CA=
SA of
the 31st Judicial District
(Allen, Neo= sho, Wilson and Woodson counties)
“CASA is=
a
program that helps to ensure children do not become lost in the system and =
that
they will always have an independent advocate looking after their
interests.”
--Judge C. Fr= ed Lorentz, retired chief judge of the 31st Judicial District
The
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program began in 1977 in Seattle,
Wash., and was started in Kansas in 1981 in Wichita. CASA programs are now =
in
every state and in nearly every county in Kansas.
CASA
of the 31st Judicial District is a non-profit agency governed by a board of
directors, which includes citizens from all four counties in the district. =
It
is funded mainly through grants and donations. CASA programs in Kansas must
meet standards set by the Kansas Supreme Court and are annually reviewed to
ensure compliance. In 2005, there were more than 100 Child in Need of Care
(CINC) cases in the 31st Judicial District. This includes children from all
four counties.
The
primary goal of CASA is to assist in securing a permanent home for children=
who
are in the child welfare system because of alleged or confirmed abuse and/or
neglect. The presiding judge in a child’s case may appoint a CASA
volunteer to advocate for the best interest of the child and assist in
obtaining a permanent, safe placement for the child. The judge is the only
person who can appoint a CASA volunteer and the volunteer’s sole job =
is
to advocate for the child. CASA is not a mentoring or friendship program and
children are not brought into a volunteer’s home. The responsibilitie=
s of
the advocate are set out in Kansas Supreme Court Rule 110 and include atten=
ding
court hearings pertaining to the child assigned to them, investigating and
becoming familiar with circumstances affecting the welfare of the child and
preparing written reports to the court regarding the case. Advocate volunte=
ers
receive 30 hours of training before being assigned to a case. In addition,
ongoing training that assists the volunteer in his/her work is provided.
However,
volunteers who do not wish to be an advocate are also needed. Other volunteer opportunities incl=
ude
assisting in the CASA office with mailings, working within one’s
community to promote CASA, speaking to groups about the need for CASA in th=
is
area and helping with fundraising for the program. Fundraisers could include
such events as providing a quilt to be auctioned off or asking a group of w=
hich
one is a member to make a donation to CASA. Money raised in the 31st Judici=
al
District stays in the district to assist children in this area. Volunteers =
are
also needed to serve on the public relations and the fundraising committees.
All volunteers will be provided with the appropriate training. Citizens from
all four counties served by CASA of the 31st Judicial District are encourag=
ed
to volunteer.
For
more information on CASA, to sign up as a volunteer, to request a speaker o=
r to
share a fund-raising idea or make a donation, call the CASA office at (620)
365-1448 or mail information to P. O. Box 433, Chanute, KS 66720.
“Never d=
oubt
that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
--Margaret Me= ad, anthropologist and writer