CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A critical need for volunteers has been identified by the Ross County Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA).
Recruitment is underway for a substantial number of volunteers, and finding compassionate people in our community who would like to serve as the voice for foster children in the courtroom is of utmost importance to the 2023 CASA Director, Britni Brown.
“Since COVID, we have lost several volunteers. We have about 239 cases, of which 100-150 children are waiting for a CASA volunteer,” commented Brown. The duties of a volunteer include a training of five weeks, which is face-to-face in Chillicothe and online. CASAs attend about three court observation hearings. They are sworn in by the judge and then they are assigned to one or two cases. A CASA is asked to commit about 5 hours a month per child. They go to court-related activity and can be a support person at community events as well as serve as advocates at school meetings, including special education meetings for children with disabilities. When in training, CASAs learn about child abuse and neglect, legal framework, child development, domestic violence, substance abuse, and courtroom preparedness.
Smiling, Brown shared that she grew up in the foster system and knows from the child’s perspective how they are feeling. She started as a CASA volunteer, moved to Volunteer Coordinator, and now, Director.
Brown suggested that retired teachers, healthcare providers, social workers, law enforcement, foster parents, respite providers, and those of the human service-related careers are the volunteers that seem to be attracted to the position. With CASA support, this national program has seen increased rates of family reunification, children feeling they are heard by adults, and more children involved in community and school activities. Once trained, volunteers can be part of numerous counties across Ohio as they renew their training from year-to-year.
The longest volunteer who has been with CASA in the Ross County organization is Barbara Lawhorn with two years of service. Lawhorn won a state level award for the amount of time that she put in for the children she represented. She was in attendance at the October 24th training where CASA participants were able to learn from her experiences.
Supporting the development of a CASA program in Pickaway County is an initiative that Brown and staff are currently working on. Additional information can be found at www.rosscountycasa.org or by emailing britnibrown@rosscountyohiocourts.gov.