CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteers are concerned citizens who are trained to be the eyes and ears of the juvenile court judge. These everyday heroes interview the children, their families and anyone who has information regarding the family. They read and study all reports pertaining to the families. Then they report their findings to the court, and make recommendations concerning the best interest of these children who have been abused and/or neglected.
CASA of Western Oklahoma is the voice for deprived children in Custer, Washita, Beckham, Roger Mills, and Dewey counties. Executive Director Jackie Aaron stated that in 2021, 75 CASA of Western Oklahoma volunteers served 201 children on 97 cases in our service area. Unfortunately this number represents only a percentage of the children that are currently in the foster care system in our area. The CASA program is always seeking individuals that might be interested in becoming a CASA volunteer to help close this gap while serving the needs of these children. According to CASA Training Specialist Jacy Burrows, COVID has definitely increased the need for volunteers in our 5 county service area.
CASA Volunteers must be 21 years of age, be willing to commit to at least a year of service, participate in a free in-depth training, and pass an OSBI and national background check. CASA volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances. Many work a full time job along with volunteering as a CASA while others work part time, are retired, or are college students. The common thread that links all volunteers together is the desire to make a difference in the life of an abused child.
This year a new style of training is being offered. It is called Flex Training and half of the training is online at your own pace and the other half is in person training. This gives volunteers more flexibility so they can fit training into their schedule. The next CASA training begins January 2nd at the CASA office in Weatherford.
For more information about CASA or upcoming trainings, please contact Jacy Burrows at jacy@casawok.org.