Are you looking for a meaningful volunteer opportunity? Be a child advocate!
Walk alongside a child in foster care, help them make sense of court hearings, make sure their needs are being met, and help them find a permanent home faster. Piedmont CASA invites you to attend our virtual volunteer training classes and learn more about what it means to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). Please complete the online application; http:// www.piedmontcasa.org/ online-application.html. Also visit our website, www.piedmontcasa.org, for more information.
The Volunteer Training classes for Fall 2020 will be offered once a week in the evening for six weeks from 6:00-9:00pm, with additional online training. Training will run Thursday, August 27, 2020 - Thursday, October 1, 2020. We will have future training dates if this training class does not work with your schedule. Please inquire.
In 2019, more than 350 cases of abuse and neglect were substantiated within Barrow, Banks and Jackson County, Georgia. These children need your voice speaking for their best interests within the juvenile court system. Our local foster children need your voice. Won't you help?
What is the CASA volunteer’s role?
* A CASA volunteer gathers information about the child’s situation, attends court proceedings and makes a recommendation to the judge so that the judge has the information to make a decision about the child’s future.
* The CASA volunteer advocates for the safety, permanency and well-being of the child.
What is required of a CASA?
* Commitment: The vast majority of cases last one to two years, and the amount of time spent on a case per month typically averages 5- 7 hours. Volunteers must make case time a priority in order to provide quality advocacy.
* Objectivity: Volunteers research case records and speak to everyone involved in a child's life, including their family members, teacher, doctor, lawyer, social worker and others. Their indpendent, third-party evaluations are based on facts, evidence and testimonies.
* Communication skills: Once a volunteer has fully evaluated a case, they prepare a written report outlining their recommendation for the child's placement. They must be able to attend court hearings and present their rationale to the judge in court.
REQUIREMENTS