DAILY NEWS PEOPLE : SARITA CARDEN.

Byline: - Andrea Hescheles

The first time Sarita Carden stood up in court, she thought, ``What am I doing here?'' She was a mere volunteer standing among lawyers, social workers and judges.

``In the beginning, standing up in court was the hardest, but within moments I understood that I knew more about the child and what was happening in his life than anybody in that room. It's so much easier to be an advocate when it's for a child. You find all kinds of inner strength that you didn't know you had.''

Each month in Los Angeles County, more than 1,200 hurt, frightened and confused children enter the Dependency Court system. These are children who have been removed from their parents' custody because of severe abuse, neglect or abandonment. This is where Carden enters the picture. As a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) volunteer with the Los Angeles County Superior Courts Child Advocates Office, she is appointed to handle a child's case by a Juvenile Dependency Court judge and becomes that child's voice in court.

AGE: 43

RESIDENCE: Studio City

BORN AND RAISED IN: Born and raised in Texas; she came to California in 1980.

OCCUPATION: Litigation support consultant.

MARITAL STATUS: Married to Paul Carden.

CHILDREN: None

VOLUNTEERISM: Carden has been a court-appointed special advocate for six years. A CASA is appointed by a Juvenile Dependency Court judge to a particular case for the purpose of making an independent investigation of a child or sibling group's circumstances in the foster care system. CASA volunteers have regular visits with the children they serve, getting to know the child as an individual, not just as a case. ``It's such an important component for the courts to make good, informed decisions for that child. You can make such a big difference, you can have day-to-day impact. You do what you can every day you are with that kid. It's a great opportunity for ordinary people to come into an extraordinary situation.''

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED?: ``At a law firm, in a client's office, a woman walked up to me and said, `You should do this' - and handed me a brochure. I thought about it for a long time. I went to an orientation, talked to attorneys at the courthouse and said, `I could do this.' I was glad that I did; it's become such a big part of my life. Outside of my family, it's the most important thing I do.''

WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER?: ``It makes me feel better. I'm not in a position to go down and help dig rubble in (earthquake-ravaged) Colombia. This is something I can do and still live within my normal life. I happen to be at a place in my life where I've chosen to cut back on the amount of time spent working for a living. I feel like it's a real luxury to be able to devote the time and energy to (volunteer). It makes you grow as a person, gives you an opportunity to meet a lot of people.''

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: ``My girl who ran away,'' explains Carden, referring to an 18-year-old girl she represented for four years. ``I tend to look at it as maybe I was not able to get her to stick with it. But with CASA being involved and caring about this kid, she did stay four years longer than she would have. She was a great kid; it was just too much for her to continue to be in the system.''

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: ``My little kid who was adopted - the one that the judge told me was unadoptable, a danger to society,'' Carden says, recalling a 4-year-old boy she helped through CASA.

GOALS FOR THE FUTURE: ``Winning the lottery! Then I could take another CASA (case) because I wouldn't have to work.''

WHO RELIES ON YOU THE MOST AND WHO YOU RELY ON: ``I rely on my husband, Paul, who is such a constant source of emotional support. He's just incredible - always giving of his time and energies to anything that I do, but also to CASA because it's so important to me.'' Carden says that her cats rely on her the most.

ROLE MODELS: ``Sue Thompson, our assistant director (of the CASA program), is my role model. She is so enthusiastic and optimistic. A lot of people that you meet in the system are tired and burned out. They entered the work because they wanted to, but it became so overwhelming that they got burned out and don't see the joy in it anymore. Sue is the person who is endlessly enthusiastic and works hard at keeping all of us motivated. When things don't go well, Sue is there to bolster you when all you want to do is go home and eat a pie.''

VALLEY HANGOUTS: ``Art's Deli in Studio City. I can walk to it from my house.''

WHAT WOULD BE A PERFECT DAY FOR YOU?:``If all people who had children took responsibility and did the right thing for their children - to provide a safe and loving environment.''

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Photo

Photo: Sarita Carden

David R. Crane/Daily News