CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates, asks for volunteers to help assist in their mission to advocate for children in foster care.
CASA member, Tavan Hiestand, Program Director over Clay, Marion, and Clinton counties, asks for community volunteers to help with CASA. Assisting her was volunteer and outreach coordinator, Zoey Bridges.
“So we have a website, CASA4change.org, there is an application people can fill out on there, and once they have done that, then Tavan will reach out and do an interview. There is a background check process, and we have an online training course that kind of teaches what they need you to know before being appointed to a case.”
Hiestand notes the low capacity of volunteers in Marion County compared to the amount of children needing care.
“Well right now, I have about 16 volunteers in Marion County. I would really love to see 50 volunteers join our team. In Marion County, in a population of 30,000 people, there are between 240-300 kids in here at a time. The cases are really challenging. I really think community support would benefit these kids and these families, so they can have consistent people in their lives. People in their own communities advocating for them and their future in whatever form that looks like.”
Volunteers work minimal hours over the month.
“I think it is really important for people to know that we say five to ten hours, but that changes. That is based on case and what is occurring in that case at that time. Some months it can be three hours, and some months it might be five hours. We want volunteers to know that they are never alone. There is always help, there is always someone to turn to guide them. They are never just thrown out there to navigate this on their own, and we are constantly training and looking to do better.”
CASA is a non-profit organization who advocates for children through the juvenile justice System. CASA advocates and assists with children in foster care in collaboration with DCFS and Sister Agencies.
“A lot of our kids see multiple case workers, they see multiple placements, they change schools. The special part about being in CASA is as everyone changes in this Childs life, and you are the one person that stays the same for them. That is so beneficial for a child in care that has constant turn over constant change. To still have that one person they can latch onto, who knows their history, who can help guide others who join the team to fill them in on the Childs history. So CASA plays a really unique ability to play a special role at a time where a child really needs a consistent person to look to.”
As a Casa Volunteer, volunteers visit children who are residing in foster care making sure they are in a safe, permanent home. Making sure these children have the proper resources, and proper needs are addressed while in the system. CASA works to ensure each child’s individual case does not remain stagnant.
Bridges says most CASA volunteers are working full time jobs.
“A lot of people say, yeah I will definitely do that when I retire, which is awesome, we would love to have you after you retire, but it’s very manageable to do it. Actually we have over 70% of our volunteers working full time and they still are able to be an effective CASA volunteer. So if that’s you, and you are working full time, and you would still like to do this. We can work with your schedule, it’s very flexible, we would love to have you, and there is a place at CASA for you to be a volunteer.”
Visitors had a chance to discuss CASA volunteering opportunities over a paid for coffee with CASA member sat the Coffee & CASA at the Red Brick Coffee & Deli in Salem this past Tuesday.
CASA collaborates with schools, peace makers, foster parents, and other service providers making sure each aspect of care for the child is on the same page.
Left to Right: Zoey Bridges, Tavan Hiestand
