Court Appointed Special Advocates of Northeast Tennessee, a program based on the commitment that every child has the right to a safe, permanent home, will begin volunteer training classes on Feb. 7 at ETSU.
“More than 2,500 children went through the Washington County Juvenile in 2000,” said Sgt. Tom Frayer, a child-abuse investigator with Washington County Juvenile Services. “Of those, approximately 200 were involved in cases of abuse and neglect, according to a report filed by the state.”
CASA’s volunteers make sure the best interests of children are consistently presented to the courts. The advocates interview all parties involved and report back to the court, providing objective information that in turn helps the judge make an informed decision.
Volunteers also work to keep these children out of state custody until safe, permanent homes can be found. This ultimately saves the state money while providing a better environment for the children.
“Our volunteers work to assure children are in homes where they can develop to their full potential, and help make sure that they are safe,” said Ann Periconi, program director of CASA.
However, finding enough dedicated volunteers is no easy task even though no legal expertise is needed. “At present there are 14 children that the court has requested CASA volunteers for,” Periconi said. “However, our volunteer base at present is insufficient to meet these needs.”
Perconi said CASA was able to help only 111 children last year.
Anyone interested in serving as a CASA volunteer must go through an application process, be at least 21 years old, and be objective and able to communicate with a wide variety of people. A police records check is required as well as two character references.
Training sessions last for three weeks and involve a total of 25 hours. Once sessions are completed, volunteers are sworn in as officers of the Washington County Court. They perform an average of 88 hours of service a year.
“Our volunteers cannot help keep every child safe, but that does not keep us from trying to help everyone we can,” Periconi said. “Childhood is too precious to be lost, for it is the memories of childhood that can see us through the hardships of life. Every child should have the opportunity of a safe childhood.”
CASA was conceived by Seattle Judge David Soukup in 1976 as a way of making sure that children’s best interests were consistently being presented in the courts.
Volunteers investigate cases of dependence/neglect, delinquency, abuse, custody and visitation rights and bring recommendations back to the court that reflect the best interests of the children involved.
In 1990, Congress encouraged the expansion of CASA with the passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act. Today, more than 900 CASA programs nationwide are served by 42,400 volunteers.
The training sessions begin Wednesday, Feb. 7, and will be held in the basement of the Ada Earnest House on the campus of ETSU from 6-9 p.m. Call Periconi at 439-7874 for more information or an application.
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