CASA Calls for Volunteers this MLK Day

At the March on
Washington on August 28,
1963, the Reverend Doctor
Martin Luther King Jr.
delivered his inspirational
“I Have a Dream” speech.
King’s dream was equal
rights for all Americans,
regardless of the color of
their skin.
CASA of Titus, Camp,
and Morris Counties also
has a dream this Martin
Luther King Jr. Day – a
dream that every child in
Texas has a safe, permanent
home.
When children are
removed from their homes
due to evidence of abuse or
neglect, they are placed in
the child welfare system,
sometimes far away from
their friends and loved
ones. Often times, they are
left to navigate the system
on their own without a
consistent adult to guide
them.
CASA (Court Appointed
Special Advocate) volunteers
are appointed by
judges to speak up for a
child in court. A CASA
volunteer’s main goal is to
help move the child out of
the temporary system and
into a safe, permanent
home as quickly as possible.
CASA of Titus, Camp,
and Morris Counties is one
of the 72 local CASA programs
in Texas that recruit
volunteers to advocate for
children in court.
“By getting to know the
child personally and speaking
up for his or her best
interest, CASA volunteers
make sure the child’s voice
is not lost in the chaos of
court proceedings,” said
Michelle Cobern,
Executive Director of
CASA of Titus, Camp, and
Morris Counties.
In 2015, more than
47,348 Texas children were
in the child welfare system.
Of those children, approximately
half did not have a
CASA volunteer.
Last year, 42 CASA volunteers
served 156 children
in the child welfare
system in Titus, Camp, and
Morris Counties, but several
children still need a
volunteer to advocate for
their best interests. “We
hope for a day when CASA
is no longer needed
because all children are
safe and cared for,” said
Cobern. “But until then,
we need more community
members to step up and
advocate for our most vulnerable
children.”
CASA volunteers speak
with everyone involved in
the child’s life, including
family members, teachers,
therapists and foster parents.
They gather information
about the child’s
physical, educational and
emotional needs and
report their findings to the
court so that the judge can
make an informed placement
decision.
CASA volunteers advocate
first and foremost for
reunification with the
child’s immediate family,
but when that is not an
option they work to place
the child with a loving
adoptive family.
“At CASA of Titus,
Camp, and Morris
Counties, we have a dream
of ensuring that every child
has a forever home where
they can thrive and grow,”
said Cobern. “Join us in
making our dream a reality
this Martin Luther King Jr.
Day by becoming a CASA
volunteer.”
For more information,
visit www.becomeacasa.
org or
http://casatcm.org/volunteer/
or contact Michelle
Cobern at 903-767-3679.
Please call or visit our website
about our next volunteer
training.