I Am For The Child: CASA of Saline County

Every child deserves to grow and thrive in happy, healthy home; however, over 75 children in Saline County are currently in the foster care system due to neglect or abuse. The volunteer advocates and staff of CASA of Saline County are working to insure the voices of these children are heard.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) of Saline County is a local non-profit dedicated to training volunteers to assist children currently in the foster care system by providing a voice that protects the best interest of the child.

Since the organization’s inception in 1977, CASA now has a presence in 49 states with 951 branches to help place foster children in safe, permanent homes across the United States. According to the National CASA association, last year over 600,000 children were placed in the foster care system in the United States. 75,000 CASA volunteers were able to relocate 238,000 of those children into permanent homes.

With less than half of the nation’s foster children given a court appointed advocate, the statistics are much the same at home. CASA of Saline County Executive Director, Jennifer Harklau explains, “We are currently operating at 45 percent coverage, meaning 55 percent of kids are not being covered.” As a mother and lifetime Saline County resident, Harklau and her staff are determined to find a volunteer advocate for every child in the community. “Our a goal to reach 100 percent coverage in the next two years. We have to have the volunteers.”

The staff of CASA has seen, first-hand, the positive, life-changing transformation a child can have when they have an advocate.

“The kids in CASA’s care are trying to continue on in their daily life as a child in difficult circumstances. Interaction with an advocate is a positive experience during a really difficult time in their lives,” said Harklau.

What it Takes to Advocate

CASA of Saline County has volunteer needs for special events and advisory councils, but most importantly, volunteer advocates. Whether you work full-time, are retired or a stay-at-home parent, CASA encourages everyday citizens who have a passion for helping children to become a volunteer advocate in their community.

To join as a volunteer advocate, volunteers must:

• Be 21 or older and pass a background check
• Complete pre-service training
• Spend 2-4 hours a week spending time with the child, the foster parents and the school gathering information on the case
• Commit to being an advocate for the child until the child has been placed in safe home; most cases last 12-15 months

As a volunteer advocate, you are not alone. Pam Davis is the Advocate Supervisor at CASA of Saline County and is dedicated to making the process seamless for volunteers. Harklau explains, “Pam is a great support for our advocates. She will sit with advocates, walk them through their first case reports and help them fill everything out.”

Raising Money to Support the Cause

CASA of Saline County will host the Chili Beans and Blue Jeans fundraiser on Friday, October 24 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at he Northside Church of Christ Outreach Building. All proceeds will benefit CASA of Saline County and support the volunteer advocate program.

The event will showcase up to 40 chili booths from around the community as well as a live dessert auction featuring desserts from Sift Flour Bakery and Dinner’s Ready.

You can support the cause by:

• Purchasing a ticket to the event, donating to your favorite booth and bidding in the Live Dessert Auction.
• Reserving a Chili booth for $50
• Sponsoring the event ($100, $250 or $500 sponsorships are available).
• Asking your employees or co-workers to donate $5 to wear blue jeans on Friday, October 24.

The chili booth with the most donations will receive the People’s Choice award and a celebrity panel of judges will give awards for the Best Décor and Judges’ Choice. Tickets for Chili Beans and Blue Jeans are $8 and can be purchased online at salinecountycasa.org or by calling (501) 303-5703. For more information about sponsoring Chili Beans and Blue Jeans, contact CASA of Saline County Board Member, Lauren Lisowe at (404) 964-3236 or email lauren.benson@xerox.com.

Ensuring A Bright Future

Support from the community is crucial when it comes to ensuring a safe and bright future of foster children in Saline County. “We have so many people who have big hearts in our community, I think people just need to know that CASA is here and that there is a need in our county,” says Harklau. “This is why I think our 100 percent goal is attainable in the next two years, because we have the people in Saline County to make it possible.” For more information on CASA of Saline County or how to volunteer visit salinecountycasa.org or call (501) 303-5703.