By Staff
All children deserve a safe, permanent home with loving people to care for them. By becoming a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Cass County, you can do your part in insuring the stability needed for a child to thrive.
CASAs are trained community volunteers appointed by a judge to speak up for abused and/or neglected children in court.
The CASA spends time with the children and all the parties involved to gather pertinent information regarding the child's best interests.
With this information, the judge is able to make a more informed decision about what is best for the child. Cass County CASA currently has 14 active volunteers advocating for 39 abused and/or neglected children. There are still many children under the court's jurisdiction, however, who may need the help that only a CASA volunteer can provide. "We are currently recruiting new volunteers for an upcoming training," said Volunteer Advocate Coordinator Lori Ruff.
The 30- to 40-hour training will begin Oct. 21 and run through Nov. 8. If you are interested in making a difference in a child's life by becoming a CASA volunteer, contact the Cass County CASA program at 269/445-4431.