CASA Adds Eight Volunteers

Friday morning, Plains West CASA expanded its volunteer staff, adding eight new names to the list of volunteers passionate about children.

CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates, is a program that matches adults with children who are within the court system. According to the website CASA For Children, "CASA and guardian ad litem (GAL) volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for abused or neglected children, to make sure they don't get lost in the overburdened legal and social services system or languish in inappropriate group or foster homes."

The mission statement of Plains West CASA is to be the advocate for children: "Our mission is to advocate (speak for) the best interests of abused and neglected children who are involved in the juvenile court system by addressing the health, safety, permanency and well being of each child."

Plains West CASA volunteers "are everyday citizens who care about children and want to make a difference in the life of a child," according to the Plains West CASA website. Friday's swearing-in recognized the biggest class so far to date, according to Executive Director Krista Bruns.

"With this class, we should have about everyone covered," Bruns said.

She said the swearing-in ceremony in Cheyenne County Court was the culmination of 30 hours of required training.

"This time we did it on Saturdays. It was good everyone gave up their Saturdays to do this," she said.

She said the 30 hours of training is a national requirement.

Megan Myers, one of the new volunteers, said she was drawn to the program by being a parent of her own children and therefore understanding children's needs, and she heard there was a need. She said she thought if she could give some time, she would, adding the legal system can be hard on a child.

"I think a lot of times they get forgotten," she said.

She said the training taught her how much of a need there is locally.

"I was really shocked how many kids don't have a CASA," she said.

She said she advocates for the child, not necessarily the family.

Of the eight graduates of this class, there is one man, Alfred Merritt. Merritt is a father with experience in communities in the south and the East Coast.

"I always believe in advocacy for youth," Merritt said.

He said he wants to make sure youth have everything they need to growth to adulthood.

He has lived in Sidney since November and was introduced to CASA by a coworker who knows Bruns.

"I was kind of recruited," he said.

One thing he learned in the training is to be patient, not just with the children but also with the parents. His advice to people curious about the program: it's not for everyone. He suggested there are at least two types of people who should not volunteer for CASA: people who get too attached to their child, and people who don't have patience.

Anyone interested in becoming a CASA volunteer can contact Bridget Whittredge at 720-863-4758 or [email protected]. Plains West CASA serves Cheyenne, Deuel and Kimball Counties.

Plains West CASA is planning activities in April recognizing Child Abuse Awareness Month. Among the activities for the month, Plains West CASA is planning a Super Hero Run/Walk, and Pinwheel Gardens in the area.

CASA started in 1977 when a Seattle, Wash., juvenile court judge was concerned about making drastic decisions with insufficient information. He came up with the idea of citizen volunteers appointed to speak up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom. That concept grew to 955 programs in 49 states.