Shane Salter is the founder and executive director of CASA for Children of D.C. He is the former chief of staff for the deputy mayor for children youth, families and elders in Mayor Anthony Williams’ administration.
How did you get to D.C.?
I was stationed in Bethesda through the U.S. Navy and upon discharge decided to make this my home.
I understand you overcame personal tragedy early on in your life?
I was born to a teenage mother whose hopes and dreams for me were shattered by her own drug addiction. Consequently she abandoned me and my infant brother when I was 4 years old; we landed in the foster care system. There again I was abandoned and rejected by families within the very system that was intended to protect me.
What is CASA for Children of D.C.?
CASA for Children of D.C. is a grassroots organization comprised of volunteers from the Washington area who are sworn in as officers of the court, assigned to a child, and appointed by a judge to collect and report information back to the court pertaining to the child’s best interest. This can include ensuring that they are receiving medical, dental, and mental health services and helping to find relatives or families to take care of them, finding housing, employment, and developing the life skills necessary to survive as adults when discharged from foster care.
You’ve adopted four children?
I knew firsthand what it feels like to feel like nobody cares about you when you’re a kid. I needed to reach back and make a difference because I knew there must have been purpose in my pain.
One of your life lessons is “Lie if you must, but always be true to yourself.” What do you mean by that?
I have found through the course of life some people will do or say whatever it takes to achieve the desired objective. When you find yourself placed in those situations, don’t sell your soul. At the end of the day, the person staring back at you in the mirror is always you. Be sure you recognize who you see.
