CASA of Gila County
Thirty years ago, the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program was started in Gila County. This program allows everyday citizens to get involved by being the eyes and ears of children in dependency matters. Children who’ve been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect benefit from the support and care of un-biased, trained adults who get to know them individually and report back to the judge what is happening in that child’s life.
Foster kids with a CASA volunteer spend less time in foster care, move from placement to placement less often, and perform better in school. In Gila County, children with a CASA have found their voice and their forever homes. CASAs are often asked to join in adoption celebrations, family reunions years later, and high school and college graduations. Last year, one CASA child even attended a former advocate’s funeral because the CASA and his wife were remembered as the one constant adult who stuck with her.
To honor this worthwhile program, the judges in Gila County sat down recently to share their thoughts on the program and those volunteers who make it what it is.
Honorable Bryan Chambers sums it all up by saying, “If you can make a difference in a child’s life, you can change the world.”
For more information about the CASA program or if you are interested in becoming a CASA, please contact Emily Leverance at 928-402-4427.