Page 8 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, December 19, 2025 LOCAL SPOTLIGHT Bringing Cultural Insight to the Courtroom: Ricardo Franco’s Work as a CASA Advocate Special to The Advocate F or the past five years, Malden resident Ricardo L. Franco, 61, has served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) through Boston CASA, a nonprofit organization that recruits, trains and supports volunteers to advocate for children in Suffolk and Middlesex Counties who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect. A CASA goes through over 30 hours of training before being sworn in by a judge, and the curriculum emphasizes the cultural differences the CASAs will encounter with the children and youth they will be advocating for. Born and raised in Colombia, Ricardo has spent 15 years in social work, including his current role as Associate Director at the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange. He views it as his mission to connect his background to help children in the TAX | FROM PAGE 1 Carey McDonald. Councillor McDonald introduced the results of those meetings with a formal report at Tuesday night’s regular meeting, detailing the language of the ballot questions as they will appeal on the ballot. Included in the discussions was major change in the timing of the Special Election, which was set for Tuesday, March 31, a change from the original date in mid-February. The language of the ballot questions — including the amendments voted on Tuesday night — which will appear on the ballot in March, are as follows: most vulnerable circumstances. Of his four cases as a CASA, three have involved Latin American families. It’s no coincidence: children of color are overrepresented in the foster care system. “So many times, professionals make assumptions about ‘best interest’ without understanding the culture,” Franco said. “How do you know what’s best for a child if you don’t understand their family’s values, their background, their fears?” Ricardo has seen stressed parents lose their children over misunderstandings. Many Latino families don’t realize that the people they turn to for help (school counselors, doctors, social workers) are mandated reporters. In one case, a desperate mother vented to a school counselor, saying, “I don’t know what to do. This child is making me crazy.” By that afternoon, police and paramedics had arrived. The mother was taken for a psychiatric evaluation, and her son Questions 1A and 1B are separate questions. You may vote for or against each question independently. Each question requires a majority of those voting on that question to pass. If both questions pass, then question 1B with the highest dollar amount will prevail. 1A Order: That the City of Malden hold a Special Municipal Election on March 31, 2026 and to include the following ballot question: Shall the City of Malden be allowed to assess an additional $5,400,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of stabilizing the City’s budget and to support ongoing city services across all departwas removed from the home. What looks like neglect to a caseworker unfamiliar with a family’s background is often just poverty or a cultural difference. “So many times, children shouldn’t be removed in the first place,” he said. “These are stressed parents who just need support and resources.” Being a CASA allows Ricardo to be in the room when decisions are made and to offer perspective that might otherwise be missing. “I can show the judge all the beauty and possibilities with a family,” he said. “I can say, ‘Please keep in mind where this child comes from. Let me explain the reasons behind these behaviors.’” Ricardo hopes his story inspires others, especially Latino professionals and people of color, to consider becoming a CASA. “We need representation in these rooms,” he said. “If you understand the nuances of the culture, you should be at the table.” Ricardo Franco ments, including public schools, public safety, public library, public works and general government, for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026? 1B Order: That the City of Malden hold a Special Municipal Election on March 31, 2026 and to include the following ballot question: Shall the City of Malden be allowed to assess an additional $8,200,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of stabilizing the City’s budget and to support ongoing city services across all departments, including public schools, public safety, public library, public works, general government for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026? The original request was for a $5.4 million override, which would have been used for the purposes of lowering a structural deficit in this year’s municipal budget that totals $8.4 million. An additional $3 million would be forecast to be saved by changing the city’s health insurance provider. At a recent Finance Committee meeting, city officials made a case for requesting an additional $2.8 million override amount, these funds to be targeted directly at required school expenditures over inflation, due to the gap in annual Chapter 70 state school funding. Mayor Gary Christenson appeared before the City Council at Tuesday’s meeting and again outlined reasons for the override request and thanked Councillors and all who have offered opinions — for and against the request — for giving input “very respectfully in the process.” Several City Councillors, including Ward 8 Councillor Jadeane Sica and Councillor-at-Large Karen Colón Hayes, noted there are plans to have a robust slate of public meetings regarding the override request and the subsequent Special Election, beginning after the new year in January 2026. Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/Advocate.news.ma
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