Cristina Bernich Calls Being a CASA Volunteer “Powerful and Meaningful”
For thirty years, Cristina Bernich has made it her mission to help children find their voice. Her work in early intervention as a speech language pathologist and feeding and lactation consultant focuses on establishing the building blocks that will allow children to thrive. And for many years, before having their own children, Cristina and her husband provided emergency foster care for children in their then-home state of Massachusetts. They stepped away from fostering when the commitments of caring for their three sons and aging relatives grew, but helping similar children in need was something Cristina always hoped to return to.
Cristina had met Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers in the course of her work and through her role as a foster parent. Then one day she saw an ad on social media for CASA. “I just thought, what a great marriage of my public speaking skills, writing skills, and my kid-friendly skills,” she said. “I was hooked.”
One of the most common hesitations people have about becoming a CASA volunteer is simple: Do I have the time? In the beginning, Cristina had the same worry. When she began training, she was teaching graduate and undergraduate classes and doing early intervention work part-time. She brought up her scheduling concerns with the CASA training team. “They were so savvy. They mapped out my schedule with me, and I needed that. I needed someone to sit down and work it out with me to see if I had the time.”
And the verdict? “Is it tight? It is! But the judges are amazing, and I’ve been able to avoid scheduling conflicts on my end.” Her advice to anyone weighing whether they have room in their life for this work: “It can be done.” With organization, flexibility, and support from CASA staff, she says, “it all worked out beautifully.”
In addition to being a good fit for her schedule at this point in her life, Cristina has discovered other ways in which CASA is a perfect match for her. While she is grateful for the care she could provide as a foster parent, it came with the frustration of feeling like she never had the full picture. “I didn’t know when the court cases were, and I didn’t know if the children might be returning home. I didn’t necessarily know what the whole backstory was for the child.”
CASA filled that gap. “When this CASA opportunity popped up I said I will be the holder of all the information, and I can better help build a relationship with a child.” It’s a different role than foster parenting—one where Cristina feels she can use more of her professional expertise to change a family’s trajectory.
Cristina’s first case as a CASA advocate involved a young boy whose mother struggled with substance use disorder.
“The mother felt like she had been lost since she was 12 and had never been able to get ahead of her struggles,” Cristina said. While no family wants to get to the point where the Division of Children Youth and Families (DCYF) becomes involved, in the end the mother welcomed it as a positive.
“The family worked so hard and were appreciative in the end, which I thought they might not be,” said Cristina. “They said they would never have known of all the available resources had they not had the misfortune of having their son removed. Mom was really struggling, and she didn’t know where to go to get help. Now she knows exactly who she can call, and she and the child both have amazing therapists.” Happily, the case ended in reunification.
Along the way, Cristina was able to connect with the child and form a strong bond. Early on, Cristina reports, “He’d say, ‘I’m always in trouble. I don’t even know what I’m doing, and I’m always in trouble!’ And I said, well, it’s just that you’re not able to tell people when you’re frustrated.” Over time, as she and his DCYF worker built trust with him and he received the services he needed, something shifted.
A special moment happened when the boy presented Cristina and the social worker with a drawing. It showed the three of them eating dinner at a restaurant. “Like we were a little family ourselves. Like we were his little interim family.
“I feel like, for a kid who was cranky and disgruntled when we started, and angry with everybody and who didn’t want to talk, what a full circle we made when he was in a better place. And I just think, whether he remembers it or not, I will remember that.”
What Cristina finds most rewarding isn’t just the final outcomes—it’s the sense that her work matters in the room where decisions are made. “I feel that my words mean something, and therefore that child’s interests are meaningful in the court proceedings. I can’t think of a better thing to do with one’s pathway, short of becoming a lawyer, or short of becoming a pediatrician in my late life. I feel like this is such a powerful and meaningful thing to do for a child.”
The challenges are real—patience, mostly, when parental compliance and court timelines move slower than she’d like—but she describes the work as more impactful than anything else she’s done. “It doesn’t even compare to my other roles because it’s just so all-encompassing of the whole child. I feel so much more effective in everything that I’m doing, and so much more impactful in the children’s lives.”
Children across New Hampshire are waiting for someone to gather their story, understand their needs, and speak up for them in court. You don’t need a background in education, social work or law—just the willingness to show up, listen, and advocate. As Cristina’s story shows, CASA has a place for whatever skills and life experience you bring with you.
