Alaska CASA congratulated the recent graduates of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program in Juneau. The CASA volunteers completed over 40 hours of training in preparation for their roles as advocates for abused and neglected children. Master James Curtain officiated during the swearing-in ceremony.
Every year in Juneau, dozens of children are placed in foster care because they are unable to live safely at home. Now, into these children’s lives come dozens of strangers: police, foster parents, therapists, social workers, judges, lawyers and more. Hopefully, one of these strangers is a CASA volunteer.
CASA volunteers watch over and advocate for these abused and neglected children to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal system or languish in foster care. CASA volunteers stay with each case until it is closed and the child is returned home or placed in another safe, permanent home. For many children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence — the one adult who cares only for them.
For more information about the Juneau CASA program, call Carol Graham, Program Coordinator, at 465-2268 or check out the Alaska CASA website: alaskacasa.org. Alaska CASA is a program of the state Office of Public Advocacy.
