900+ Children in the Lubbock Area Still Need CASA Volunteers
On Friday, February 12th, CASA of the South Plains announced that it still needed volunteers for over 900 local children.
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteers advocate for children who have entered the child welfare system and ensure that they are cared for, safe, and are connected with their communities, families, and loved ones while in foster care.
Jaclyn Morris, Executive Director of CASA of the South Plains, said:
Studies show that one of the key indicators for child well-being is the number of committed adults in their lives [...] In addition to speaking up for children’s best interests in court, our CASA volunteers can play an integral part in making sure they maintain positive relationships with their parents, families, friends, mentors, and home communities in whatever ways possible.
CASA volunteers get to know their child on a personal level and communicate with everyone involved in their life, including parents and other family members, foster parents, social workers and more. Volunteers work with the child's caseworker and others on the case to build a network of family and other adults who will support the child even after their time in foster care ends.
In 2020, 593 children received advocacy services from CASA of the South Plains, and 282 CASA volunteers donated a total of 7,323 hours, saving county taxpayers $402,765 in county paid attorneys’ fees. 228 youth in foster care were said to have found permanency with the help of their CASA Volunteer as well.
Click here to learn how you can become a volunteer.