CASA calls for more volunteers

Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Missouri is hosting an hour-long orientation session at 6 tonight on the first floor of Burrell Behavioral Health’s Children’s Center, 1300 Bradford Parkway, to recruit CASA volunteers.

The meeting will cover the problem of child abuse in the county and the need for CASA volunteers to serve as child advocates. Currently, advocates are assigned to 188 children each month, 22 percent of all children in the county’s foster care system.

“There are cases in the juvenile court where there is not a CASA assigned and a CASA could be assigned,” said Karen Mills, CASA team leader and training coordinator.

Volunteers average eight to 10 hours of work each month, and they are asked to commit to the organization for a minimum of two years. Having consistency helps volunteers build relationships with the children, Mills said.

“Someone is going to be there for them to listen to them and be a voice for them,” Mills said. “They can bring that first-hand information to the team to help them better understand what’s going on in the child’s life.”