Published: May 18, 2009 11:55 pm      

Counties seek child advocates

THE ISSUE:The lack of court-appointed child advocates.

OUR VIEW:Consider becoming a CASA volunteer.

The future of our communities, our country and our world lies in the hands of children.

While every child needs education, support and mentoring to reach his or her full potential, there are those children who find themselves in situations not of their making.

Those times often come when children must be removed from the care of their parents due to neglect, abuse or other issues. When it happens, they enter the child welfare system, which can lead to foster care and court appearances.

Because they’ve become wards of the court, Indiana law requires that children be represented by an advocate. Those court-appointed, special advocates champion a child’s interests as he or she passes through the court system.

Like most counties, Cass and Howard don’t have enough child advocates.

That’s why Stephanie Winkel, Cass County’s child advocate director, started “GrowCASA,” a program to recruit volunteers. With help from the Cass County Rose Society and grant money, Winkel obtained plant tabs and seed packets with information about the CASA program.

The material explains how to grow a happy child by becoming a child advocate.

Volunteers must be over 21, pass a criminal background check and be able to give five hours a month to a child. Volunteers undergo a 30-hour training program to prepare them for their first assignment.

Duties of volunteers include meeting with the child and his or her biological parents and foster parents to gather information and determine whether the child’s needs are being met.

What better way to ensure these children receive the support and help they need than to become an advocate? If you’re looking for a way to make a difference in the community, you couldn’t find a better opportunity.

– Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, and Kokomo Tribune