While April is designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month, preventing abuse to children is the focus every day for many organizations and volunteers like those at CASA-Hope For Children.
The non-profit agency serves Palo Pinto and Parker counties, providing trained, court-appointed guardian ad litem volunteers assigned to help oversee children placed into foster and CPS care. The advocates observe and visit the children to then make reports to judges in the courts where cases of abuse and custody are pending. Those reports are taken into consideration by the judge when determining the permanent or long-term placement of the children.
Rotarians on Wednesday heard from CASA-Hope For Children Executive Director Kathy Meyer, pictured left, and the agency's training director Christina Phenix, right. Also pictured is Rotarian and CASA-Hope For Children Program Director Monica Riedlinger, who was this week's program chair.
CASA is an acronym for court-appointed special advocates.
Kathy said in 2021, CASA-HopeFor Children served 168 children in Palo Pinto County, including 32 new children who entered the system. There are 30 volunteers in Palo Pinto County advocating for the children. Those volunteers completed 510 hours of training and performed 4,900 hours of service. Eighty cases were closed last year, thanks in large part to the CASA advocates.
Overall, the agency is overseeing 269 children encompassing 165 cases, with a total of 72 volunteers.
The organization is putting on its annual clay shoot fundraiser, “Aim High For Kids,” on Thursday, May 5, at Defender Outdoors in Aledo. The event begins at 9 a.m., with lunch and awards beginning at noon. Call 817-599-6224 or email casa@casahopeforchildren.org.
For more information about CASA-Hope For Children, including how to become a trained advocate, follow them on Facebook or Instagram, and visit https://casahopeforchildren.org/.