What’s your New Years Resolution? To exercise twice a week or floss every night? Resolutions usually involve self-improvement, but why not switch it up this year and resolve to improving the life of a child in the Athens-Oconee area?
Everyday in the United States, 1,900 children become victims of child abuse or neglect.
From there, they get caught up and lost in the child welfare maze because they are no longer able to live safely at home. Imagine what it would be like to lose your parents, not because of something you did, but because they can’t — or won’t — take care of you. Now, into these children’s lives come dozens of strangers: police officers, lawyers, judges, foster parents, therapists, social workers, and more. Hopefully, one of these is a CASA volunteer.
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Nobody longs for a safe and loving family more than a child in foster care.
As a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), you are empowered by the courts to help make this dream become a reality. You are specially trained to know what is in a child’s best interest, and how to get those interests met by the system. You will be the one consistent adult in these children’s lives, vigilantly fighting for and protecting their fundamental right to be treated with the dignity and respect every child deserves. You will be with these children until they are placed in stable, loving and permanent homes. You will not only bring positive change to the lives of these vulnerable children, but also their children and generations to come. And in doing so, your life will be enriched as well.
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This year, resolve to be for the child who has no one else. Be for the child, barely 6, who bounced not home to home, but house to house. Who, worse than no longer believing in others, no longer believes in herself. Be for that child. To listen to her. To stand up in court for her. To speak for her. Because if you are there for her, you know that she will be half as likely to languish in foster care, and that much more likely to find a safe, permanent home. Be for that child. Be a Court Appointed Special Advocate.
To learn more about being the voice of a child in need, come to CASA Training Orientation on January 14, 2014 at 6pm. Visit http://www.childrenfirst-inc.org/athens-oconee-casa.html or contact Mary at 706-613-1922x1 for more information.
