CASA seeks more volunteers

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February 5, 2009

STAFF REPORT The Commercial-News Thu Feb 05, 2009, 07:35 PM CST

DANVILLE — A local organization is preparing to educate a new round of volunteers willing to help local children.

Court-Appointed Special Advocates works for the best interests of children in Vermilion County Circuit Court. The county chapter of the group was started in the summer of 2007 and currently has 23 advocates representing 43 children.

There are anywhere between 300 and 400 children as wards in Vermilion County.

As part of the program, advocates are assigned to either a child or group of siblings who are wards of the system because they have been removed from their homes. The reasons range from parental drug abuse, bad relationships or even abandon-ment.

In order to participate in the CASA program, volunteers must complete a 30-hour training course that includes information on the juvenile court process, child abuse and neglect laws, childhood development and others.

Training sessions for the course are from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning on Feb. 16 and run through March 23. The sessions will be at the Danville Public Library.

Individuals must be 21 years old and pass background checks to participate. An advocate commits to at least on year on a case and must be willing to give about eight hours a month to help a child.

Upon completion of the training course, advocates will be sworn in as officers of the court and prepare reports for the circuit judge indicating the child’s progress.

FYI

Applications to participate in the CASA training for new advocates are available on the Internet at http://www.casavermilion.og or by calling the local CASA office at 446-5975.

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