A local volunteer program has been awarded a national grant to expand its work with children in foster care.
The Court Appointed Special Advocate Association that serves Butler and Ripley counties will receive $10,000 from the National CASA organization, nearly doubling its budget.
CASA volunteers help ensure the best interest of the children, said Judy Moss, program director for the local CASA program, which covers the 36th Judicial Circuit. This includes advocating for appropriate services and providing children with a voice in determining their own futures.
The funds provide additional hours for the personnel who oversee volunteers and coordinate with children's division, the juvenile office and the court system, Moss explained. The program currently receives a $13,500 State CASA grant and private donations.
Statistics show children with a CASA worker find a permanent home more quickly, and are more likely to complete their education, Moss said.
The program is always in need of more volunteers, she said.
"At the present time, over 300 children are in care (in our circuit) and CASA served less than a third of those children last year," said Moss.
The local program currently has 21 volunteers serving more than 70 children. More than 90 children were served in 2017.
A child enters the foster care system every two minutes, the national organization reported in a press release. On average, for every child assigned a CASA volunteer, two others go at it alone.
Volunteer training for the local CASA will be held in January, for anyone interested in participating. Moss can be reached at 573-776-7830, ext. 13, or casa36@thecrc.org.
Donations are also being accepted. A weekly fundraiser is held on Wednesdays at Buffalo Wild Wings, with a portion of proceeds from sales going to the local CASA.
The local CASA is one of 1,000 CASA and guardian ad litem programs around the country that include 85,000 volunteers.
National CASA grants are provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and U.S. Department of Justice. They are awarded through a competitive process, according to the organization.
National CASA awarded more than $10 million in federal grants in 2018.