CASA Volunteer Jenny Waybright uses common sense to help abused and neglected kids

CASA Volunteer Jenny Waybright

Jenny Waybright takes pride in helping the Kentucky family court system work better for kids. But she’s not an attorney, or a social worker, or a judge.

Waybright is a CASA volunteer, a regular person who gives a few hours a month to visit with children, gather information, and speak up for what the children need.

“Judges have to make life-altering decisions based on brief hearings and thick files,” Waybright said. “I believe my time is best spent being the eyes and ears of the court. By providing a judge with an independent perspective on what is truly in a child’s best interests, I’m helping ensure the legal system works the way it was intended to.”

Waybright has been a CASA volunteer for a little more than 3 years, and she has advocated for four children during that time. When she’s not volunteering, she’s working as an analyst, supporting her local running community, “spending a bit too much time binging on streaming shows.”

Her perspective as a “regular person” is exactly what family court judges often look for in their CASA volunteers. Each volunteer is typically matched with a single child or sibling set who have suffered abuse or neglect. The volunteer visits the child monthly, gathers information about the child’s life, and writes reports for the judge that help them better understand what’s going on and what the child needs.

Waybright’s Volunteer Manager Kyrsten Adkins nominated her to be a CASA Volunteer of the Month in February because of how good she is at bringing “common sense” perspective into court cases that can too often be muddied by legal questions and competing interests.

“The court listened to her common-sense recommendations and reunified a child with their parents,” Adkins said of a recent case. “This family had a successful outcome because of the hard work the parents did — and because of Jenny’s advocacy.”

Waybright said she thinks when people first hear about CASA volunteering, they often hesitate because they don’t think they’re qualified.

“You don’t have to be a superhero to be a CASA volunteer,” she said. “You don’t need a law degree or a background in social work. You just need consistency, curiosity, and common sense.”

Waybright said that often boils down to something as simple as observing a situation and saying, “This doesn’t seem right for this kid.”

“The system is designed to process cases. CASA volunteers are designed to see children,” Waybright said. “Research consistently shows that having just one stable, caring adult in a child’s life is the single greatest predictor of their ability to overcome trauma. As a CASA volunteer, you can volunteer to be that one person.”

For more information about CASA of Lexington or to fill out a volunteer application, visit www.casaoflexington.org.