Advocates For Children Seeks CASA Volunteers

CARTERSVILLE, GA — The Advocates for Children organization is seeking community members who want to help an abused and neglected child navigate the court system. The agency will soon begin hosting a series of training sessions to prepare Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers for this important task.

The sessions launch Jan. 22, and will give volunteers the tools needed to evaluate a child’s situation by talking to anyone who knows the child and providing the judge with recommendations that would be in the best interest of the child.

"Helping an abused or neglected child can be one of the most rewarding forms of volunteerism," said Advocates for Children President Rachel Castillo. "Our Court Appointed Special Advocates provide a source of support for children in foster care and are a vital part of the process to move these children to a safe and permanent home."

Since the number of foster children continues to grow in Bartow County, Castillo said the organization wants people who have strong communication skills, compassion and the ability to be objective.

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Division of Family and Children’s Services caseworkers typically have such an extensive caseload that their time with each child is limited. CASA volunteers can invest time in investigating, interviewing and researching what and who will best serve the children.

“CASA volunteers are the support and the voice for the children we serve,” Castillo added. Abused or neglected children can have multiple DFCS case managers and even multiple foster family placements. The one constant and stable presence in their lives is their CASA volunteers. “It’s a priceless relationship.”

Along with compassion and objectivity, volunteers must be 21 or older and undergo a background check. In addition, a 40-hour training program prepares prospects for a wide array of situations and guides them in managing the process.

Each day, Georgia has an average of 33 confirmed cases of child abuse. That devastating figure is indicative of a broad-spectrum problem that stems from drug and alcohol abuse, anger, a family history of abuse and other issues, Advocates for Children said. CASA volunteers can help children navigate the foster system to find safe, stable and permanent homes.

For more information about the training program, reach out to Ava Lipscomb at 770-386-1060 or ava@advochild.org.

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