Giving a few hours as an advocate can change a child’s life, according to leaders of a program recruiting volunteers.
Court Appointed Special Advocates serve children in Wayne and Union counties.
Organizers are seeking compassionate volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected kids.
An information session is planned from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, at Morrisson-Reeves Library’s Bard Room, 80 N. Sixth St., Richmond.
The discussion will include what CASA does in the community, what volunteers do, how to get involved, and time for questions.
After training, the court-appointed advocates ensure a child’s individual needs remain a priority in an over-burdened child welfare system, CASA leaders say.
They spend time getting to know the child and gathering information about the child’s holistic life. Volunteers make independent and informed recommendations to help the judge decide what’s in the child’s best interest.
Wayne-Union County CASA Program supported volunteers to advocate for more than 100 children in 2024 with many remarkable success stories, staff say. Approximately 11 volunteer advocates served these vulnerable children in 2024.
Statewide, nearly 3,000 volunteers helped more than 17,400 children in 2023.
Wayne-Union County CASA Program is affiliated with the Indiana State Office of Guardian Ad Litem/CASA, which is part of the Indiana Supreme Court, Division of State Court Administration.
For more information, contact volunteer recruiter Natalie Natusch at 765-973-9314 or wayneunioncasa.org.
A version of this article appeared in the July 23 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.