CASA to seek out advocates during Festival Days

CASA of Hill County will be recruiting new advocates on Festival Days’ Saturday.

CASA invites everyone to at Saturday Market on Town Square, 8 a.m. to noon, to “Meet a CASA” and learn more about the work they do or to have “Coffee with CASA” at Holiday Village Mall, 2 to 4 p.m. Local CASA volunteers will be on-hand to discuss their role and to discuss what everyone in Havre can do to break the cycle of child abuse and neglect.

“We had such a great result, so many folks interested in our work, at the Great Northern Fair that we realized the best way to get the word out is by being out-and-about around town,” said Mark Douglass, director of CASA of Hill County. “We’re a pretty small group, so it isn’t always easy to find us. This is a way for more folks to learn how vital our work is, and what they can do — by becoming an advocate, but also in their everyday life — to help stop child abuse and neglect.”

Every year in Hill County, more than 50 children are removed from their homes because of abuse and neglect. These children find themselves in a system which is overburdened and cannot always ensure that their basic needs are met and their fundamental rights, protected. A trained CASA volunteer-advocate who works with the child, the court, the family, and the entire community can help guarantee that the child’s best interests are kept front-and-center, Douglass said.

Unfortunately, there are not enough CASA advocates for every child.

A new class of CASA advocates will begin training in October and be ready to be sworn in as court appointed special advocates before the holiday season.

For more information about CASA, or to find out about joining CASA’s team of volunteer advocates, people can contact Douglass at [email protected] or 265-6743.