Volunteers needed to help children in foster care

Are you willing to offer a helping hand to children in need possibly changing their lives? Are you tech-savvy or willing to learn new skills?

CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, needs a few good individuals who want to help children. Training for new volunteers will start in February.

CASA Director Judith Moss, licensed professional counselor, explains volunteers will work with abused or neglected children in foster care in the 36th Judicial Circuit.

“We tell the child’s story in court,” Moss said. “If a child has one person like a CASA volunteer they are more likely to succeed in school. A child’s life improves when an adult is committed to them. That’s why CASA is so important and significant.”

Moss said, there are about 300 kids in foster care in the circuit that serves Ripley and Butler counties, but only between 50-75 have CASA volunteers.

“Get involved today and change a child’s life,” Moss said.

CASA volunteers are required to take 30 hours of training. Half will be on the computer and half in person. Once the training is completed, volunteers will be sworn in by the judge.

Participants will learn Optima, which is a computer program designed for the CASA program. It is designed for the CASA volunteer to write their notes, and to keep documents and court orders available for the volunteer to access at all times. It makes it easier to write court reports, and to keep track of meetings and court hearings, Moss said.

“We will train in everything if you are willing to learn,” Moss said.

Volunteers will meet with or make contact with the children at least once a month. The coronavirus has changed the way face-to-face visits often are made. Facetime or Zoom will be used and Moss explained training will be provided.

When volunteers meet in person with the children, social distancing and precautions are observed, including wearing a mask or gloves if needed.

A CASA volunteer will typically work with one child or a sibling group to make certain their needs are met while under the court’s care. The goal is to get the child into a safe, permanent home while providing him or her a voice in the court system.

Volunteers must be at least 21 years old with a clean background.

It takes five to 10 hours a month to advocate for an abused or neglected child.

The initial commitment for a CASA volunteer is 18 months but can be longer because the length of a case in the court system can very. Each CASA volunteer is required to have an additional 12 hours of training yearly.

For additional information, call 573-776-7830 or email casa36@thecrc.org.