This Year's Project: Gage County CASA
About Our Organization
The mission of Southeast Nebraska CASA is to recruit, train, and support community volunteers who advocate for abused and neglected children in Seward, Saline, Thayer, Jefferson & Gage County Court System.
The CASA volunteer role complements but does not duplicate other responsible persons involved in abuse or neglect cases, such as social workers, and attorneys. With support and guidance provided by CASA staff, the CASA volunteer gathers and assesses information, develops recommendations, and submits written and verbal reports. CASA volunteers report to the judge and advocate for the child’s needs while they are in the foster care system.
CASA children in our community are some of the most vulnerable people in Gage County. They have arrived in the court system as a result of abandonment, being born drug-addicted, have been battered, sexually abused, or by not having been provided with basic needs. Having a stable relationship with a supportive adult can help children do well, even when they have faced significant hardships.
Even during this time of social distancing, our advocates are still making a difference in the lives of children in foster care. They keep connecting with their kids in healthy and safe ways and continue providing much-needed stability and comfort to kids in uncertain times. The number one priority is keeping vulnerable children safe. Child abuse and neglect cases typically increase in times of emergency or disaster. Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do at CASA. Our advocates, board members, and staff offer their time and talent to make sure children in foster care are safe and thriving.
The generosity of the community will help Southeast Nebraska CASA support advocates who speak out on behalf of children in foster care. Let's keep working together to change the lives of children in foster care!
Equipping volunteers as they shepherd kids in crisis looks like:
- purchasing continuing education materials for volunteers
- contributing to our upcoming volunteer appreciation event in October
- having gift cards available to helps kids in need of clothing, and extra-curricular fees during the school
- helping parents upon reunite with their children by helping them secure transportation and clothing for job interviews, etc.
Current Project: Gage County CASA
Your support will help CASA provide a stable adult in the lives of more at-risk children in Gage County.
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) volunteers are appointed by a judge to a specific case. They get to know the child and all of the circumstances and issues surrounding the family. CASA volunteers have a court order allowing them access to the children and all information (medical, therapeutic, educational) about the children. CASA volunteers share with the judge the needs and wishes of the children. CASA volunteers offer an outside perspective and provide the judge with information.
A former CASA child, Pamela B. once said, "To give a child a CASA volunteer is to give them a voice. To give them a voice is to give them hope, and to give them hope is to give them the world."
Your support will enable us to speak up for more children and advocate for their best interests.
You have the ability to change a child's story.
How can you make a difference? Become a trained CASA volunteer, ask about other CASA committees, Make a tax-deductible donation.
As a CASA volunteer, you build trust and a strong relationship with the child. Then report the child's wants and needs to the court. It is essential that your court report gives the judge and other parties on the case an accurate picture of the child's best interest.
Check out our website: www.southeastnebraskacasa.org
Pre-order your tshirt to help support CASA by copying this link into your address bar: https://jboutiquene.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/way-maker-tee-adult-casa-benefit
Gage County Volunteer Recruitment & Training
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteers are well-trained and speak in court for the best interest of abused and neglected children. These children are in court due to no fault of their own. All of the children are victims of abuse and neglect. CASA volunteers are appointed to a case by the judge. The volunteer's goal is to provide a carefully researched background of the child to help the court make a sound decision about the child's future. Each home placement case is as unique as the child involved. The CASA volunteer researches the child's best interests to stay with his or her parents or guardians, be placed in foster care, or permanent adoption. The CASA volunteer makes a recommendation on placement and follows through on the case until it is permanently resolved. CASA volunteers are often the only stable factor in an often frightening and difficult ordeal for a child. Right now in Gage County, 38 children have been removed from their home due to abuse and neglect, and are in need of a CASA Volunteer. This money will help Southeast Nebraska CASA recruit, train and support Gage County volunteers and give a voice to these children in court.