AUSTIN, April 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Texas CASA is launching a 13-city Texas tour to bring awareness of the need for more dedicated members of the community to become CASA volunteers to advocate for children who have experienced abuse or neglect in Texas.
A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer works collaboratively with everyone involved in a child’s daily life. This includes working with members of the child’s family, foster parents, teachers, lawyers, and social workers. Then the CASA volunteer reports to the judge and advocates for the child’s best interests. CASA volunteers come from all walks of life and are offered continuous training and support throughout their time as an advocate. Approximately 9,500 CASA volunteers with 73 local CASA programs are serving nearly 24,000 children in Texas.
The Texas CASA mobile truck tour will travel to 13 Texas cities sharing educational messaging about National Child Abuse Prevention Month and encouraging Texans to sign up to become a CASA volunteer. The bright mobile truck will share videos, graphics, and will include the BecomeACASA.org URL where people can sign-up to become a CASA volunteer. The tour will include stops at the following locations:
- 4/2 – CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County, The Woodlands, TX
- 4/3 – Voz de Niños, Laredo, TX
- 4/5 – Gulf Coast CASA, Inc., Wharton, TX
- 4/13 – CASA for the Cross Timbers Area, Inc., Stephenville, TX
- 4/14 – CASA for Hunt County, Greenville, TX
- 4/14 – CASA of Collin County, Plano, TX
- 4/15 – CASA of the Coastal Bend, Corpus Christi, TX
- 4/16 – Dallas CASA, Dallas, TX
- 4/20 – East Texas CASA, Gilmer, TX
- 4/20 – CASA of Trinity Valley, Palestine, TX
- 4/23 – Great Plains CASA for Kids, Hereford, TX
- 4/27 – Lake Country CASA, Sulphur Springs, TX
- 4/28 – CASA of Walker County, Huntsville, TX
“Children and youth in foster care deserve a happy, safe childhood just like any other child; they deserve the same chance to grow up loved and supported; the same access to the resources and quality education that will help them reach their goals and be who, and what, they want to be,” said Vicki Spriggs, Texas CASA CEO. “A dedicated, well-trained CASA volunteer has the opportunity to step in, speak up and make a real difference for them during this critical turning point in their lives.”
The experiential tour will make several stationary stops which will feature the “Who’s A Constant” game that will help Texans understand what being a CASA volunteer really means. The interactive game shows that you are the constant figure and resource to a child in foster care when you serve as a CASA volunteer. You play a pivotal role in the child’s life.
About Texas CASA
Austin-based Texas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is the statewide organization of 73 local CASA programs that recruit, train and supervise volunteers to advocate for children and families involved in the child protection system. Last year, nearly 9,500 well-trained volunteers served more than 23,900 children in 219 of the 254 Texas counties. Texas CASA supports the local CASA programs by advocating for effective public policy for children and families in the child protection system and by providing funding, training and technical assistance to program staff, board and volunteers.
CASA volunteers are everyday members of the community doing extraordinary work to support children and families in their communities. They are screened and trained, then appointed by the court to advocate for the best interests of a child or sibling group in the foster care system. CASA volunteers provide a consistent presence for the child and family and advocate first and foremost for reunification with the child's family of origin when safe and possible.
www.TexasCASA.org | | Facebook.com/TexasCASAInc | https://www.instagram.com/texascasa/
