support more than 100 Court Appointed Special Advocates, who are guardian angels for kids lost in the system.

Some of those children are like the little boy in a ProKids video whose dream is to live with a real family and celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas again someday.

Or the one who had been shuffled around to so many foster homes he attended 10 schools by 10th grade.

They are taken from their families by the courts to protect them from child abuse, then "age out" of the system at 18 and have no safety net, no place to turn.

One day they're on medications, in therapy, living in a foster home, protected by the courts. The next day they're on the street.

"Two-thirds are unable to function," said ProKids Director Tracy Cook. "They're at great risk of homelessness and criminal activity."

It's easy to understand the passion of the ProKids team. Most of the children they see are victims of extreme abuse, casualties of the unseen wars behind front doors all over the city.

For 99 percent, abuse stops when they are assigned a CASA.

And while caseworkers at Child Protective Services each handle 20 children or far more, CASA volunteers handle only one or two.

They devote a few hours a week to phone or spend time with kids, to make sure they get therapy, get to school and get treated fairly in court.

About 1,100 children are in Hamilton County foster care. The lucky ones get help from ProKids. But 800 do not have CASAs.

Since the heartbreaking story of how Marcus Feisel was killed in foster care, volunteer training sessions have been standing room only, said Chris Santoro.

"After Marcus, we started getting inundated with calls," she said. They had more than 300 in August and September, compared with 200 for the rest of the year.

Callers are invited to a 45-minute "snapshot" session to learn how to donate or volunteer.

"We can't all be foster parents, but this is something we can do," said Santoro, who is herself a volunteer CASA.

ProKids tries to get children adopted, but many have problems. Only 77 were adopted in 2005.

Cook tells the story of one home where police made 17 domestic violence runs in two months. "I had this hope that my generation was going to do better, but the sad reality is that our generation is not doing better," she said.

People ask her if her job is depressing. "No. It's the most joyful thing in the world to help someone and leave the world a better place."

"This is something we can fix," said Ria Davidson, a public relations volunteer for ProKids. "It's doable."

She's right. Maybe someday abused kids won't wind up on the streets, drowning their pain in a bottle of something that is never as warm as a family.

How you can help
ProKids relies on donations from the United Way and other sources. Its biggest fund-raiser is an annual dinner and silent auction coming up Nov. 4.It costs $2,500 to support one child for a year.To donate or volunteer, call 513-487-6448.