In connection with National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Clinton County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is issuing a call to action for residents of Clinton County to stand against child abuse and take action to support children who have been abused or neglected.
At any given time, there are 60 to 70 children in foster care in Clinton County, stated a CASA media release. These children come into the child welfare system through no fault of their own, added the release.
“The needs of Clinton County’s children coming into care are more complicated than ever before, and life in foster care can be chaotic,” said Kim Vandervort, director of Clinton County CASA. “Every child deserves the support of a caring, consistent adult with the training to help them heal and thrive.”
Throughout the month of April, Clinton County CASA is calling on members of the community to help its program serve more of Clinton County’s most vulnerable children. Clinton County CASA is now seeking CASA volunteers for its September 2017 training class.
Without intervention, the odds are stacked against children in foster care, the release said. A child with a CASA volunteer, however, will leave the foster care system two-and-a-half months earlier, on average, compared to a child without a CASA volunteer.
Studies show children with a CASA volunteer receive more services that are critical to their well-being than children without an advocate, and those children are more likely to achieve educational success.
“CASA volunteers are a constant for the child in a time of chaos,” said Vandervort. “A child may have multiple social workers, attorneys, therapists and foster placements throughout the life of the case, but only one CASA volunteer, which can make all the difference for the child’s future.”
Clinton County CASA is a member of the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (National CASA), a nationwide network of programs in nearly 1,000 communities. At the heart of the movement are nearly 77,000 trained volunteers who advocate for the best interests of more than 250,000 of America’s children who have been abused or neglected.
In Ohio, there are 2,011 volunteer advocates fighting for the best interests of 8,110 children, but more children need the care and support of a CASA volunteer.
For more information about Clinton County CASA, attend a special CASA event, “CASA 101” on Thursday, April 27 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Juvenile Court for the opportunity to meet and talk with the current CASA volunteers and the CASA director or call 937-383-1137.
