CASA of South Central Missouri has been awarded certification by the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association.
This certification recognizes that CASA of South Central Missouri (which serves Phelps and Texas counties in the 25th Judicial Circuit) is in compliance with National CASA’s standards for quality child advocacy.
“The National CASA quality assurance process is very rigorous, and reflects our commitment to ensure every child we serve has the most powerful volunteer advocate working on their behalf,” said National CASA Association CEO Michael Piraino. “This certification says CASA of South Central Missouri has demonstrated to us a strong capacity to provide excellent services to the abused and neglected children within their communities.”
CASA of South Central Missouri was started July 1, 2005, and has since provided advocacy for 648 children. Fifty-two volunteer advocates are currently serving 93 children who live in foster care and there is a real need for additional volunteers to serve children on a waiting list.
“We are extremely proud of the CASA program we have built in this judicial circuit and our goal is to provide an advocate for every child who is placed in foster care,” said Emma Lou Brent, one of the founding directors of CASA of South Central Missouri.
“You do not have to be a lawyer or a social worker,” said CASA of South Central Missouri Executive Director Judith Waters, who has held the position since the program’s outset. “No special education or prior experience is necessary. We welcome volunteers from all cultures, professions, ethnic and educational backgrounds. We provide training and the schedule is flexible, 10-12 hours per month.”
For more information, call Waters at 573-458-6240 or Leigh Ann Sigman at 573-458-6240 or 573-578-8120.
A recruitment event is scheduled for 5 p.m., Feb. 12, at the Texas County Justice Center, on Grand Avenue in Houston. Please RSVP to casaphel@fidnet.com.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL CASA ASSOCIATION
In 1976, a judge in Seattle, Wash., who was concerned over making decisions about abused and neglected children’s lives without sufficient information conceived the idea of using trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of these children in court, helping to ensure that they will live in a safe and loving environment. The program was so successful that judges across the country soon began utilizing citizen advocates. In 1990, the U.S. Congress encouraged the expansion of CASA/GAL with passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act. Today, there are more than 950 National CASA member programs across the U.S., with more than 70,000 men and women serving as CASA or Guardian ad Litem volunteers.