A proclamation Tuesday during the regular Rowan County Fiscal Court meeting commemorated the first CASA Gateway Day. Officials said the day acknowledged Child Abuse Prevention Month and worked to spread the word that CASA is in the community and recruiting volunteers.
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. Beth Ellis is the Executive Director of CASA of the Gateway Region. She said the Kentucky CASA Network serves hundreds of kids across the commonwealth.
“We have programs that have been around since the 80s, and then we have us that are brand new in 2024, so it’s been a very wide variety but, as a whole in the state of Kentucky, CASA is very successful, and we do advocate for a lot of children,” said Ellis.
There are currently 21 CASA programs that serve various counties in the state. CASA of the Gateway region is the newest program and serves Rowan, Bath, Menifee, and Montgomery counties.
Volunteers of the program are appointed by judges to serve in child abuse and neglect cases. Once assigned to a child, the volunteer researches the child's case and reports to the court in the best interest of the child.
Ellis said a lot of kids fall victim to abuse and neglect, and CASA is able to provide unique services to help combat the issue.
“We can put one volunteer to one case, and we can advocate for things that may fall through the cracks. So, part of our job is to work and collaborate with the social workers, and collaborate with the attorneys, so we can all have a better understanding of what’s the best need,” said Ellis.
CASA Volunteers must be at least 21 years of age. More information on how to serve as a CASA volunteer can be found here.