SMETHPORT — Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of McKean County will hold a Facebook Live-Stream informational session starting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.
Join the live-stream to hear CASA Advocate Supervisor Jessica London present information on CASA and the process of becoming a CASA volunteer. After her short presentation, there will be an opportunity for questions to be answered.
RSVPs are requested and can be left at the CASA email account: casa@mckeancountypa.org.
As a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), volunteers receive in-depth training to advocate in court and in the community for the needs of children in foster care.
Volunteers complete a 30-hour pre- training curriculum. Once they are assigned to a case, they can expect to spend an average of about 10 to 15 hours a month getting to know the child, gathering information, exploring resources to meet the child’s needs, representing the child in court and writing reports. Volunteers receive ongoing education and support from their local program as well as from the National CASA Association.
“During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that children are at a heightened risk for abuse and neglect because of being more isolated due to the stay at home recommendations. Now more than ever, we need more CASA volunteers to meet the probable increase in abuse and neglect cases that will be reported once the dust of the pandemic settles,” said Suzy Meyer-Page, Executive Director of CASA of McKean County.
