CASA Kane County has been advocating for children in the foster care system for more than 31 years and has served thousands of youth struggling through the most horrific times in their lives.

This week, CASA is offering two opportunities for you to become involved.

“We need your help more than ever to help these children survive and to find permanency and in most instances we find that it will change your life, too!” CASA Executive Director Gloria Kelley said. “The longer you wait, the longer our foster youth suffer. So we ask you to consider how you could fit into a team helping foster youth succeed. Could you fill a direct service role of a CASA/GAL volunteer? Would you be willing to help in another way?”

A volunteer’s role can be big or small. CASA is asking residents to consider joining the conversation:

• Talk to friends, family and colleagues about the obstacles facing foster youth and ways that our community can work together to provide support systems for them.
• Most importantly, understand that children enter foster care through no fault of their own. The challenges that place children in care affect every social, economic and geographic community. No one is immune, and no one should face these challenges alone.

CASA’S approach is child-to-child, case-to-case and CASA-volunteer-to-CASA-volunteer. In working directly with children and families in and out of the courtroom, CASA ensures children are treated with respect, patience and dignity while working to find permanency.

One CASA child put it this way:

“My CASA volunteer went above and beyond the call of duty. I believe that everyone is born with the ability to succeed but that some fail to meet their potential. As youth in care, we need more support to know what we are capable of because we often feel we are less than average. My CASA volunteer provided that encouragement and support.”

CASA asks prospective volunteers to call 630-232-4484 or visit www.casakanecounty.org to attend a general informational meeting.

The next general information meetings are as follows:

• 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Kane County Courthouse, 100 S. Third St., Geneva.
• 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, at Two Brothers Round House, 205 N. Broadway St., Aurora.

At these meetings, you will hear more about the CASA Kane County organization, the role of the CASA/GAL volunteer and other areas of how to get involved.

SOURCE: CASA Kane County news release