The following story was submitted by Darian Kaderabek, an Advocate Coordinator for CASA of East Central Wisconsin.
Did you know that right now in Manitowoc County there are more than one hundred children on a waiting list for a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)? CASA of East Central Wisconsin provides and supports specially-trained, court-appointed special advocates to act solely in the best interest of children who have experienced abuse or neglect, who are in need of court protection to ensure they have a safe and permanent home, and the opportunity to thrive.
Children who have experienced abuse or neglect fare better with a CASA volunteer by their side. Studies have shown that they are more likely to achieve permanency, succeed in school, and are half-as-likely to re-enter the foster care system. CASA is a friend of the court, working as an extra set of eyes and ears to ensure that children that have been deemed in need of protection or services by a judge are having their needs met.
As our waiting list continues to grow, we are actively looking to recruit new volunteers to step into the role of an advocate. A pertinent part of advocacy involves collaboration from the community and we are so grateful that Manitowoc Public Library accepted our request to host a virtual community conversation with us!
We’re calling this event “Changing a Child’s Story: A Community Conversation with CASA.” It will be taking place on Tuesday, October 5, at 6 PM. It’s an online, live-streamed panel discussion that will broadcast on both the Library’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/manitowoclibrary) and their YouTube channel. We’ve put together a great group of people for “Changing a Child’s Story.” Since it’s going to be happening live, if you have any questions about CASA or for our panel, feel free to type them into the “Comments” section of either platform. If we don’t get to them immediately when you type them in, we’ll certainly address as many as possible at the conclusion of the evening.
Our next CASA Pre-Service Training begins the second week of October and our panel will help provide insight on how everyday citizens can make an important impact.
We hope that you will join us virtually on October 5 to hear from our panel of CASA volunteers and staff on their experiences advocating for the best interest of children in our community and what you can do to get involved.
Together we can help to change a child’s story right here in Manitowoc.