FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Allen County CASA will celebrate the swearing-in of new volunteer advocates this Thursday. These individuals, known as CASA volunteers, will make a difference in the lives of local kids in need.
Allen County Superior Court issued the following:
Children in our community are entering the child welfare system at an alarming rate as a result of their caregivers’ substance abuse, unstable housing, domestic violence, and mental health concerns. A team of community members are dedicated to making a difference in these kids’ lives – they are Court Appointed Special Advocates.
The newest class of CASA volunteers recently completed a six week/30 hour training program. These 5 individuals have a heart for children in our community and want to make sure that abused and neglected children do not get lost in the court system. On August 26 at the Allen County Court house, they will joined a team of more than 160 advocates and Guardian ad Litems who provide a voice for children who have been abused or neglected. Essentially, CASA volunteers “speak up” for these children in the court and child welfare systems, making sure they are safe and well cared for, are getting the services they need, and placed in a permanent, safe, nurturing home as quickly as possible by making recommendations to the court.
Jessica Keathley, a teacher for Fort Wayne Community Schools who will be sworn-in on Thursday stated; “As a teacher I work with kids who are in bad living situations and I wish I could do more. I have been interested in being a foster parent but I never have been able to commit that much time. CASA provides me an opportunity to advocate for kids, even with my busy schedule”
“CASA volunteers don’t require any specific educational or professional background. All they need is compassion, objectivity, and a few hours a month to visit a child. We’ll train and supervise them to be effective voices in court,” says Mell Depew, Recruitment and Training Coordinator for Allen County Office of GAL/CASA. “Our volunteers come from all walks of life, and diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. They are ordinary individuals who rise to the extraordinary by making a difference in the life of a child.”
Judge Lori Morgan will be presiding over the swearing in ceremony. Up until mid-May 2021 when Judge Morgan was appointed to take over for the Honorable Judge Charles Pratt she served as a Magistrate for the Allen Superior Court Family Relations Division since 1995. Judge Morgan currently serves on the Domestic Relations Committee for the Indiana Judicial Conference and is a member of the Indiana AFCC. She is a former chair of the Indiana Continuing Legal Educational Commission and is a former member of the Indiana Juvenile Bench book and the Juvenile Justice Improvement Committees of the Indiana Judicial Conference. Judge Morgan has served on the State Advisory Committee on GAL/CASA. She is a 2005 graduate of the Indiana Judicial College and a 2009 graduate of the Indiana Graduate Program for Judges. In 2005, she was a recipient of an Indiana News Center’s Women in Leadership Award. Judge Morgan has served as a speaker at the Allen Superior Court’s Annual Conference on Youth and has assisted with the training of Allen County CASA Volunteer Advocates.
This event is sponsored by the Allen County CASA Coalition, a not-for-profit that focuses its efforts toward recruitment, training, and supporting volunteers. Allen County CASA is affiliated with the Indiana State Office of GAL/CASA, which is part of the Indiana Supreme Court, Division of State Court Administration. Allen County Office of GAL/CASA is certified by the State Office and complies with the Indiana Supreme Court Program Standards and Code of Ethics for GAL/CASA programs. Allen County Office of GAL/CASA is also a member of the National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association.
Anyone interested in becoming an advocate for children should contact Mell Depew, Recruitment and Training Coordinator, at (260) 449-7190 or go allencountycasa.org to fill out a Volunteer application.
