CASA Advocates Needed

“CASA” stands for “Court Appointed Special Advocate.” CASA volunteers are community members who are specially trained and appointed by a judge to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in court and other settings. Every year, thousands of children in Oklahoma are removed from their homes due to evidence of abuse and neglect. These children are uprooted from the only family they have ever known, taken out of schools and away from friends. To sum it up, their worlds are turned upside down. Going through the child welfare system is a frightening experience and no child should do it alone. In Seminole, Hughes, and Pontotoc Counties there are over 200 children in out-of-home foster care placement. 22nd Judicial District CASA, Inc. currently has 25 active volunteers serving 26 children, which means at least 174 children in this district do not have their own CASA Volunteer advocating for their best interests.