SMETHPORT — CASA of McKean County has been awarded a $10,000 local rural grant from the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association, which will be used to recruit, screen and train more CASA volunteers from among our community to serve children who experienced abuse or neglect.
CASA of McKean County is one of almost 1,000 CASA and guardian ad litem programs across the country that recruit, train and support 87,000 best-interest volunteers who help ensure that children who have entered the court and child-welfare systems receive appropriate services, have a voice in determining their futures and, ultimately, find a safe, permanent home where they can thrive.
A child enters the foster care system every two minutes, and currently there are not enough CASA and guardian ad litem volunteers to serve every child. On average, for every child assigned a best-interest volunteer, two others go it alone.
“The needs of McKean County’s children coming into care are often complicated and unique, and life in foster care can be chaotic,” said Kristen Tim, executive director of CASA of McKean County. “Every child deserves the support of a caring, consistent adult with the training to help her or him heal and thrive.”
The federal grant funds distributed through the National CASA Association are provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the U.S. Department of Justice, as authorized under the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990. They are awarded through a competitive process. In 2017, National CASA awarded more than $4.6 million in federal grants.
CASA of McKean County is holding its next volunteer training beginning March 15. For more information about becoming a best-interests volunteer or other ways to get involved in changing a child’s life, contact CASA of McKean County at 814-568-2170 or casa@mckeancountypa.org or www.mckeancountypa.org/casa or visit the organization’s Facebook Page.
