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Court appointed child advocates coming to Greene County

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{child_flags:editors_pick}Court appointed child advocates coming to help in Greene County

{child_byline}By Trista Thurston

Staff writer

tthurston@observer-reporter.com

{/child_byline}

WAYNESBURG – Abused and neglected children in Greene County could have a volunteer voice advocating for them by 2019.

The Coalition for a Brighter Greene has helped to get the new CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, program off the ground.

CASA volunteers are assigned by the court to a case of child abuse or neglect, often an extreme case recommended by county Children and Youth Services. From there, they work to provide a report for the court by conducting interviews and gathering information about the child. They make a recommendation on what’s best for that child, giving them a voice and a consistent presence in their lives.

The goal for the new Greene County nonprofit is to take on six to 10 children in their first year.

After talking with other communities in Washington and Westmoreland counties that have had success with the national organization, members of the Brighter Greene coalition wanted to bring the program here.

Greene County has received an 18-month grant to hire a CASA director, and will also receive 10 hours of technical assistance a week from the statewide organization. A grant of about $80,000 for Greene County will also provide some equipment.

Chris Gardner, court assistant for program development at the Greene County Courthouse, along with Jon Johnson, president of Coalition for a Brighter Greene, and Bernie Fox, president of CASA of Greene County, expressed their desire to provide advocates for children neglected and abused in Greene County.

Johnson was on the ground floor of establishing CASA locally, helping with many of those first steps. Fox joined in December, and with experience in social work and fostering hundreds of children, she has a passion for this work.

“I love doing work like this,” Fox said. “When you can help a little kid that has nothing to become their own person, it just makes you feel really good.”

Benefits of CASA volunteers

In the coalition’s aim to make Greene County a drug free community, establishing CASA made sense, the group’s members said.

One or both parents are struggling with substance abuse in 90 percent of Greene County’s CYS cases. Cases of abuse and neglect are on the rise, as well as first-timers in the CYS system.

Rates of substantiated reports of abuse, meaning those that pan out in the course of an investigation, are typically higher in rural areas. Greene County, according to the 2016 Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Report, is even higher than the rural average. The county has also seen the highest rate of neonatal abstinence syndrome, where infants are born with drugs in their system.

Research has shown that children with a CASA volunteer spend less time in court and the foster care system, have better chances of finding permanent homes and perform better in school. These volunteers can become mentors for children that face trauma and uncertainty in their lives.

Where Greene County may lack in funds, it makes up for in its vast resource of people, Gardner said.

“Greene County folks fight for Greene County folks,” Gardner said. “It’s amazing to see this come together.”

There are numerous requirements, from conducting a needs assessment and completing applications to training with Washington County’s CASA program. But it has always been the goal to spin CASA off into a separate organization from the coalition. Brighter Greene has served as an incubator as the organization strengthens its legs.

Gardner said CASA has been a long time coming, but affected kids deserve the help.

CASA’s timeline is a lofty one, but one they believe is attainable. The hope is to move into promised county office space by June, hire staff by September, host training for new volunteers in October and swear in those new recruits by January. Fox said where exactly they’ll be housed is still up in the air, but the hope is for space either the Ft. Jackson building or Ben Franklin building.

Despite the grant, the group still needs to raise about $150,000 in additional funds for a caseworker and clerical position.

Becoming a volunteer

CASA volunteers provide information during a case in the best interest of their child. The intention is to be involved in some of the worst cases to be another set of eyes and ears. Through visits, interviews and observations, volunteers build a relationship with the child. They are part of a team working together on a child’s case, from caseworkers to attorneys. They spend about eight to 12 hours a month working on their case, though that time can vary depending on the child and the case.

Volunteers go through an initial 30-hour training and continued education, as well as background checks. No specific expertise or background is needed. They receive training on how to testify in court, how to prepare a report, what signs to look for and more. Anyone interested can become a volunteer. A case requires a two-year commitment.

The group is currently seeking both interested volunteers and private donations. For more information, contact president Fox at 724-627-8595 or bernicefox62@gmail.com or Gardner at 724-833-9488 or cgardner@pacourts.us.

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