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Advocate for Abused and Neglected Children
If you are interested in volunteering or would like
more information, please contact Tammi
Barnett, Executive Director at advo_kids@yahoo.com or 770.229.3116 x21
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CASA
is a national program that advocates for the best interests of
children who have been abused or neglected. Advo-Kids CASA is seeking
volunteers in our community who are passionate about helping improve
the lives of children who have been abused and neglected. Our goal is
to have enough volunteers for every child in the juvenile court
system, because of abuse and neglect, to have a CASA volunteer.
Imagine being a child who has been separated from your parents because
they are not willing or capable of taking care of you. Then, a host
of strangers begin to come and go in and out of your life like, police
officers, social workers, foster parents, judges, and lawyers. You
have no idea of when or if you will be reunited with your parents.
Unfortunately, hundreds of children in our community are subject to
not only the abuses that got them separated from their parents in the
first place, but are subject to hardship all over again because they
must experience this difficult time with strangers. CASA volunteers
become the familiar voice to a child and for a child during this
difficult time.
Advo-Kids
CASA wants every child in the juvenile court system due to abuse
and/or neglect to have a voice that will be heard; that’s where CASA
volunteers come in. CASA volunteers are focused on making sure that
all significant parties are aware of the child’s needs. This is
accomplished by first speaking with the child then contacting parents,
teachers, grandparents, foster parents, therapists and anyone else
that is a significant figure in the child’s life. A report is then
submitted to the judge with the volunteer’s recommendation of what is
in the child’s best interests.
CASA
volunteers want to make sure services and a permanent home are
provided in a timely manner. The volunteers continue to advocate for
the child until the case is closed and a permanent placement is
reached. It is unacceptable for our children to be left in limbo
because of an overburdened legal system. These children need someone
that will be a consistent figure during this court process and many
times the CASA volunteer is the only person there for the duration of
this process.
Please help abused and neglected children in our community have a
voice. |
More about CASA
Unfortunately Georgia is one of the worst states for abuse and neglect
in America. There are approximately 14,000 children in foster care
and every 15 minutes a child is the victim of a confirmed case of
child abuse.
In
2004, 133 children in Fayette County were removed from their homes and
placed in foster care. They became entangled in the juvenile justice
and foster care systems because of abuse and/or neglect.
Children need someone who can promote
and protect their best interests and unfortunately many workers in the
child welfare system are often too overburdened to give detailed
attention to each child. A CASA volunteer can give the child what
others do not have – TIME.
How to Become a CASA
Volunteer
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Complete an
application including 4 personal/professional references
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Undergo a criminal
background check
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Be interviewed by
CASA staff
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Complete 40 hours of
training
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Be sworn in by a judge
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