May 19, 2022(Mitchell, South Dakota.) – CASA is pleased to announce that five new volunteers and one staff were sworn in as officers of the court by 1st Judicial Circuit Judge Patrick Smith during a swearing-in ceremony at Davison County Courthouse on Thursday.
The swearing-in ceremony was the final step taken by these community members after 30 hours of training which covered topics like trauma, resiliency, poverty, mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, and the role of the CASA volunteer.
Now, as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs), these volunteers will be appointed to open Abuse & Neglect cases by a judge so that they may speak up for abused or neglected children and ensure that each child’s best interest remains front and center during court proceedings. These volunteers will be a steady and trusted presence for children who must navigate the child welfare system due to no fault of their own.
Congratulations to new CASA Volunteers Kelly, Gretchen, Yaquelin, Amy, Shelby, and Kristin.
On any given day, about 100 children are living in foster care or another form of out-of-home placement in Aurora, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Davison, Douglas, Hanson Hutchinson, and McCook Counties. Through individualized attention, CASA volunteers advocate for safety, permanency, and well-being through independent recommendations, bringing urgency to a child’s needs in and out of a courtroom.
CASA is actively recruiting new volunteers to fill these roles. Anyone interested in learning more about becoming a CASA volunteer is invited to attend our Cup of CASA on Tuesday, May 31, from 10 am – 11 am at the CASA office in Mitchell, located at 115 E 11th Avenue. Our next online volunteer training session starts on Thursday, June 16.