Rotarians learn about CASA

PRESCOTT – Members of the Prescott Rotary Club learned of the need for Court Appointed Special Advocates for children at its meeting Tuesday.

Pink Trammel, a CASA recruiter, talked to the club, saying an information session was held last Thursday at H&R Block, but no one showed up. He said there are 12 children in Nevada County currently in foster homes, but this number can change at any time. The problem, he added, is there are only four CASA advocates in the county, while the minimum need is 10.

Statewide, he said, 54,000 children are referred to the Arkansas Department of Human Services, and this agency is underfunded and overwhelmed with need. Of these, he continued, 34,000 are referred by the DHS for investigation and 42 children a year die from abuse.

CASA, he said, can’t prevent child abuse, but it can help rebuild families and keep children in a familiar setting. This is why it was created by a judge in 1977.

Advocates, according to Trammel, go where the child goes and are the eyes and ears of the court. While they aren’t allowed to do anything but report, what a CASA advocate tells a judge goes a long way in the final decision.

Everyone involved, he continued, is looking out for the child’s best interest. Volunteers are asked to donate eight hours a month and go with the child they’re assigned to court. However, before a volunteer can become an advocate, they must undergo 30 hours of intensive training before they’re sworn in by a judge.

CASA volunteers work with one child at a time and most of their volunteering is done by email. The goal, Trammel said, is to get every child back where they belong – with their family.

Trammel didn’t ask any of the Rotary members to volunteer, but pointed out the members are community leaders and know people who may be interested. He asked they contact those people and let them know about this opportunity. “Children are our message to the future,” he said.

Every third Thursday, CASA will have an information meeting at H&R Block from 9:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.