Tory introduced our speaker, Kathy Park, who heads the staff of the CASA program. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, and Kathy has been with the program for nearly two decades. She began as the Case Advocate Supervisor. Before CASA, Kathy worked as a preschool assistant in a Montessori School and later at Head Start. She was also involved in the Inter-City Fresh Air Program.
Currently, there are 19 active volunteers, helping 41 children adjust to life in foster care and in the court system. These children have been abused and/or neglected and need someone to advocate for them in the courts. CASA volunteers work with case workers, teachers, and medical professionals to determine the best situation for the child.
Children must adjust to new foster homes and schools, hoping to make new friends and fit in.
For children who are aging out of foster care, CASA holds resource fairs to introduce them to where they can go for help on their own. Striders was mentioned as one of the very good resources. For other high school students, she described an End of Summer Bash, where students are given “amazing folders and binders, pens and backpacks” so they can fit in with students who have parents helping them with these items. They’ve created “life books” for students to help them when schools do projects that involve baby pictures and other personal information.
Since CASA began in Jamestown in 2003, more than 160 volunteers have helped over 450 children. The volunteers receive 30 hours of training and take an oath in court. Some are known to “burn out after 2-3 years,” but eight volunteers have been with the program for 7-14 years.
To volunteer or contribute, contact casachautauqua@gmail.com or call 716-753-4123.
For more information, check out the www.chautauquacasa.com website.
